How to Get a Baby to Sleep Through the Night When Breastfeeding

When a baby is being breastfed, he typically needs to eat more often than a child being fed formula. This is due to the fact that babies are able to digest breast milk much faster than formula, which leaves them feeling hungry more quickly. It is important to note that newborns are likely to need feeding throughout the night whether they are being breastfed or formula-fed. However, a baby can be encouraged to sleep through the night once he is between 10 and 16 weeks old.

Instructions

1

Encourage the baby to be active during the day. Babies are not aware of the difference between night and day. Letting a baby sleep too much during the day will cause the baby not to be tired during the night. Keeping the baby active can be accomplished by playing with her, reading to her, giving her plenty of tummy time and keeping her entertained with brightly colored toys and stuffed animals.

2

Create a calm atmosphere for the baby at night. Although you do not need to keep the house completely silent, it is important that the baby's room is dark and quiet. Babies can be easily distracted and stimulated by lights or noise.

3

Devise an evening bedtime routine and stick to the routine every night. Babies thrive on routine, which can work for or against a parent. For example, if you rock your baby until he falls asleep every night, that will become the baby's routine, and he will have difficultly falling asleep without being rocked. It is important to create a routine that will work for you and gives the baby the opportunity to fall asleep without being held.

4

Feed the baby a large amount right before bedtime each night. Babies wake up during the night because they are hungry, and decreasing their hunger will decrease their need to wake up. It is possible for a 4-month-old to sleep for eight hours during the night. So if you feed the baby a large meal at 11 p.m., she should theoretically be able to sleep until 7 a.m. before needing to be fed again.

5

Offer your baby some cereal before bed. According to MayoClinic.com, it is safe to start babies on solid food as early as 4 months. By 4 months, if your baby is still waking up throughout the night hungry, try feeding him small amounts of cereal right before his last breastfeeding. This will help prevent him from waking up hungry during the night.