Night feeds or nighttime nursing are terms used to describe when babies are fed at night, with nighttime nursing referring specifically to breastfeeding.

It’s very common for babies to wake up at night for a feed, especially during the first 6 months. They’re growing quickly and their tiny tummies tend to feed little and often. This means that to get all the nutrients they need, newborns may wake to feed around the clock¹, bringing a whole new meaning to the term ‘sleeping like a baby’.

If you’re breastfeeding, nighttime nursing is important for building your milk supply, as your body produces more prolactin (the hormone that helps your body to make breast milk) at night².

In those early weeks and months, feeding is pretty high on your baby’s list of priorities - including during the night.

Rather than following a set feeding routine, health professionals recommend following your baby's hunger cues and feeding them as and when they’re hungry. This is known as responsive feeding or feeding on demand³.

All babies are different, and there’s no way to know how often your baby will need a night feed or for how long. While some newborns wake to feed every hour, others will go longer³. Just follow your baby’s cues and your own instincts, and you’ll soon know what’s normal for them.

It’s common for newborn babies to lose some weight after birth, but most are back up to their birth weight (or heavier) within 2 weeks. Night feeds will help to make this happen. To make sure your baby is getting the nutrients they need, it’s recommended that you wake them up for a feed if they’re sleeping for longer than 4 hours since their last one⁴. 

Night feeds and nighttime nursing can leave you feeling tired. If you have a regular waker on our hands, you might wonder how long a night feed should take.

There’s no set rule here; if you’re breastfeeding, your baby could take between 5 and 40 minutes at each feed⁵. However you choose to feed your little one, go at their pace, they’ll let you know when they’ve had enough.

There are other reasons why your baby might wake up during the night, too. They might be:

• Teething.
• Too hot or too cold - check the temperature of your baby’s room to make sure it’s just right.
• Feeling under the weather. Keep an eye out for a raised temperature and if you’re concerned, speak to your healthcare professional.
• In need of a cuddle - for your baby, there’s nothing quite like the comfort of your cuddles at nighttime.

From getting organised to taking care of you, read our advice for night feeding success.

• Create a calm environment. Dim the lights and keep noise to a minimum. This will help you and your baby have a distraction-free feed and the best chance of getting back to bed when your baby is full and fed.
• Keep your little one close. Your baby should sleep in the same room as you for at least the first six months⁶. If your baby is waking up for night feeds, having them close will mean less disruption and less moving between rooms to feed.
• Breastfeeding-friendly clothing. If you’re breastfeeding, opt for easy-to-open night clothes; front-opening nighties and pyjama tops are great options.
• Be prepared. Get everything you need for those night feeds ready before you settle down for the night. If you’re formula feeding, have a sterilised bottle to hand, and consider using ready-made baby formula instead of powdered formulations.
• Rest when you can. We won’t pretend it’s easy, especially if you’ve got older children, but getting the rest you need is vital. Take any opportunity - day or night - to get some rest and catch 40 winks.
• Lean on those around you. If you live with your partner, lean on them for help and support. Let them take over, changing your little one and settling them back to sleep after a night feed so you can get back to bed.

Dealing with night feeds can be a challenge, and a lack of sleep can have a real impact on your daily life. Remember that you’re not alone; “I used to visualise all the other parents who were in the same sleepy boat as me”, says Seb’s mum. “It might sound silly, but picturing this, knowing that others were going through the same thing made feeding in those wee small hours a little easier somehow.”

So what can you do to take care of yourself?

“I made a point of not listening to unhelpful comments from others”, says Logan’s mum. “Sometimes, parents enjoyed telling me how their baby slept through from just a few weeks. I soon realised that this wasn’t the norm. I just focused on my little boy and what he needed instead of what people thought he should be doing.”

If you’re struggling with a lack of sleep, Sylvie’s mum has a word of advice; “If people offer help, take them up on it. Even if it’s just them coming around for a couple of hours to help lighten the load so you can get your head down for an hour - it all helps.”

By 3 months, some babies may drop one of their night feeds and sleep for longer stretches. By 5 months, it may be that your baby is sleeping for 8 hours at a time⁷. However, this isn’t always the case, and some babies continue to wake during the night throughout their first year - especially if they’re going through a growth spurt.

If your baby is over 6 months and you’re ready to establish a more predictable feeding and sleeping routine, you could try:
 

• Reduce the number of feeds you give during the night. Try soothing them in other ways instead of offering a feed when they wake. 
• Reducing the amount of milk you put in the bottle if you’re bottle-feeding, while ensuring they get the right amount of milk they need throughout the day 
• Offering your baby a dream feed. 
• Avoiding your baby falling asleep whilst feeding - this might help your baby to separate sleeping from feeding. 
• Helping your baby recognise the difference between daytime and nighttime by creating a bedtime routine. 
• Reducing the length of their daytime naps. 

Sometimes, your baby may give you some signals that they’re ready to drop their nighttime feeding habits. For example, they may have no enthusiasm for their morning feed.

If you think this is the case, try some of the tips above, and follow your baby’s lead.

Last reviewed: June 2025
Reviewed by Nutricia’s Medical and Scientific Affairs Team