If the dream feed is not working for you and your little one, that’s ok! There is no single sleep and/or feeding technique that will work for everyone. The question is: when to drop the dream feed and when to stick with it and try some troubleshooting instead. Here are some thoughts to help you figure out what is right for you and your child.
If the dream feed is resulting in more wake-ups rather than a longer period of sleep, there are a few things you can try out:
Keep your little one as sleepy as possible during the feed. You can do this by avoiding an unnecessary diaper change and keeping the lights turned off.
Give it time! It may take your little one a few weeks to adjust to the new sleep schedule. Just like adults, if babies become accustomed to certain routines it can take time to readjust. So, don’t give up if the dream feed doesn’t result in longer sleep stretches right away.
Adjust the timing. It may take a bit of trial and error to land on the right time for your little one’s dream feed. So, try a few different schedules out to see which one results in the best sleep for you and your baby.
Adjust other feedings. One issue many parents run into with the dream feed is that their baby doesn’t seem very hungry. If this is the case with your little one, try decreasing the bedtime feed amount so your baby is hungrier when dream feed time rolls around.
Know when to drop dream feed. If you’ve tried a few troubleshooting techniques and you’ve given your baby time to adjust to a new schedule, it’s ok to drop the dream feed. It might not be the right fit for you and your baby. And there’s nothing wrong with that! Not every sleep and feeding technique will be a home run for you and your child.