Dream Feed?

[trin_007]

Just wondering if anyone has had any luck with introducing an early evening dream feed to improve their night sleeps?

DS normally goes to bed at about 7pm, then wakes at 1.30am and 5am. I have just started trying a dream feed at 9.30pm before I go to bed but the results have been mixed - last night he woke up and it took me longer to get him back to sleep -grrrr!

Your stories and experience would be appreciated :)

[lucysummers]

:yes: I love dreamfeeds

I have been very lucky that both DS (FF) and DD (BF) have played along with dreamfeeds. However I have always done it from a bottle (EBM for DD) and a little bit later.....between 10.30 and 11. It does mean I have to stay up a bit later to do it but both have then always gone through till at least 7am.:smiliedance:

BUT......having said that.....a few in my mothers group tried it and their bubs actually woke more in the night.

I don't think I would do a dreamfeed on the breast as my DD just wouldn't take enough...she has a 200ml bottle of EBM!!!

[LittleBug'sMum]

BUT......having said that.....a few in my mothers group tried it and their bubs actually woke more in the night.



This has been my experience too. My DS was feeding a lot overnight when he was little (every 3 to 4 hours) and so I would do a dreamfeed before I went to bed to ensure I got a few hours sleep at least.
I kept doing this until he was about 4.5 months, he was having about 3 feeds overnight (including the dreamfeed), then I just got lazy and couldn't be bothered doing the dreamfeed anymore, and he slept 6pm to 6am without a feed!! Only happened once, but now that I don't do the dreamfeed and he wakes once at about 2am, or occasionally twice.
I have been told that after 3 months they don't need a dreamfeed, and if you continue to do it, it encourages them to wake more during the night as thier bodies have to be more active, digesting the feed.

[CookiesRYum]

Excuse my ignorance, but what is dream food and what is it's goal?

Is it filling up just before sleep so they are full and don't wake up during the night?

Doesn't that make them feel sick? If I go to bed on a full stomach I have BAD dreams.:confused:

[sahm]

I've found the dreamfeed doesn't make much difference with my DS.

He'll wake around 3:30 whether he has it or not. As he's not gaining weight as quickly as he should, I continue to do it most nights (unless I'm really tired) just to get an extra feed into him.

[updaduff]

DS is exactly how you described with what time he goes to bed and what time he wakes up.
I did try the dream feeding from the breast for awhile. He went well with it. I would have the boob out and ready b4 i picked him up and i wouldnt turn on the light and he would attach and drink without fully waking up so putting him back down was never an issue.

But he would still wake up at the same times no matter what. If i stayed up late and went to bed at 11pm and feed him then, he would still wake at 1:30/2 wanting to be fed!! :rolleyes:

realised it was a habit. we would leave him for awhile b4 going into to feed him. found that slowly it would extend his sleeping length. at the moment we're at 2:30/3am