Nighttime breastfeeding makes mothers exhausted, they have to get up at the first cry to feed their babies, and they have to wake up N times a night, when will this end? Many parenting opinions say that it is not recommended to give babies night milk, so is it a bad habit for babies to eat night milk? Is it a bad habit? Today we’ll explain it to all moms and dads. Do all babies need to quit nighttime feeding? No, not until 6 months old. Your baby’s stomach volume is also relatively small during this period, especially for breastfed babies who can easily digest, so it is impossible for your baby to sleep through the night after one feeding. When to wean from night milk? 1.After adding complementary foods At the age of 6 months, your baby’s stomach volume is bigger, and when you start to add complementary foods, your baby will eat milk less frequently, so you can consider weaning off night milk. 2.When sleep is regular After six months, your baby’s sleep will be more regular than before, and he or she will sleep for a longer time at night. From this time on, mothers can gradually wean their babies from night milk. Therefore, it is generally recommended that six-month-old babies can be weaned off nighttime milk once their growth and development has reached the standard. In fact, babies can sleep through the night from three months onwards. It is very important for your baby to develop regular sleep habits! Baby sleep is very different from adult sleep, the cycle is very short, it is easy to wake up, wake up is very difficult to fall back to sleep on their own. Generally speaking, “sleeping through the night” for babies means sleeping for 5 hours in a row, not 8 hours. Why do babies still eat night milk after half a year? There are these reasons 1. Mothers want their babies to eat more milk to grow better and faster, so they wake them up regularly at night to eat milk and develop the habit of eating milk at night. 2, Feeding as a method of soothing. Babies tend to fall asleep with milk, so as soon as they wake up at night, the mother immediately gives milk. Even if the baby is not hungry, he or she can fall asleep with a few bites. Sleep is made up of sleep cycles, and each sleep cycle of a small baby lasts about an hour, with a short period of wakefulness at the end of the sleep cycle. As soon as the baby wakes up, the mother will give the baby milk, and over time she will develop the habit of waking up and having to take a few sips of milk to fall asleep again. The result of both of these situations is that the baby’s nighttime sleep time decreases and the mother becomes very tired and even insomniac. What are the effects of long-term nighttime feeding on babies? 1. At night, all the physiological functions of the human body are reduced, and babies who drink night milk several times will easily increase the burden on the stomach and intestines and cause digestive and absorption disorders. 2. Nighttime is the time when baby’s growth hormones are in full swing, and sufficient sleep is very important for infant’s physical and intellectual development. It can promote the development of brain function and development, and is conducive to the storage of brain energy. It consolidates memory and restores physical strength. Insufficient sleep will affect the development of children’s cognitive functions. 3.It is not good for the baby’s teeth, and it is more likely to lead to tooth decay. 4. Getting up in the middle of the night to prepare milk or breastfeeding for the baby disrupts the rhythm of adults’ lives and affects the normal work and rest of family members. Will weaning from night milk be nutritionally insufficient? Knowing the importance of sleep, mothers naturally understand the reason why they should not give their babies night milk. But will it be undernourished if you don’t feed your baby at night? Don’t worry about this issue, because if your baby eats less milk at night, he or she will definitely eat more during the day, which will not affect his or her growth and development. But there are a few babies, very low weight, some birth weight less than 2.5 kg, in utero growth retardation, after birth to eat less. This kind of baby, who eats very little milk each time during the day, can eat night milk at night. How can I help my baby quit night milk? 1. Gradually reduce the number of night feedings Increase the amount of milk during the day and reduce the number of night feedings from 3 to 2 to 1, and finally quit. Your baby may wake up and cry during the night. Let your baby cry for 1~2 minutes before soothing, and gradually extend the time of soothing each time, usually with 3~4 days to see the effect. 2.Fill your tummy before bedtime Delay the night feeding time appropriately, and eat a little more at the last meal to ensure that it contains some solid or semi-solid food, plus a certain amount of breast milk, so that your baby will not wake up hungry in the middle of the night. But do not eat too much, so as not to increase the burden on the baby’s intestines. 3, to establish a fixed “bedtime ritual” a hot bath, change into pajamas, tell a story, sing bedtime songs, etc., to help children relax and get ready for bed. Be sure to start these activities before your child is overworked. After some time, your child will associate these activities with sleep and fall asleep relaxed and comfortable. 4. What should I do if I wake up at the end of the day? If your baby still “wakes up at the hour” during the process of trying to wean him from nighttime milk, your mother should be careful to detect signs that your baby is about to wake up and pat him quickly to help him transition smoothly from one sleep cycle to the next. 5. Allow for occasional repetition Your baby will encounter various situations as he or she grows up, such as teething, sickness, tired of playing during the day, etc., and may need your comfort, so respect your child’s needs at this time and never reject him or her. For babies who have developed the habit of breastfeeding at night, it can be “very painful” to quit. What should we do as new mothers and fathers? A preventive approach should be taken. 1. A common sleep problem in newborns is diurnal confusion. It can usually be solved in 3-4 weeks after birth. The best way is to give appropriate stimulation during the day, such as talking to the baby more and encouraging him to wake up, and keep quiet at night, not talking to the baby except for feeding and changing diapers. If your baby does not want to sleep and wants to play with you, you should not get involved. But do not go more than 4 hours between milk feedings at night. Because the baby needs nutrition for fast growth and also needs to stimulate the mother’s milk production. 2, 2-3 months of most babies do not self-soothing, they like the embrace of adults, family holding during the day can sleep better, put to bed and wake up. In the 2-3 months, you can hold the baby to sleep. You don’t have to worry about making your baby develop bad habits, after 3 months, you can’t continue. 3. 3 months old babies should develop the habit of falling asleep without the nipple. If the baby falls asleep while feeding, the mother should wake the baby and put him back to sleep on his own in the crib when he wakes up. The goal is to separate eating and sleeping. Breastmilk is the best food for your child and we encourage giving your child breastfeeding as much as possible when conditions allow. For breastfeeding mothers, weaning from night milk is simply quitting breast milk during nighttime sleep and does not require complete weaning from breast milk. Weaning night milk does not need to be achieved by weaning from breast milk. In addition, it is normal for a child who goes to sleep between 19 and 20 o’clock to wake up at 4-6 o’clock in the morning to drink milk (usually we call it morning milk). A little milk at this time can help the baby sleep longer and the adults can rest better.