How to night wean: a step-by-step guide for 6-12 month olds

Night feeds are a normal and necessary part of early infancy. But there comes a point when your baby no longer needs those calories at night, and the feedings become a sleep association rather than a nutritional need. Knowing when and how to make this transition is one of the biggest turning points in your baby's sleep.

Is your baby ready?

Night weaning is not appropriate for every baby at every age. Before you start, check these readiness signs:

• Age 6 months or older. Before 6 months, most babies genuinely need night feeds for nutrition and growth.
• Adequate weight gain. Your baby is growing along their curve and your pediatrician is happy with their progress.
• Eating solids well. If your baby is 6+ months and taking 2-3 solid meals per day, their daytime calories can compensate for dropped night feeds.
• Pediatrician approval. Always check with your doctor before night weaning, especially if your baby was premature or has any growth concerns.

If all four boxes are checked, your baby is likely ready.

Hunger vs. habit: how to tell the difference

This is the most important question in night weaning. Not every night waking is hunger, and not every one is habit. Here is how to tell:

Signs of genuine hunger

• Waking happens at inconsistent times (not the same time each night)
• Your baby takes a full feed (10+ minutes of breastfeeding or 100+ ml of bottle)
• Your baby is hard to settle without the feed
• The waking happens in the first half of the night (when caloric need is higher)

Signs of habitual feeding

• Waking happens at the same time every night (within a 30-minute window)
• Your baby only takes a small amount (a few minutes or under 60ml)
• Your baby falls back to sleep quickly — sometimes before finishing
• The waking happens in the second half of the night
• Your baby could be resettled with other comfort (patting, shushing) but the feed is offered first

If most of the signs point to habit, your baby is ready to wean that feed.

Method 1: Gradual reduction

This is the gentlest approach and works for the majority of families. The principle is simple: slowly reduce the amount offered at each night feed until the feed is no longer worth waking up for.

For bottle-fed babies

1. Note how much your baby currently takes at each night feed.
2. Reduce by 20-30ml every 2-3 nights.
3. When you reach 60ml or less, drop the feed entirely and resettle without offering a bottle.

For breastfed babies

1. Time how long your baby currently nurses at each night feed.
2. Reduce by 1-2 minutes every 2-3 nights.
3. When you reach 3-4 minutes or less, drop the feed entirely and resettle without offering the breast.

Why this works

Your baby's body gradually adjusts to taking in fewer calories at night and compensates by eating more during the day. There is no sudden shock, no prolonged crying from genuine hunger, and the transition feels natural.

Method 2: Dropping the feed

For babies 9 months and older who are clearly habitual feeding (all the habit signs above), you can drop a feed outright.

1. Choose one feed to eliminate (start with the one closest to morning).
2. When your baby wakes at that time, respond with your normal settling method (check-in, brief comfort) but do not offer a feed.
3. Expect 2-3 harder nights as your baby adjusts.
4. Once that feed is dropped (usually within 4-5 nights), move to the next one.

This method is faster but involves more protest. It works best when you are confident the feed is habitual, not hunger-driven.

Age-specific guidance

6-9 months

Most babies this age still need 1 feed per night, sometimes 2 in the early months of this range. Focus on dropping any feeds that show habitual patterns while keeping the one your baby seems to genuinely need.

A dreamfeed at 10-11pm can help bridge the gap, ensuring your baby gets enough calories to make it through the rest of the night without feeding.

9-12 months

By 9 months, the majority of babies can go the full night without feeds if their daytime intake is adequate. If your baby is still waking for 2+ feeds, they are almost certainly habitual at this point.

Start with gradual reduction on all feeds simultaneously, or drop the most habitual feed first and work through them one by one.

12 months and older

At this age, night feeds are virtually always habitual. Your baby is eating three solid meals plus snacks during the day and does not need nighttime calories. The gradual reduction method works well, or you can drop feeds directly if you and your baby are ready.

Setting up for success: daytime calories

Night weaning fails when babies do not get enough calories during the day. Before you start, make sure your baby is eating well:

• Offer protein at dinner. Chicken, fish, lentils, eggs, tofu — protein is more satiating and helps sustain your baby through the night.
• Include healthy fats. Avocado, olive oil, nut butters (if no allergy) — fats are calorie-dense and help your baby feel full longer.
• Give a full feed before bed. Make the last milk feed of the day a big one. Nurse or bottle-feed in a bright room (not as part of the sleep routine) to ensure your baby takes a full amount.
• Offer a pre-bed snack for older babies. For babies 9+ months, a small snack like banana with nut butter 30 minutes before the bedtime routine can top up calories.

Common concerns

"What if my baby is genuinely hungry?" If you use the gradual method, your baby's body has time to shift calorie intake to daytime. You will notice they start eating more during the day within a few days of starting.

"My baby wakes up crying — how can that not be hunger?" Crying at a night waking does not automatically mean hunger. Babies cry when their expected routine changes. If your baby only takes a small amount and falls right back to sleep, the cry was about the change in routine, not about a need for food.

"Should I night wean and sleep train at the same time?" Ideally, separate them by a few days. Night wean first (so your baby's body adjusts to fewer nighttime calories), then start sleep training. Doing both simultaneously can be confusing for your baby.

Personalized night weaning plans

Every baby's feeding pattern is different. DodoCare analyzes your nightly check-in data to determine which feeds are hunger and which are habit, then builds a personalized night weaning schedule into your plan. The first 3 days are free.