What Is a Dream Feed? How to Dream Feed Your Baby and When to Stop

You’ve finally got your baby down for the night, you’re about to head to bed yourself, and you already know what’s coming. In two hours, just as you fall into deep sleep, your baby will wake up hungry. A lot of tired parents hear about the dream feed at exactly this point. A dream feed is a feed you give your baby late in the evening, usually between about 10 p.m. and midnight, while they stay mostly asleep. The idea is to top up their tummy right before you go to bed, so their longest stretch of sleep lines up with yours. It doesn’t work for every baby, but for many families it buys a few extra hours. Here’s how to do it with a breast or bottle, when to start, when to stop, and how to tell if it’s helping.

What Is a Dream Feed, Exactly?

A dream feed is a parent-led feed. Instead of waiting for your baby to wake up hungry, you gently pick them up before they wake and feed them while they’re drowsy or asleep, then lay them straight back down.

It usually happens about 2 to 4 hours after your baby’s bedtime, right before you go to sleep yourself. For example, if your baby goes down at 7 p.m. and usually wakes at 11 p.m. or midnight, you might offer a dream feed at about 10 p.m. The hope is that your baby then sleeps longer into the night, instead of waking soon after you’ve closed your eyes.

The idea was made popular by baby sleep books in the early 2000s, but it has some research behind it too. A small 1993 study in the journal Pediatrics found that breastfed babies given a scheduled late-evening feed, along with a few other routines, slept longer stretches at night by around 8 weeks old. It was a small study, so it’s a reason to try, not a guarantee.

What Is a Dream Feed vs a Night Feed?

The main difference is who starts it. With a night feed, your baby wakes up and tells you they’re hungry. With a dream feed, you start the feed on your timing while your baby is still asleep. A dream feed is usually given once, at a set time before the parent’s bedtime, while night feeds happen whenever the baby wakes.

Does a Dream Feed Actually Work?

For some babies, yes. For others, not at all. Parents who dream feed a baby in Reddit threads are split. Some say the dream feed got them a 5 or 6 hour stretch for the first time. Others say their baby woke up fully, got angry, and then took ages to settle, or simply slept the same as before.

It tends to work best in these situations.

• Your baby wakes for a feed fairly soon after bedtime and again shortly after you go to bed
• Your baby feeds well while drowsy
• You want your baby’s longest sleep to match your own

It tends to work less well in these cases.

• Your baby wakes fully every time you pick them up
• Your baby takes a small amount at the dream feed and then wakes at the usual time anyway
• Your baby already sleeps a long first stretch on their own

The only way to know is to try it for 3 to 5 nights and keep track of when your baby wakes.

When Should You Start Dream Feeding?

Many parents start to dream feed their baby somewhere between about 2 and 8 weeks, once feeding is going well and their baby is back to birth weight. There’s no fixed age, and it’s best to ask your pediatrician first.

Can You Dream Feed a Newborn?

You can, but newborns already wake often to eat, and they need to feed at least every few hours. A dream feed in the newborn weeks isn’t a way to stretch the time between feeds. If your doctor wants you to wake your newborn for feeds, follow that plan. Once your baby is gaining well and bedtime is more predictable, a dream feed becomes easier to slot in.

How to Dream Feed Your Baby

The aim is to feed your baby while keeping them as sleepy as possible. These steps work for most families.

1. Pick your time. Choose a time about 2 to 4 hours after bedtime and before you go to sleep, often between 10 p.m. and 11 p.m.
2. Keep the room dark and quiet. Use a dim night light so you can see, and avoid talking.
3. Lift your baby gently. Pick them up slowly and hold them in a semi-upright feeding position. Don’t wake them on purpose.
4. Offer the breast or bottle. Gently touch their lips or cheek with the nipple to trigger the rooting reflex. Most babies will latch or start sucking without fully waking.
5. Let them feed. Some babies take a full feed, others take less than usual. Both are fine.
6. Burp if needed. A quick, gentle burp helps, especially if your baby is gassy.
7. Change the diaper only if needed. Skip it unless it’s dirty or very wet, since changing usually wakes babies up.
8. Lay them back down on their back. Place your baby in their own crib or bassinet, on their back, with nothing else in the sleep space.

Stay sitting up in a chair or on your bed during the feed, not on a sofa or armchair. The AAP warns that falling asleep with a baby on a sofa or armchair is especially dangerous. If you feel very sleepy while feeding in bed, move your baby back to their own sleep space as soon as you’re done. See the AAP’s safe sleep guide for more.

How to Dream Feed With a Bottle

Hold your baby semi-upright and touch the nipple to their lips. Keep the bottle tipped so the nipple stays full of milk, which cuts down on swallowed air. Never prop the bottle, and never leave your baby in the crib with a bottle. Both raise the risk of choking.

How to Dream Feed a Breastfed Baby

Hold your baby in a comfortable position, such as cradle or cross-cradle, and let them latch. Sleepy babies sometimes slip off the breast, so a gentle stroke under the chin can keep them sucking. Some breastfeeding parents find a dream feed also eases fullness before a long stretch of sleep.

Do I Have to Burp My Baby After a Dream Feed?

Not always. Sleepy babies often feed slowly and swallow less air. That said, if your baby is gassy, spits up a lot or has reflux, a gentle burp before you lay them down can stop them waking uncomfortable. Hold them upright against your shoulder for a few minutes and pat softly. If your baby has reflux, ask your doctor about the best timing and position, and always lay them down on their back.

What Time Should You Dream Feed?

Most parents dream feed between 10 p.m. and 11 p.m., but the right time depends on your baby’s bedtime and when they usually wake. A good starting point is about an hour before your baby’s first natural waking. If your baby usually wakes at midnight, try 11 p.m. If that doesn’t help after a few nights, move it 15 to 30 minutes earlier or later.

What Are the Downsides of Dream Feeding?

Dream feeding is safe for most healthy babies, but it has a few drawbacks.

• It can wake your baby fully. Some babies are hard to keep sleepy and end up awake and upset.
• It may not change anything. Some babies still wake at their usual time.
• It can become a habit. A baby used to eating at 10 p.m. may keep expecting that feed after they no longer need it.
• It adds a feed for you. You’re still up at night, just at a time you choose.

If your baby’s teeth have come in, wipe their gums or brush gently after the last feed when you can, and never put them to bed with a bottle.

When to Stop the Dream Feed

Most families drop the dream feed somewhere between about 4 and 7 months, though some stop earlier and a few keep it longer. These signs suggest it may be time to stop.

• Your baby takes very little at the dream feed
• Your baby starts waking more after it, not less
• Your baby sleeps a long stretch on nights you skip it
• Your baby is eating more during the day, or has started solid foods
• Your doctor says your baby no longer needs night feeds

Sleep changes around 4 months can make the dream feed less effective, since many babies start waking between sleep cycles more at this age. Our guide to the 4 month sleep regression explains what’s normal.

How to Drop the Dream Feed

Going slowly usually works better than stopping all at once.

• For bottle-fed babies, offer about half an ounce to an ounce less every few nights until the amount is very small, then stop.
• For breastfed babies, shorten the feed by a few minutes every couple of nights.
• Or move it earlier. Shift the dream feed 15 minutes earlier every few nights until it merges with the bedtime feed.

Some babies don’t notice the change at all. If your baby starts waking hungry in the night after you stop, they may still need a night feed, and that’s normal. Our 6 month sleep schedule shows how night feeds usually fit into a day at that age.

Do Pediatricians Recommend Dream Feeds?

There’s no official AAP recommendation for or against dream feeding. Many pediatricians are comfortable with it for healthy babies who are gaining weight well, as long as it’s done safely and doesn’t replace feeds your baby needs. If your baby was born early, has a medical condition, or has trouble feeding or gaining weight, ask your doctor before starting.

Dream Feeding Tips From Parents

• Keep it boring. No lights, no talking, no eye contact. It’s a quick refuel, not a wake-up.
• Try a bit earlier if your baby wakes fully. Babies in deep sleep often feed more easily than those close to waking.
• Give it a fair trial. Most parents say it takes a few nights to see a pattern.
• Let the other parent do it. If you’re breastfeeding and pumping, a partner can give a bottle at the dream feed while you get an early start on sleep.
• Don’t worry if it doesn’t work. Plenty of babies sleep well without one. If your baby cries out after being laid down, our guide on baby crying in sleep explains what’s normal and when to go in.

This article is for general information only. Every baby is different, and it can’t replace advice from a doctor who has examined your child. If you’re worried about your baby’s feeding, growth or sleep, contact your pediatrician.