How to Sleep Train and Keep a Nighttime Feeding

When I first began working as an in-home and virtual sleep trainer in Boston, I would have families hold off working with me until they got the approval from their pediatrician to end nighttime feedings.

However, this past spring, I had a family reach out DESPERATE to have their daughter gain better sleeping skills. She was waking multiple times throughout the night and they struggled to help her fall back asleep, bedtimes were tough, and she also refused to nap for more than 35 minutes at a time. Yes, 35 minutes on the dot! The mom was experiencing postpartum depression and anxiety and was at a breaking point.

This mom had asked her doctor if she could end nighttime feedings and begin sleep training. Her pediatrician had no issue with sleep training, but wanted her to continue feeding her daughter once a night for another one to two months.

Mom reached out to me asking if I could help her sleep train while keeping a nighttime feeding. At first I was hesitant to take her on as a client because up to that point I had only ever worked with babies who were ready to end nighttime feedings. But Mom had gotten to me and I wanted to help her.

I spoke with my mentor and other sleep experts who told me that it was possible to sleep train and keep a nighttime feeding. I took their recommendations and did my research to come up with a plan.

And you know what? The plan worked beautifully!!! And I want to share with you how I did it.

Instructions for Sleep Training While Keeping a Night Feeding

(Disclaimer: This plan is for babies 4 months and older. I recommend that you ask your Pediatrician for the green light to reduce to one feeding a night.)

STEP 1: Track Nighttime Feedings 

Over the course of 3-5 nights, log your baby’s nighttime feedings. You want to ensure you are tracking the time of night that each feeding occurs, as well as the amount of time each feeding takes if your baby is breastfed or the amount consumed for bottle-fed babies. 

STEP 2: Establish One “True” Nighttime Feeding

Using the information in the log, you will establish when the “true” feeding occurs each night. For babies who are waking multiple times a night and being fed back to sleep, this may be a bit trickier to figure out. That being said, usually these same babies are actually only getting a full feeding about 1-2 times a night. The other feeding times are typically short and used as a means to fall back to sleep. 

1. This feeding does not include the bedtime feeding.

2. This feeding must be at least 3 hours after the bedtime feeding.

3. This feeding should occur prior to 3:00 am. (Between 3:00-6:00 am, your baby will be in the lighter phases of sleep and it’s important that they learn how to fall back to sleep independently during these hours, without eating. Not feeding during these hours will also help them remain hungry enough to fill up for their first feeding of the day.)

How to tell if your baby is getting a full feeding?

For breastfed babies, you will be able to tell whether your baby has had a full night feeding if they are eating for about the same length of time as their daytime feedings. For bottle-fed babies, the amount they consume from the bottle will be similar to that of their daytime feedings.

What if my baby is getting 2 or more full feedings each night?

Choose one feeding to keep, it must be 3 hours after the bedtime feeding, and occur prior to 3:00 am. The other feeding you can wean them from over the course of a couple days. Wean from this feeding prior to beginning Step 4.

STEP 3: Establish “Accepted Feeding Window”

Once you have determined which feeding to keep, you will then analyze the information in your log from Step 1 to establish the accepted feeding window (AFW) during which you will initiate and offer the nighttime feeding. Typically this feeding occurs within a 1-2 hour window each night. (Remember, the AFW will happen at least 3 hours after bedtime and prior to 3:00 am.)

For example, your 4 month-old baby wakes every 2 hours at night and you feed them back to sleep each time. The majority of these feedings only last about 3 minutes before your baby is asleep again. However, after tracking nighttime feedings for a week, you have determined that there are typically two times a night your baby wakes up and feeds for a significant amount of time, up to 15 minutes. By analyzing the information in the log, you determine that these two feedings typically occur between 11:00 pm and 1:00 am, and 3:00 - 4:00 am. You choose to continue the 11:00 pm - 1:00 am feeding. You will wean your baby from the 3:00-4:00 am feeding. In this example the “Accepted Feeding Window” is: 11:00 pm - 1:00 am.

Your baby’s “Accepted Feeding Window”: ____________________

STEP 4: Sleep Training with One Nighttime Feeding

Now that you have determined the nighttime feeding you will keep and the “accepted feeding window” (AFW), it’s time to begin sleep training! 

1. On Night 1 of the process, go through your baby’s bedtime routine and do final bedtime feeding. You will then put baby in their crib for bedtime AWAKE and use your chosen sleep training method until they fall asleep.

2. For any waking PRIOR to the AFW, you will continue to implement your chosen sleep training method until your baby falls back asleep. Once they fall asleep, you will then wake them up once it is within the AFW and give them their nighttime feeding. It’s important that YOU initiate this feeding. 

   IMPORTANT: If your baby wakes prior to the AFW, and you have been implementing the sleep training method and they are still not asleep by the time the AFW arrives, you will continue to implement the sleep training method until they are asleep. This is CRUCIAL! They must fall back to sleep on their own, before they are fed. Why? Doing so will give your baby the clarity and the confidence to fall asleep when they wake up at night, knowing that YOU will continue to wake and feed them each night.

3. When you put them back in their crib after the feeding, ensure they are AWAKE and have the opportunity to put themselves back to sleep (you will implement your chosen sleep training method at this point if needed).

4. For any wakings after the AFW has passed, you will use your chosen sleep training method to respond. There will be no more nighttime feedings. The next feeding will be the first feeding of the day.

As you can see, sleep training with a nighttime feeding is indeed possible, allowing you to honor your baby's nutritional needs while fostering the development of independent sleep skills. Choose a sleep training method you are comfortable committing to. Eventually, once your pediatrician gives you the green light or you feel your baby is ready to drop this last nighttime feeding, you can do so! Simply wean your baby from this final feeding and then use the same sleep training method you utilized the first time to help them fall back asleep when necessary.

Most importantly, trust your instincts, be patient, and adapt your strategies as needed. If you have concerns or questions, consult with your pediatrician or seek guidance from a sleep specialist who can provide personalized advice.

Good luck to you!