Why More Night Feedings Might Be Making Sleep Worse (Not Better!)

When it comes to sleep training, what worked for one child doesn’t always work for another, even within the same family. I recently worked with a family who came to me exhausted and frustrated. Their seven-month-old, Molly, was waking multiple times a night, including at least two full feedings. They had successfully used a timed check method with their older child, but this approach just wasn’t doing the trick for their younger daughter.

The Initial Sleep Struggles

Before making any changes, her parents logged Molly's night wakings. Here’s what her first night looked like:

• Asleep: 6:30 PM
• First waking: 7:01 PM (replaced pacifier, back to sleep in 2 minutes)
• 10:00 PM: Dream feed (first night feed)
• 12:30 AM: Woke up, parents replaced pacifier and soothed with hand on chest (back to sleep in 1 minute)
• 1:10 - 2:54 AM: Feeding, rocking, diaper change, more rocking (second night feed)
• 5:00 - 5:18 AM: Woke up crying, tried to just replace pacifier and soothe with hand. Decided to feed her (third night feed).
• 7:10 AM: Awake for the day.
  
  

Why Wasn’t Their Sleep Training Method Working?

This is a classic example of how each baby has unique sleep needs and associations. Here are a few key reasons the timed check method wasn’t effective:
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1. Different Sleep Associations – Their older child may have naturally responded well to brief check-ins, but Molly was more dependent on external soothing (pacifier, touch, and feeding) to fall back asleep.
   
   
2. Feeding as a Sleep Crutch – Three night feedings at seven months could indicate either a lingering habit or a genuine need for calories. We needed to determine if she was truly hungry or just relying on feedings for comfort.
   
   
3. Frequent Pacifier Replacement – The pacifier was acting as a sleep prop, meaning she couldn’t connect her own sleep cycles without it. And she couldn't put it back in her mouth without help from her parents. 
   
   
4. Overtiredness – A 6:30 PM bedtime can work well, but if naps weren’t solid during the day, overtiredness could have been contributing to the frequent wakings.
   
   

The Sleep Plan We Created

We developed a gradual weaning plan for Molly as well as a sleep training plan, but much to her parents' surprise, after some sleep training at bedtime, Molly started sleeping through the night within a few nights! We never even started the gradual weaning plan. 

It turned out that night feedings were actually a symptom of her sleep problems. Once we solved the problem of timing (naps and bedtime) and gave her a chance to learn to self-soothe, Molly night-weaned without any assistance at all.

The Results

Within a few nights, Molly was sleeping 10-12 hours with no night feedings. The parents, who had been struggling with exhaustion, were finally getting the rest they needed, too.

The Takeaway

It's amazing how we think that lots of feedings can prevent night wakings, but sometimes it's the opposite. If your sleep training method isn’t working, it doesn’t mean you’re doing something wrong—it just means your baby needs a different approach. Each child is unique, and finding the right strategy requires understanding their sleep habits, associations, and individual temperament.

If you’re struggling with sleep training, I’d love to help you create a customized plan that works for your family. Book a free discovery call today and let’s get you and your baby the sleep you both need!