Dream feeding. What is it, what should you know?

We asked our wonderful community what does ‘dream feeding’ mean why is it important and how do they do it day by day. Here are some answers on dream feeding from great community moms.

Stephani R.
Dream feeding is feeding baby without waking them, just rub your nipple on their top lip and they’ll latch, a newborn might take a week or two before they can dream feed. It’s important for YOU, dream feeding means less time putting baby back to sleep because they never woke up so more sleep time for you.

Alison H.
Dream feeding is the best! People always say get all the rest you can while you’re pregnant bc having a baby will exhaust you (just had our 3rd 3 months ago) and after the first one I realized no I am so much more rested after baby gets here and it’s pretty much because of dream feeding (and my kids love sleep!) the first couple weeks it takes a bit bc baby is new, but you and him/her will learn quickly. After 2 weeks (all 3 of mine) my babies sleep 10-12 hours a night and it’s because we can dream feed!!

Rachel M.
Dream feeding is often used a few hours after baby goes to bed to hopefully extend a stretch of sleep. For example, baby goes to bed at 8pm and mom dream feeds at 11 (feeds baby very carefully without waking baby) before she goes to bed, so baby doesn't wake right after she gets in bed.

Mine won't dream feed and some people feel it disrupts sleep (because you risk waking a sleeping infant). I just sleep when he sleeps so I'm in my room sleeping or reading whole he sleeps from 9pm-8am. He's in his crib all that time except 1 or maybe 2 nursing sessions.

Leslie C.
Do it. Know it. Own it. Love it. You won’t regret it! I still wake up a couple times a night but waking up and getting up are two TOTALLY different things. When I can just help a little rooting mouth to the boob rather than get a whole entire creature out of her bed and to the boob, it really makes the night a lot easier and we both get better sleep for it. ?

Sydney T.
Dream feeding has saved my LIFE especially at night and sometimes during the day when I’m not ready to wake up from our morning nap lol. I dream feed (let my daughter latch) every time she gets restless when she’s sleeping- if I don’t we’re at the point now she will sit up in bed and try to crawl around half asleep, then wake up completely even though she’s sooooo tired ?

Daniela L.
I’m a FTM also and dream feeding was LIFE CHANGING for me! Basically, from my understanding or how I do it is I don’t wake up my baby when it’s her “feeding” time or wait until she wakes up, but rather she just feeds in her sleep. So, for me I sleep topless and when she’s hungry I just feel her move around until she finds my nipple and she just drinks milk until she’s back fully asleep.

If I wake up and go to the bathroom or get a drink in the middle of the night, I also feed her while she’s sleeping to top her off. She doesn’t wake up once during the night since we did this around 2 months because she never wakes up hungry so sleeps with her belly full all night and I don’t have to wake up to nurse her. She just does it on her own and let’s go of my nipple when she’s done and latches on again when she wants.

Hana A.
Dream feeding has been great for me! I had to cut dairy from my diet to avoid reflux. I nurse my baby to sleep and usually pat her butt or rub her head while she is nursing to help her fall asleep. We side lay nursing. As soon as baby starts stirring, I wake up and put her on the breast. Before she is crying or even opened her eyes, she has boob and usually will fall back to sleep after a few minutes of nursing (and usually one longer session where she nursed for a while). I have become such a light sleeper I wake up to her moving before she even makes a noise.

Kelsey H.
From what I understand, baby doesn’t really wake up, just finds the boob and latches on for a bit mid sleep. You don’t really do anything, just leave your boob out. Baby does the rest.

Emma B.
We used to do a dream feed at around 11pm. He was bottle fed and I used to change his nappy and give him a bottle whilst he was still asleep, used to sit him up after the bottle and burp him and he would still be fast asleep ?Then we would go to bed.

With my second I pumped and gave it to her in a bottle (latch issues). She would go down in our bed around 7 and I would go back in at 10 and give her a bottle not changing her diaper and she would sleep right through it.... I did that until she was about 6 months. I switched to formula and she was sleeping through the night by then.

Cassaundra R.
Dream feeding is when you give baby their bottle while they’re still sleeping so they stay asleep for longer. Baby should be half awake for the feed and then go right back to sleep with a full belly. We usually did our dream feeds around 11 right before I went to sleep so I could get a few hours of uninterrupted sleep ?

Dream feeding is basically feeding the baby every few hours BEFORE they wake up. Once I knew my baby’s wake/hunger schedule I started dream feeding. you can Dream feed with a bottle. It’s when they’re not quite awake so with my baby he starts a little cry, but his eyes are still closed. I feed him before he wakes all the way and then once he’s done eating, he’s passed back out. Sometimes you can predict what time they’re about to wake like if they wake the same time every night and do it right before.

With my first I pumped and gave it to her in a bottle (latch issues). She would go down in our bed around 7 and I would go back in at 10 and give her a bottle not changing her diaper and she would sleep right through it.... I did that until she was about 6 months. I switched to formula and she was sleeping through the night by then....my other 2 COMPLETELY different story! ?