Parenting, Sleep

When should you drop the overnight feed? Let’s talk about it… 

Before we start — EVERY baby and EVERY family is different. What works beautifully for one little one may not work for another.

This is one of the most common questions I get asked, and the truth is you can’t base it purely on age, size or gender. I see some babies sleeping long stretches from 8–12 weeks, while others genuinely still need an overnight feed at 8–12 months — and both can be completely normal.

✨ What does “sleeping through the night” actually mean?
For some families it’s 6 hours, for others 8 hours, and for some it’s a full 12-hour stretch. Some babies wake for a quick feed and go straight back to sleep — and parents still feel they’ve slept through. Every definition is valid.

For the purpose of this post, we’ll define “sleeping through” as a minimum of 8 hours overnight without a feed in babies older than 6 months.

First things first — if overnight feeds are working for you, there is nothing to fix. Keep doing what feels right for your family.

If you’re exhausted and wondering whether your little one may be ready, here are some gentle indicators to consider:

✨ Signs your baby may be ready to drop overnight feeds:
• Thriving well with no concerns around growth or development
• Over 6 months of age
• Able to self-settle for sleep
• Reduced appetite during the day (sometimes overnight feeds can impact daytime intake)

✨ Understanding night wakes
• Waking distressed and crying immediately may suggest difficulty linking sleep cycles or needing support to resettle.
• Waking with small grumbles that build into a cry can sometimes indicate hunger — give your little one a moment if they aren’t distressed, as they may resettle independently.

A hunger wake usually looks like:
✔️ Active feeding
✔️ Settling quickly after
✔️ Longer stretches following the feed

A habit wake may look like:
▪️ Short or distracted feeds
▪️ Falling asleep quickly on the feed
▪️ Difficult resettles or waking again soon after
▪️ Waking at the same time each night

✨ Consistency matters
If you decide your baby no longer needs overnight feeds, keeping your settling approach consistent is essential — both day and night.

Your settle should always feel aligned with your baby’s temperament and your parenting style. If it doesn’t feel right for you, consistency becomes very hard — and that’s confusing for everyone.

A gentle reminder:
Do as much as needed, but as little as possible — settling to calm, not to sleep.

Most little ones will naturally get there in their own time. Trust your baby, trust yourself, and reach out for support if you need guidance along the way.

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