Yes, you should wake your newborn to feed, especially during the first two weeks. The American Academy of Pediatrics advises waking babies if they sleep longer than four to five hours to support healthy weight gain.
Breastfed newborns often need feeding every 2–3 hours, while bottle-fed babies eat every 3–4 hours. Waking them ensures they get the nutrition needed for growth and helps establish your milk supply.
Being a first-time mother can be challenging as you must care for your baby and their routine. Whether you should wake a sleeping baby is a big concern for every mother.
For queries and concerns, contact Tongue Tie Phoenix and get expert advice from our lactation consultants about an overnight feeding routine.
How to Keep A Newborn Awake for Feeding?
Suckling is a sleep inducer that makes the baby feel dizzy and sleepy, so ensure your baby doesn’t nod off during feeding. If the baby dozes off, try giving burps and changing the position.
Additionally, look for other ways to keep the baby awake, such as drizzling milk on the lips or using bottle nursing to start feeding again. You and your baby will likely develop an eating and sleeping routine by six weeks.
When Should Mothers Wake a Sleeping Baby?
Most mothers hesitate to wake up their sleeping baby for nursing, but this can be problematic in later years. If you want your baby to gain some weight, waking your baby during the first two weeks is a healthy practice.
Studies reveal that 78% of babies wake up once to feed during the initial six weeks. As the babies start growing, they start sleeping less. So, if you are considering whether you should wake your 2-month-old baby for feeding, the answer is yes.
With the increasing age, their appetite also increases, which means that they need milk after every few hours. The experts suggest babies under six months should be woken up every 3-4 hours at night for wet nursing.
Moreover, this is the right time to consult a lactation provider to learn more about your baby’s feeding routine according to their sleeping schedule, age, and weight.
However, there are a few cases when mothers must wake their babies for feeding, such as:
1: For adequate nutritional needs
If your baby has slept over 3.5 hours since the last feed, it’s time to wake him up. Usually, the infants have prolonged sleeping hours, making it impossible for mothers to give them adequate feeding sessions. To make them gain enough nutrition, the best is to wake them up and offer milk every few hours.
2: No more naps
Taking naps after every few hours is quite common in infants. Pay attention to their daytime sleep duration if your baby takes two or more naps. Offer feeding before or after every nap to help the baby gain enough body weight.
3: Schedule their time
Some mothers need to run errands with their newborns. If you feel that your newborn has been sleeping for 7 hours without feeding, you must wake them up for feeding. Moreover, you can schedule their nursing sessions according to your schedule but keep the intervals under 4 hours.
5 Ways to Feed a Sleeping Baby
Maintaining a balance between a newborn’s feeding and sleeping routine is crucial for a healthy lifestyle. According to the research, reducing the likelihood of nursing during nights from 79% to 10% resulted in decreased BMI (Body Mass Index) by 12 months.
Although babies sleep for longer, the advantage is that mothers can still feed them when they are not fully awake.
Once your baby is feeding, there is a chance that the baby will fall asleep in no time. So, here are some ideas that can be used to either keep them awake or awake them during sleep:
1: Switch breasts
Each time your baby tries to sleep, make sure to change their position by switching breasts. Take the baby off and wake him up to start again.
2: Unswaddle the baby
If the baby misses nursing sessions and sleeps all day, start unswaddling him slowly. It will wake him up and make the baby feel fresh and ready for feed.
3: Change diaper
During nursing sessions, babies doze off easily. Another best way to keep them up for some time is by changing their diaper. It will interfere with sleep and make the baby uneasy.
4: Be sociable
Talk and sing to your baby during the feeding, and once they open their eyes, make eye contact. Disturb them differently, and do not let them sleep during suckling.
5: Place a cool washcloth
Placing a cool washcloth on your baby’s face or body also helps them keep from sleeping. It will mess up their sleeping habits during nursing.
What If The Baby Doesn’t Wake Up for Feed?
If your baby has a busy sleeping schedule which messes up with their feeding routine, this is the time to be more concerned. Some babies wake up out of hunger and then sleep again after taking milk.
In most cases, the babies start dozing off during the nursing. Try being more forceful with your actions if your baby does the same. Sing or speak loud so as not to let the baby sleep. Change their position or environment and lighten the room to avoid such a scenario.
If you fail, let them sleep for an hour and offer feed after some time. Check in with the pediatrician if the baby resists or misses two or more feeding sessions.
Further, you can seek more help from your lactation consultant to back up a balanced feeding schedule for newborns.
FAQs
How long should you let your newborn sleep without eating?
Keep your infant from sleeping up to 4 hours without eating or feeding. If the baby misses two feedings, wake them forcefully to have some milk.
Should I let my newborn sleep until they wake up hungry?
Try to get them to feed during sleep. Usually, babies take the bottle or wet nurse when they are not fully asleep. Moreover, the answer also depends on their age, weight, and overall health.
Is it okay to let a newborn sleep 5 hours?
It’s okay if your baby sleeps five or more hours, but ensure it is well-fed. Offer them feeding or wake up for milk or a liquid diet to satisfy their hunger needs.
What happens if you don’t wake up a newborn to feed?
If the babies do not wake up to feed, their body starts shedding weight, and their health starts deteriorating. A baby can only enjoy a healthy lifestyle once its nutritional needs are fulfilled.
