When do you stop the dreamfeed?

**mamachops** · 09-07-2006 21:11

I feed and settle dd to bed around 7pm then give her a dreamfeed at about 10pm. She sleeps until 4/5am.

I'm still working on a few sleeping issues, but things are improving.

Just wondering at what age or under what circumstances do you drop the dreamfeed?

**Funkychicken** · 09-07-2006 21:41

What age is your DD? I give our 6 month old a feed anywhere between 9pm and 12am but this is usually becuase he wakes for it. I guess it is your call-can you cope with resettling a baby who may wake anyway and thus want a feed? If you think she will sleep right through this time, then she is probably ready to do this. As I don't know how old she is, I'm probably not much help.

**borntobemummy** · 09-07-2006 22:22

DD started sleeping through at 3 and a half months, so feed at around 7, and then sleeps 7:30/ 8pm til anywhere b/w 5 and 7am for a feed and then sleeps for another hour or two before solid breaksfast. (before she had solids, I'd give her another BF the second time she woke up).
I believe it is important at night to not put her straight to bed after BF so she doesn't become dependant on milk to get to sleep, we read her a story and pray for her, then say goodnight and she settles herself to sleep

**Mrs Little** · 10-07-2006 09:03

I believe they will stop their dream feed when they are ready.

My Ds stopped at about 5 months. He just wouldn't wake for it or even open his mouth for it. So i tried for 3 days in a row and then didn't offer it anymore.

So just keep a lookout for the signs....they may even start to drink less.

Hope that helps.

Mrs Little & Son.

**mamachops** · 10-07-2006 10:55

Sorry, I forgot to say. DD is 4 and 1/2 months.

I was having some sleep issues up until the last week or so, but I have managed to cut out a 1am feed by re-settling her if she wakes. Also I have taken to giving a formula feed as her 7pm feed in the hope that she would stay satisfied (not hungry) for longer. I'm not sure which thing has helped, but I'm definitely getting more sleep

Was just curious how/when to stop, am not expecting it to happen soon!

**MonkeyMum05** · 10-07-2006 15:43

Christoobs- my son is almost 13 months, and our routine sounds just like yours. He goes to bed at 7pm, has a dreamfeed around 10.30pm then sleeps until 5am. (Later on a good day!)
I guess I could probably have stopped it by now, but it's not inconvenient for me to keep doing it... and if it prevents him from waking during the night, I'm not going to mess with it

**BiLL|z0r** · 10-07-2006 19:20

I agree, Wy still has a dream feed 1/2 the time esp if he's wet the bed and overflowed the nappy. It helps him resettle. From about 10 to 17mths though he didn't have 1 then he sarted waking more again and a bottle fixed it. He's a very hungry child.

**sueb31** · 12-07-2006 08:58

As everyone else has said, it depends on your DD's signs. I know some books say do it till 8mths (I think that's what Baby Whisperer says, not sure though). We actually stopped around 3 months because he wouldn't wake up enough to drink anything and we tried without and he slept through. I would suggest leaving it at least a month from when the last changes were though, so you can consolidate the last change.

Have you tried giving the dreamfeed a bit later, in case she can sleep through a bit later? It didn't make any difference to my son but some people say it does.

Sue