🍌Weaning and sleep🍌
I’ve had 4 babies. I’ve heard it all. ‘They’re waking as they’re hungry’,
‘Your breastmilk just mustn’t be good enough to keep him asleep all night’
‘Starting solids will help him sleep through the night’
Honestly. All these comments did was make me feel stressed out, question whether my breastmilk was good enough and push me towards weaning early.
Weaning onto solids can influence your baby’s sleep, but it’s not a guaranteed fix for sleep issues. Infact, it can make sleep worse!
Firstly, the NHS recommends waiting to start solids until your baby is 6 months. Once they are ready, here is how solids can help—and where it might not make a difference:
⭐️Solids can help sleep…
1. Feeling fuller for longer: Solids (especially those with fat and protein) can keep babies full longer than milk alone, potentially reducing night wakings due to hunger.
2. More Nutrients: Adequate iron and other nutrients from solids support healthy development, which can positively affect sleep.
❌When solids might not help with sleep…
1. Timing: If solids are introduced before 6 months (or before baby is ready), it can cause digestive discomfort. If introduced too late, sleep disruptions might be due to hunger or nutritional gaps.
2. Overtiredness or sleep associations: Sleep issues often have more to do with sleep habits, developmental phases, or comfort-seeking (e.g., feeding to sleep), not hunger.
3. Discomfort from solids: New foods can cause gas, constipation, or discomfort, temporarily making sleep worse.
So what do I suggest?
* Start solids around 6 months, when baby shows readiness (good head control, sitting up with support, showing interest in food).
* Continue breastmilk or formula as the main source of nutrition through the first year.
* Offer solids earlier in the day at first, so you can observe any reactions before bedtime.
* Aim for a balanced diet with iron-rich foods once solids are established.
Take home message – milk is enough to see your baby sleeping through. Don’t rush into weaning as a desperate measure to help your baby sleep longer. Work on sleep associations and teaching your baby to self settle as a priority over weaning.
