Evie Summers
It is common for newborns to fall asleep while feeding, especially while nursing. However, it is important to ensure that your newborn is getting enough nutrition and milk. If your baby is too sleepy, they may need your help to nurse effectively. Newborns need to feed every two to three hours, and a parent may need to wake them up to ensure they are getting enough milk. Techniques to keep a baby awake during feeding include keeping the room temperature cool, rubbing the baby's back, and running your finger across their cheek and chin.
What to do if a newborn sleeps through feeding
| Characteristics | Values |
|---|---|
| How often newborns need to feed | Every two to four hours, depending on whether they are breastfed or formula-fed |
| How to wake a newborn that sleeps through feeding | Undress and unwrap your baby, hold them skin-to-skin, change their nappy, give them a warm bath, rub their back, stroke their feet and hands, keep the room temperature at around 18°C |
| How to feed a sleepy newborn | Feed when they are in active REM sleep, offer the second breast after they seem to have finished the first, use breast compressions to increase milk flow, feed in the bedroom to keep feeds short and different from daytime feeds |
| How to establish a day-night cycle | Make day feeds fun with time talking and cuddling, have the curtains slightly open when they're sleeping, keep everyday noises normal, give night feeds in the bedroom |
| When to seek help | If your baby consistently gains less weight than expected, or they haven't regained their birth weight by 14 days, seek skilled help to assess whether they are getting enough milk |
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What You'll Learn
Establish a day-night cycle early on
Newborns do not distinguish between night and day and will sleep when they are tired. It is the job of the parent to get them into a good day-night cycle. Within the first three months, most babies gradually begin to organise their sleep and waking according to daily cycles of light and darkness.
- Make day feeds fun with time for talking and cuddling.
- Keep the curtains slightly open when they are sleeping during the day.
- Keep everyday noises normal – use the vacuum cleaner and shower, etc., even if your baby is sleeping. Most babies sleep through household noises.
- Give night feeds in the bedroom. Babies need to feed at night for the first six months so they get enough food for growth and development. Feeding them in the bedroom will help keep these feeds short and make them different from daytime feeds.
- During the day, keep your baby close to you so that it is easier to pick up their feeding cues.
- If your baby is extra sleepy in the early days, you may need to wake them to ensure they are getting enough milk.
- Undress and unwrap your baby and hold them skin-to-skin.
- Change your baby's nappy.
- Give your baby a warm bath.
- Place your baby on your lap with their legs near your tummy and their head on your knees. Gently support your baby and raise them into a sitting position. Repeat a few times.
- Gently massage their back in circular motions.
- Stroke their feet and hands.
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Keep the room temperature at 18°C
Keeping the room temperature at 18°C is one way to help your newborn stay awake during feeding. A warm baby is likely to be a sleepy baby, so keeping the room cool can help your baby stay alert.
A newborn baby needs to feed every two to four hours, even if they have been sleeping peacefully. This is because newborns have tiny tummies, and they are growing fast. Their bodies need a lot of sleep and nutrition, and they can fall asleep during feeding. Being too hot can make a baby sleepy, so keeping the room temperature at 18°C can help to prevent this.
If your baby is too sleepy, they may need your active help to ensure they are nursing effectively and getting enough milk. You can try undressing your baby a little if the room is warm, or unwrapping any blankets. You could also try giving your baby a warm bath, or placing them on your lap with their legs near your tummy and their head on your knees. Gently massage their back in circular motions, or stroke their feet and hands.
If your baby is not getting enough milk, this can slow down weight gain and lead to complications linked to jaundice and low blood sugar. It can also slow down your milk production if you are breastfeeding. So, if your baby is too sleepy to feed, it's important to take action and try some of the techniques mentioned above to help them stay awake.
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Feed your baby when they're in REM sleep
It is understandable that you may not want to wake your sleeping newborn, but it is important to do so to ensure they are getting enough milk and to maintain your milk supply. Newborns need to feed every two to four hours, depending on whether they are breastfed or formula-fed. If your baby sleeps for longer stretches, they should be awakened to feed.
To feed your baby when they are in REM sleep, you can look out for signs that they are in this stage of sleep. REM sleep is an active sleep stage, and it is easy to wake a baby during this time. Your baby's eyes may move underneath their eyelids, they may twitch or jerk their arms and legs, and their breathing may become irregular, stopping for 5-10 seconds.
If your baby is in REM sleep and you need to feed them, you can try gently rousing them. Keep the room temperature cool at around 18°C, or undress your baby a little if the room is warm. You can also try unwrapping any blankets as being too hot can make a baby sleepy. If your baby is not latching well, you can gently express a small amount of milk and ease any swelling with your fingertips to make it easier for your baby to latch on.
If your baby is too sleepy to nurse effectively, you can try giving them your expressed milk after breastfeeding to help them feed more effectively next time. You can also try feeding your baby with a spoon, flexible feeding cup, or syringe, or using a nursing supplement, which delivers milk through a tube along your breast as your baby nurses.
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Try breast compressions to increase milk flow
If your newborn sleeps through feeding, it is important to wake them up to feed. Newborns have a physiological need to nurse about every two to three hours, even if it means disturbing them when they are asleep. This is because they need to spend the first few weeks gaining back the weight they lost after birth. Not eating enough in the first few days can also lead to complications linked to jaundice and low blood sugar.
If your baby is too sleepy to feed, you can try breast compressions to increase milk flow and keep your baby awake at the breast. Breast compressions are when you apply pressure to the outside of your breast to help continue the flow of milk. This can be done by gently squeezing the breast using a C-shaped hand held away from the nipple. You should gently compress the breast and then hold, until you see your baby start to suck and swallow more rapidly. Once the swallowing slows, you can release the breast and then do another compression, maybe in a slightly different position. You can keep doing this as long as it seems to have an impact on how much milk your baby is taking.
Breast compressions can be particularly beneficial in the first few days as you try to help your baby get as much colostrum as possible out of your breast. They can also be useful if your baby is only sucking at the breast and not actually drinking milk. This is because they manually stimulate the milk ejection reflex, helping your baby to get more milk out of the breast during a feed.
If you are concerned that your baby is not getting enough milk, you can also speak to your breastfeeding supporter, midwife, health visitor or GP.
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Seek skilled help if your baby isn't gaining enough weight
It is common for babies to fall asleep while feeding, especially while nursing. Breast milk encourages the flow of "feel-good" hormones like oxytocin and cholecystokinin, promoting restfulness and feelings of security and safety. However, if your baby is too sleepy, they may need your help to ensure they are nursing effectively and getting enough milk.
Newborns typically lose between 5 and 10% of their body weight in the days after birth, and they need to spend the first few weeks gaining it back. Not eating enough in the first few days can also lead to complications linked to jaundice and low blood sugar. If your baby is not gaining weight consistently or hasn't regained their birth weight by 14 days, you should seek skilled help to assess whether they are getting enough milk.
- Feed when your baby is in an active sleep period or REM sleep.
- Undress and unwrap your baby and hold them skin-to-skin.
- Express a little colostrum by squeezing your areola and let a few drops fall into your baby's mouth.
- Change your baby's nappy.
- Give your baby a warm bath.
- Place your baby on your lap with their legs near your tummy and their head on your knees. Gently support your baby and raise them into a sitting position.
- Gently massage their back in circular motions.
- Stroke their feet and hands.
- Keep the room temperature at around 18°C, or undress your baby a little if the room is warm. Being too hot can make a baby sleepy.
- Breast compressions can help your baby get more milk at the breast. When their sucking slows or stops, breast compressions can increase the flow of breast milk, encouraging your baby to suck and swallow more.
If your baby is consistently gaining less weight than expected, or if they haven't regained their birth weight by two weeks, seek skilled help from a healthcare professional or a lactation consultant. They can assess whether your baby is getting enough milk and provide guidance on effective feeding techniques.
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Frequently asked questions
It is common for newborns to fall asleep while feeding, especially while nursing. However, it is important to ensure that your newborn is getting enough nutrition. Here are some tips to help keep your baby awake during feeding:
- Keep your baby cool by maintaining a room temperature of around 18°C.
- Undress your baby, especially if the room is warm.
- Change your baby's diaper.
- Give your baby a warm bath.
- Hold your baby skin-to-skin and express a little colostrum by squeezing your areola, letting a few drops fall into their mouth.
- Breast compressions can help increase the flow of breast milk, encouraging your baby to suck and swallow more.
- Feed your baby when they are in an active sleep period, or REM sleep.
If your baby is consistently sleeping through feedings and gaining insufficient weight, seek skilled help to assess whether they are getting enough nutrition.
Newborns need to feed frequently, typically every two to three hours for a breastfed baby and every three to four hours for a formula-fed baby. In the first two weeks, the American Academy of Pediatrics (AAP) recommends waking your baby to feed if they sleep for more than four to five hours at a stretch.
Newborns do not initially distinguish between night and day, so it is important to help them establish a day-night cycle early on. Here are some tips to achieve this:
- Make day feeds fun with time for talking and cuddling.
- Keep the curtains slightly open during the day when your baby is sleeping.
- Maintain normal everyday noises during the day, such as using the vacuum cleaner or shower.
- Feed your baby in the bedroom at night to keep these feeds short and distinct from daytime feeds.
