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Ever heard the term "dream feed" and wondered what that even means? Let me explain!
What is a dream feed?
It is an intentional feed where you take your baby out of their sleep space and offer a full feeding. The theory to this is it will allow your baby to start their longest stretch of sleep at about the same time you are beginning your sleep time, allowing you a longer first stretch.
When should the dream feed be offered?
If you choose to offer one, timing it to be about 2-3 hours after their bedtime feeding will ensure it will be a full feed and that they will fall back to sleep more easily. If they respond well to this, it can potentially align their longest stretch of sleep with yours. However, note that I do say potentially.
Does the dream feed actually work?
Yes and no. Yes, in that it may align their longest stretch to when you are going to sleep, however I actually find it to be disruptive to your baby's sleep and can cause early morning wakings past four-months-old.
It doesn't actually make your baby sleep longer in the newborn phase either. It just shifts when they wake for a feed. If anything, it helps YOU to sleep longer!
How does the dream feed work?
If your baby still must feed every 2-3 hours in the night, there isn't a point in offering a dream feed since you'll be up frequently anyways. When they are given the go ahead to "sleep through the night," give it a shot if it feels right to you.
Pick your baby up out of their sleep space. If they haven't had a bowel movement, keep them swaddled. Only change their diaper if you absolutely have to. You want them to stay in sleep mode. They will naturally start sucking when you insert the breast or bottle into their mouth. However, if that isn't working, you may need to wake them up a bit - take them out of their swaddle, change their diaper, turn on a dim red light, rub their feet.
Once the feed is done, burp them as needed and either lay them back down or reswaddle and lay back down. If it was a nice full feed, they will likely go right back to sleep, but older babies will likely struggle more with this.
How will you know if the dream feed isn't working?
It will be obvious. If they have a difficult time getting back to sleep, won't wake up enough to eat, or they still wake at the same time no matter when the dream feed was offered, it just isn't for your baby. I gave it a shot with my daughter, and it didn't make a difference. Ultimately, I chose the approach of teaching her independent sleep to gradually increase that longest stretch until she was sleeping through the night at 11 weeks old.
If it IS working for you, don't feel rushed to drop it! If it works, it works.
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