For breastfed children, night weaning might be an option from 12 months. For formula-fed children, you can consider phasing out night feeds from 6 months.
From a developmental perspective, babies are able to sleep through the night — defined as a six- to eight-hour stretch — without eating when they're between 4 and 6 months old. In this age range, most babies reach the 12- to 13-pound mark, the weight where they no longer metabolically need nighttime feedings.
Most babies are able to sleep through the night – or sleep for at least six hours without waking up to eat – sometime between 3 to 6 months of age. Healthy babies who are born full-term are generally able to sleep through the night without a feeding starting at 3 months of age or when they weigh 12 to 13 pounds.
The short answer is at 4 months. Younger babies, whether breast- or bottle-fed, need to interrupt their (and your) sleep because they're hungry; they need the additional calories. But “by 4 months, most can sleep through the night,” says T.J. Gold, MD, a pediatrician at Tribeca Pediatrics in Brooklyn, New York.
Baby is at Least 12 Weeks Old
Baby needs to be old enough to go 4 hours between feedings both for the length between feedings and also because going 4 hours between feedings means dropping the number feedings in a day.
After 2 months of age, babies settle into a regular feeding schedule. A baby feeds about every 3 to 5 hours. So by 4 months, your baby may be able to go 5 or more hours at night between feedings.
Newborns who sleep for longer stretches should be awakened to feed. Wake your baby every 3–4 hours to eat until he or she shows good weight gain, which usually happens within the first couple of weeks. After that, it's OK to let your baby sleep for longer periods of time at night.
By 6/7 months, your baby likely is ready to drop the night feeds completely. However, keep in mind that many babies still need a early morning feed (between 3-5am) until 12 months! For babies that are waking more than that, chances are that they are not actually hungry, but just wanting to be soothed.
Newborn babies need to feed every few hours until the age of 3 months. After this, it is normal for infants to feed once or twice during the night. Most infants can sleep for 6–8 hours without a feed by the age of 6 months. Once they are 9 months old, most infants can sleep for 11–12 hours without a feed.
2 to 3 months old
Two- to 3-month old babies can sleep for five- or six-hour stretches. That said, most 3-month-olds still need a feeding or two during the night, especially if they're nursing.
Baby sleep
Babies vary a lot in the amount of sleep they need. Between the age of 3 and 6 months, some babies have 2 or 3 longish sleeps during the day, while others just have short naps. A few sleep 12 hours at night without interruption, some manage 8 hours while many others wake fairly regularly for feeds.
This technique recommends letting babies cry for three to five minutes starting at 8 weeks. By 12 weeks, they say a baby should be logging 12 straight hours of shuteye per night. With this technique, nighttime feeds should be replaced by more frequent daytime feed (every three hours.)
If you're breastfeeding, reduce each night-time feed by two more minutes. If you're bottle feeding, reduce by another half-ounce. You're reducing the amount of milk he's consuming at night, while still keeping the same wake-up times.
Night wake ups are still really variable at 3 months. Anywhere between 2 and 6 times a night is normal.
Most babies don't start sleeping through the night (6 to 8 hours) without waking until they are about 3 months old, or until they weigh 12 to 13 pounds. About two-thirds of babies are able to sleep through the night on a regular basis by age 6 months.
Expect a longish break overnight between feeds.
Up to six hours is common, often in the earlier part of the night. Make the most of this opportunity and go to bed as early as possible.
Do Babies Naturally Drop Night Feeds? It is natural for babies to drop night feeds on their own. This is because your baby will be able to last longer without food. You can start to prep your baby to drop night weaning by gradually giving him less time on the breast each night.
Once your child is ready to drop their night feeds, you can choose to go cold turkey and stop nursing or giving bottles during sleeping hours altogether. (If you're nursing, though, you may need to wake up to pump for a few days while your body adjusts to the milk supply and demands.)
We recommend using white noise all night long to help your baby settle and sleep, so definitely keep the white noise going while you're feeding your baby! This continuation of their “sleep noise” will ensure they remain sleepy and in the right zone to go right back to sleep after their feed.
Do not let your newborn sleep longer than five hours at a time in the first five to six weeks. Thereafter, you can keep the following general milestones in mind: By four months, most babies begin to show some preferences for longer sleep at night.
Most babies can make it through the night without eating when they're 6 months old. You may be able to start night weaning your baby when they're 4 months old, or you may choose to wait until later. The key is to ensure your baby is getting plenty to eat during the day and right before bedtime.
As a guide, many babies sleep 14-20 hours a day in the first weeks. By 3 months many are settled into a pattern of longer sleep times – perhaps 4 to 5 hours at night. When a baby sleeps about 5 hours straight, this is considered 'sleeping through the night'.
Your 4-week-old baby's development
Newborns up to 3 or 4 months old need 14 to 17 hours of sleep in a 24-hour period, usually waking every two to four hours to eat. Breastfed babies should eat as much as they want at this age, but a general rule of thumb is roughly 16 to 24 ounces of breast milk or formula in 24 hours.
Can you let your 2-month-old sleep through the night? Baby probably still wakes up a couple of times in the wee hours to feed. But if they're managing to sleep through the night, go ahead and let them. Studies have found that at the two-month mark, baby might start sleeping longer stretches.
It's OK to let your baby cry if the baby doesn't seem sick and you've tried everything to soothe your baby. You can try to leave your baby alone in a safe place, such as a crib, for about 10 to 15 minutes. Many babies need to cry before they can fall asleep. And they'll nod off faster if you leave them to cry.