How to Stop a Baby From Nursing to Sleep

Having a baby who nurses herself to sleep often causes her to need nursing to get back to sleep when she awakens in the middle of the night, leading to poor sleep habits for both mother and baby. While it is common for breastfed babies to fall asleep during the calming routine of nursing, there are several steps that can be taken to prevent your child from nursing to sleep on a regular basis.

Instructions

    • 1

      Feed your baby throughout the day. Offer your child breast milk frequently throughout the day to ensure he is well fed and to decrease the need for nighttime feedings. Wake your child up if he misses a daytime feeding and avoid skipping feedings during the daytime hours whenever possible.

    • 2

      Establish a nighttime routine. Get your child into a nighttime routine that involves breastfeeding early in the process, to eliminate the direct connection between feeding and sleep. Feed your baby first and then involve her in a song or story and change her diaper and clothing before placing her down to sleep. If your child is asleep before bedtime, wake her up to complete your routine before you go to sleep for the night.

    • 3

      Offer a substitute. Instead of letting your child nurse to sleep, provide a different soothing activity such as a back rub, cuddle or time spent rocking your baby to sleep. After a feeding, wear your baby in a sling until he falls asleep and then place him in his crib for the night.

    • 4

      Have another person comfort your baby. Change your baby's sleep routine by having dad or another adult put her to bed. Pump milk and allow the other caregiver to provide the baby with a bottle before soothing her to sleep. It is important that your child's caregiver stays calm when putting her to bed, as some babies initially resist having someone other than mom complete the nighttime routine.

    • 5

      Move your baby away from you. Relocate your baby to the other side of your bedroom or into his own room for the night, making breastfeeding him back to sleep in the middle of the night more difficult. Allow your baby's dad or other caregiver to tend to your child during middle of the night wakings, once he is old enough to not need a middle of the night feeding.

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