How to Introduce Cereal to a Baby to Sleep Longer

Many parents want their babies to sleep through the night. This is not practical when the baby is first born, but it can be achieved several months down the road. Cereal can be given to a baby before bed so that he's full and able to sleep through the night. The American Academy of Pediatrics recommends that giving cereal to a baby should begin no sooner than 6 months of age. Some parents do begin using this method when the baby is between 3 and 4 months old---consult with your baby's pediatrician to determine when it's right for your baby to begin eating cereal.

Things You'll Need

  • Rice cereal
  • Breast milk or bottle milk
  • Rubber baby spoon

Instructions

    • 1

      Pick a time that you want your baby to go to bed every night. You'll want to plan on feeding your baby the cereal about 30 to 45 minutes before this bedtime. So if you plan on putting your baby down at 9 p.m., you'll want to feed her between 8:15 p.m. and 8:30 p.m.

    • 2

      Express 3 tbsp. breast milk or prepare 3 tbsp. formula.

    • 3

      Shake 1 tbsp. rice cereal flakes into the milk and mix it together. It should still be a bit liquidy.

    • 4

      Use a rubber baby spoon to feed the cereal to your baby. It may take a few tries before your baby gets the hang of it. After the cereal feeding, feed your baby as you normally would from the breast or bottle.

    • 5

      Repeat this process for a few nights and then begin to gradually add more flakes to the milk so that the cereal becomes thicker. You'll eventually want it to be the consistency of oatmeal.

    • 6

      Gradually make this last feeding consist of more cereal and less breast milk or formula. Your baby will now be more full and more likely to sleep through the night. Just remember to keep the schedule the same so your baby's body remembers the routine.

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