Dream Feed

Sorry for the dumb question but what is a dream feed and why is it bad? My guys last feeding is 10pm and then they sleep until 5-6am. Is the 10pm feeding the dream feed?

 

I've always understood the dreamfeed to be when you wake a sleeping baby and feed them so they stay asleep until the morning. I haven't heard it call 'bad.' It may be one of those things someone wants to drop after a while, though. Like weaning the babies off of it - and it may take time. I hope I answered well .

 

We did dream feeds for about 8 weeks. We'd put them to bed at 8 PM (bottle, bath, PJs, etc.), then we'd get them up at 10 PM for another bottle. The idea is that they're eating in their sleep...you can get them up without actually waking them up, and they will eat (at least ours did). The hope with the dream feed is to fill their tummies and get them to sleep longer. Not sure it ever actually helped...

Becky

 

Thanks for the explanation. That is wat we do. We feed at 6ish put them to bed 7ish and do a final feeding at 10. They sleep until 5-6am. Although I wonder if they would do that with out the 10pm feeding. I am too afraid to try skipping that feeding. I like sttn.

 

We actually wound up cutting out the dream feed by accident. One night, we put them to bed and planned on taking a nap until it was time for the dream feed. I wound up turning off the alarm...only to wake up when they started fussing at about 1AM. Eventually, they stretched further and further through the night (2AM, then 4AMish, now STTN!). But, this is just our experience.

Becky

 

We never did the dreamfeed and our babies have been STTN for quite some time, 8PM-7AM. They are almost 10 months now. My husband and I never thought it was necessary.

A consistent schedule and allowing your babies to learn to self-soothe after 4 months (we also never did CIO either) are all you need to make your babies good sleepers.

All babies are obviously different but we felt these two areas were most important to promote good sleeping habits. We have no complaints. They are great sleepers and nappers. Hope this helps.

 

QUOTE(juniper @ Jun 20 2008, 10:44 AM) [snapback]836730[/snapback]
We never did the dreamfeed and our babies have been STTN for quite some time, 8PM-7AM. They are almost 10 months now. My husband and I never thought it was necessary.

A consistent schedule and allowing your babies to learn to self-soothe after 4 months (we also never did CIO either) are all you need to make your babies good sleepers.

All babies are obviously different but we felt these two areas were most important to promote good sleeping habits. We have no complaints. They are great sleepers and nappers. Hope this helps.


We have a consistant schedule and have always fed them at that 10:30pm feeding. I normally do have to wake them for it, but while they are eating they are awake - is this still a dream feed?

I would love to be able to go from 8-7, but they normally wake up after the 1030 feeding at 430.

 

QUOTE(spiveyplustwins @ Jun 20 2008, 01:22 PM) [snapback]836936[/snapback]
We have a consistant schedule and have always fed them at that 10:30pm feeding. I normally do have to wake them for it, but while they are eating they are awake - is this still a dream feed?

I would love to be able to go from 8-7, but they normally wake up after the 1030 feeding at 430.


Give it a few more months. Once they can self-soothe at four months and start eating more throughout the day feedings, the night feedings will drop. Early to bed, late to rise will work and you will get that wonderful sleep you've been dreaming about. Your babies still need those night feedings right now but I promise it does get better and the night feedings get dropped in time. Mine were always awake for night feedings too. Hope this helps!

 

I typically don't dream feed. My two get a bottle at 7 and generally sleep until 6 or 7 the next morning. However, I did dream feed DD2 last night with a half a bottle at 9:00 because she threw up her whole bottle at 7:00 and I needed to sleep last night. I've only done dream feeding one other time for the same reason.