Tips for Keeping your Baby Awake During Feedings

Ensuring your baby stays awake during feedings can be crucial for helping them get a full meal and establishing good feeding and sleeping habits. Here are some strategies to help keep your baby awake and engaged during feedings:

Key Tips for Keeping Baby Awake During Feedings

1. Change Diaper Before Feeding:
   Changing your baby’s diaper right before feeding exposes them to cooler air, which can gently wake them up and keep them alert during feeding.

2. Use Natural Light:
   Take advantage of daylight during the day by opening curtains and blinds to let in natural light. A bright environment can help signal to your baby that it’s time to be active, making them more likely to stay awake during feedings.

3. Remove Clothing for Skin-to-Skin Contact:
   Skin-to-skin contact is another effective way to keep your baby awake during feeding. Removing your baby’s clothing, and even your own if possible, can provide just enough stimulation to keep your baby alert without overwhelming them.

Establishing a Daytime Routine

Many sleep consultants recommend establishing a feeding, playing, and sleeping routine during the day. One popular pattern is the Eat, Play, Sleep routine. This routine aims to create a healthy separation between feeding and sleep, helping your baby avoid the common habit of associating feeding with sleep.

However, if your baby tends to be too sleepy after feedings, consider another variation, such as Play, Eat, Tiny Break, Sleep. This variation involves playing first, followed by feeding, a short break (e.g., a diaper change or quiet time), and then sleep. The benefit of this variation is that feeding calms the baby down, helping them transition smoothly into sleep.

Breaking the Feed-to-Sleep Association

The goal of these routines is to break the feed-to-sleep cycle that often causes babies to rely on feeding as a sleep cue. By using routines that work for your baby’s natural patterns, you can create better habits around sleep and feeding.

Sample Schedule: Eat, Play, Sleep Routine

This structure takes about 2 to 3 hours for each cycle and repeats throughout the day. Here’s an example:

• 6:30am - 7:00am: Eat (offer a full feeding)

• 7:00am - 8:00am: Play (tummy time, sunlight exposure, or active play)

• 8:00am - 9:15am: Sleep (look for sleepy cues, swaddle, and settle for a nap)

• 9:15am - 9:45am: Eat (wake baby and offer another full feeding)

This pattern continues throughout the day with flexibility to accommodate your baby’s changing needs. The goal is to ensure your baby is awake no more than 60 to 90 minutes per cycle, which allows them to get good naps between feedings.

Nighttime Routine: Eat, Sleep

At night, the Play portion of the routine is omitted, leaving just Eat and Sleep. Night feedings should be quick and quiet to encourage your baby to go back to sleep. Here are some tips for night feedings:

• Use dim lighting.

• Avoid stimulating activities, like talking or playing with the baby.

• Keep your baby wrapped up and warm.

• Avoid diaper changes unless absolutely necessary.

Ensure your baby gets a full feeding during the night so they can sleep for a longer stretch before needing to wake up again.

Conclusion

By keeping your baby awake during feedings and establishing a structured routine, you can help your baby develop healthy feeding and sleep habits. Whether you choose to follow the Eat, Play, Sleep pattern or a variation like Play, Eat, Tiny Break, Sleep, find what works best for your child and adjust it according to their needs. At night, simplifying feedings and focusing on getting your baby back to sleep quickly can improve both their rest and yours.