Baby Falling Asleep While Feeding: Why & What To Do

In the first 2-3 weeks of life, newborn babies are incredibly docile and not much bothers them… this can make it quite challenging to keep them awake for a nice, full feed! In this blog, we’ll work through some of the reasons why babies fall asleep during feeds, the importance of babies staying awake for the entirety of their feeds, my tips and tricks to keep them awake and when you may need to investigate this further with a healthcare professional. 

Is it common for babies to fall asleep while feeding?

Yes – in the first few weeks of life, it’s incredibly common for your baby to fall asleep while feeding – be it bottle or breast.  There are a few reasons that contribute to this:

1. If your baby is breastfeeding – they are cuddled up to the most loving, warmest, best smelling creature they know – mum… who wouldn’t want to fall asleep in the safest, most comfortable spot ever? 
2. It’s really hard work for a newborn – they are learning how to drink and they genuinely get tired from the repetitive suck and swallow 
3. Newborns have incredibly short wake windows and feeds can take up almost all of this time 

Usually by weeks 3-4, they start to “wake up” and falling asleep while feeding becomes less of a problem.

Is it OK if my baby falls asleep while feeding? 

While falling asleep while feeding is very common, it can be frustrating and difficult to keep your baby awake during a feed in those first few weeks of life. If your baby is falling asleep while feeding, there’s no need to panic, but there are some reasons why we want babies to stay awake during their feeds. 

Why is it good to keep babies awake when feeding? 

1. Nice, full daytime feeds
   – We’re always trying to concentrate calorie intake during the day.
   – This ensures they have full stomachs and can consolidate sleep overnight.
2. Age appropriate awake windows 
   – We want our babies to stay awake long enough so they have enough sleep pressure to go down easily for their naps.
   – Even a 5 or 10 minute nap can make it harder for them to go to sleep at the desired time and stay asleep.
3. More restful consolidated sleep
   – Linking babies’ 45 minute sleep cycles is the key to those nice restorative 2-3 hour naps and waking up refreshed, for a nice big feed (and so the happy cycle continues).
4. Burping
   I like babies to be well winded after every feed. While you can still burp a sleeping baby, many parents are tentative once they are asleep and don’t burp as thoroughly as required.

Is your baby sleepy or falling asleep while feeding?

My top tips to keep your newborn awake during a feed:

 

TIP 1: Switch sides

• Changing feeding positions can help wake them up if they start to get sleepy.

TIP 2: Compress your breasts 

• This can help stimulate your milk flow when it has slowed down     

TIP 3: Change their nappy

• Changing your baby’s diaper half way through the feed (rather than waiting until the end) can help keep them nice and alert      

TIP 4: Strip them down to their nappy

• The skin to skin contact helps stimulate the natural instinct to find the breast and feed.

TIP 5: Tickle their toes

• Stimulate your baby gently during the feed such as ticking their feet, stroking their back, blowing on their face, etc.

TIP 6: Stimulate them with a wet washer

• Keep a damp, cool face-washer next to you and gently dab your baby’s forehead if they begin to fall asleep.

TIP 7: Watch for early feeding cues

• Watch your baby for early feeding cues and feed before your baby exhibits late cues (distressed crying), by this stage your baby will most likely have exerted a lot of energy and not sustain a long feed.

TIP 8: Offer a burp

• Trapped air will make your baby think they are full, so getting rid of this will allow them to feed for longer. 

TIP 9: Keep the room bright & happy 

• During the day, feed them in a brightly lit room, and don’t be scared to turn on the TV or put some music on.

If your baby is regularly falling asleep during feeds and none of these tips are working, it might be worth investigating further with your maternal nurse, doctor or paediatrician.

The things we are concerned about with a baby not being able to stay awake for feeds are:

1. Low supply: your baby may not being getting enough milk or the calories they need.
   Wet nappies and weight gain are the two things we’ll be tracking closely.
2. Jaundice: this can cause unusual drowsiness and feeding difficulties.
   It will be accompanied by yellowed skin and eyes.
3. Anything else that may be driving poor feeding or lethargy

Is it OK to nurse a baby to sleep?

Lots of parents feed their babies to sleep and I have the same view on this as I do on most things when it comes to babies and parents…  if it’s working for your family – and everyone is happy and thriving – then it’s fine. If not, you may want to wean them off this.  In my experience, it can be fine for young babies in the short term but in the long term can be debilitating for the breastfeeding mother who has to be available for every single sleep time. It also means your baby won’t be burped effectively which can create more problems.

If you’d like to wean your baby off these feeds or for any help with your baby’s sleep, I’m here to help.  My baby sleep  programs have all the tips and hints to create beautiful rhythms to your day that don’t involve feeding to sleep.

Is it OK to breastfeed a baby while sleeping?

Most parents are surprised that babies can drink half asleep nursing, the feeds aren’t as deep or nourishing but I actually recommend this for the late night dream or roll over feeds in my sleep routines.  If your baby is falling asleep while nursing overnight, I wouldn’t worry but because we’re trying to maximise calorie intake during the day, I like full, deep and nourishing feeds.  I recommend your baby is alert during the whole feed during the days and not cat-napping during feeds.

Why does my baby fall asleep while bottle feeding?

Bottle-fed babies are often less likely to fall asleep because it’s normally less work and quicker getting the milk from a bottle, than a breast but they can still fall asleep mid-feed. All the same tips apply but instead of changing sides or compressing breasts you could look for a higher flow rate bottle which may help.

I hope these tips help any family who has a baby falling asleep while feeding – happy tickling those sleepy baby toes!