How to Keep Baby Awake during bedtime routine

Throughout the sleep training process, I'm often asked how to keep baby awake through their feeding during the bedtime routine.


When you're working on sleep training, my number one rule is to keep your baby wide awake through any feeds. 


Nine times out of ten, the problem is that the bottle or breast has become a sleep prop. If you don't break the connection your baby has between the feed and sleep, the process will be so much more complicated.

It can cause night wake-ups, and then when they wake up at night, they will still have the idea that they need a bottle or breast to get back to sleep at night. 


I suggest moving the feeding up in the bedtime routine. Most people have a feeding as the last step. That can be tricky, especially if they're not napping great yet. They could be tired by the time bedtime comes. By the time they've had a bath, and you've got jammies on, reading stories, and then you're going into a feed, they might be way too exhausted even to try to stay awake for the feed.

Then you're fighting a battle of tickling and talking to them and trying to keep them awake, and they're so tired they really can't help you out. I suggest you move it up to before the bath.

Have the feed, then the bath, jammies, stories, and then bed. That will help break any connection they have with the bottle related to sleep.

If that feels a bit early in the routine, move it immediately after the bath. Sometimes, the tub stimulates children a little, so the feed can help calm them down. Most children really like their bath, so they'll be a bit more awake when you get to the feed.

Then, you can move on to the next steps. The good news is that the better naps get, the less tired they'll be by bedtime, so that's something to look forward to.

The more the separation between the bottle and sleep develops, the less likely they are to try to fall asleep at the bottle. You'll find that with time, even if they are exhausted, they won't use the feeding as a prop.

There won't be a connection there anymore. Your baby will happily have their feed and then put themselves to sleep just fine when they get to the crib.

Author

Erin Neri - Certified Pediatric Sleep Consultant and Owner of To The Moon and Back Sleep Consulting since 2016. 

Proud mother of 2 young school aged boys who did not come into the world  preprogrammed with independent sleep skills. 28+ years of training & experience working with children and families including her BA in Applied Psychology, Infant Mental Health Training, Early Childhood Education & Experience. Completed Integrative Feeding Specialist Certification in Oct. 2022. ​