AIBU “Breastfeeding makes for bad sleepers”

[mmmgoats]

I can’t help but think this cannot be right?!
Friend told me yesterday that she bottle fed her children because breast fed babies don’t sleep and are nightmare sleepers.
She said her midwife admitted it but also said the goodness they get from it should put weigh the bad sleeping.
I have never heard this before?! Was your breast fed baby a good sleeper?

(I don’t have babies yet, not for the want of trying, but have always had the idea in my head that I would give BF a go. So not being goady, generally interested!)

I feel like this must be purely anecdotal as surely there are formula fed babies that are nightmare sleepers too!

Of course all babies are different but all the bottle fed babies I know slept through from an earlier age and napped better. My dd was bf until c.7/8 months and slept much better when we transitioned to bottle fully. But she’s always been (touch wood) healthy and free of any colds which I think was aided by her being bf

It's generally believed to be true but from my limited experience of 7 nct babies, it's simply child dependent. My DS was bf and still is an awful sleeper. My friends daughter was the same however another friends bf child slept 8 hours from 4 weeks old and my friend who bottle fed from the beginning still hasn't slept through.

DC2 is directly BF (DC1 struggled to latch and got BM in a bottle).

DC2 is 13 weeks old. Last night she slept 9pm-6am. Night before 8pm-5am, Friday night 9pm-6am. This has just started, but seems to be her pattern.

Her sister used to do 11pm-8am from a similar age. But DC2 has to get up at 6am through the week to do the nursery run, so appears to have adjusted accordingly.

In my experience BF does not mean a bad sleeper.

I breast fed 2 out of 3 babies. The breastfed babies were definitely worse sleepers and the change was instant when switched onto formula. If I could do it again I would probably ff a lot sooner as the lack of sleep was horrendous. Oh and they have all had equal amounflts of illnesses

All BF babies (about 8)I know are terrible sleepers. Toddlers in the family who were BF are also terrible sleepers. DD who as FF slept through as a baby and has slept 7-7 from about 6 months. So IME yes it does but I know that all babies are different. Some BF babies are excellent sleepers and some FF babies are awful sleepers.

All 3 of mine were bad sleepers - first was formula fed from 5 weeks, second mix fed for a while then just breastfed (bottle refuser) and third just breastfed. The last is the best sleeper actually, she started doing the odd 5 hours from 3 months old and regularly sleeps through now at 14m.
I have heard it that formula helps babies sleep better (digests slower maybe so hungry less often) but I think some just sleep well and some don't.

Combination fed baby, slept through from 8 weeks except for a month or so around the 4 month sleep regression. Please note that she only had 1 bottle a day until 4 months so hardly filling up on formula. Babies will sleep when they are ready too. Newborn that sleep through have something wrong, they should be feeding more frequently than that.

Exclusively breastfeeding one and mainly formula fed another and they’ve both been rubbish sleepers.

I formula fed one and breastfed the other. In my extremely limited sample range, the BF baby slept MUCH better. And so did I. Even waking for feeds in the night is a hundred times easier with a breastfed baby (once breastfeeding is established).

It’s more about the child themselves than anything else.

Was true for me. FF child was sleeping 11am-6am at 10 weeks.

BF child didn't sleep through until she weaned (aged 2y 8m )

Mine is bf.

Average sleeper compared to my friends.

20 months and yet to have a tummy bug though despite being at playgroup every day and licking floors.

Formula fed babies tend to have less feeds a day than a breast fed baby as they tend to eat more in one feed. This might mean that they wake less in the night for food.

Formula fed babies sleep better because the formula sits heavily on their stomachs and isn't easily digested, therefore they need to feed less. Breastmilk is tailor made for babies so is readily digested, explaining why they feed more often. Babies are also designed to feed at night as the hormones that make your milk are highest then, so without night feeds the supply would dwindle. That's why as midwives we strongly advise against formula feeding at night if you're wanting to breastfeed in the day.

My 7mth old is bf. He generally goes down to bed at 8, wakes for a feed somewhere between 1.30-3:30 and is up again after 7. Sleeps for about 3 hrs during the day (in bed, less if out and about and he's in the buggy). He's probably been sleeping like this for 2-3 months? I think that's very good

Evening and nights are the best time to stimulate milk supply. Newborns are clever enough to know this and many spend these times cluster feeding.
I think that's why they get a bad reputation.
They feed more at night then bottle fed babies.
On the other hand putting a breast in a mouth is far easier then getting up sterilizing and preparing a bottle in the middle of the night.
Swings and roundabouts.

I BF both my babies.
The first was a nightmare sleeper.
The second slept like a baby ('scuse the pun!)
They're all individuals.
Good luck with your life.

Surely the important thing is healthy baby not one who sleeps through the night at any cost

Breastfed babies tend to be fed on demand so they are likely to wake more - combine it with co-sleeping though and it doesn't matter, they are right there and usually settled quickly.

I think this is what they meant.

Every baby is different though.

It is sadly true I think. There was some research that hit the papers when my dd1 was a baby. I remember it being reported two ways in different papers - breastfed babies are poor sleepers or formula fed babies are over sedated.

By breastfed babies were terrible sleepers, and it was hard, but I don't regret it.

Totally anecdotally yes, the bottle fed babies I’ve known have slept for longer periods than breastfed.

I don’t think it’s right though to label it as “better” sleep- breastfed babies are waking because they’re hungry and following a natural cycle due to their feeding patterns- they should be waking up every few hours, they aren’t doing the whole sleep thing “badly”!

My ds was bottle fed and had slept through really well since about 9 months old, now 4 with no issues about going to sleep.

Dd breast fed and has always been an awful sleeper, still doesn’t sleep well at nearly 3 though I stopped breastfeeding at 1. I feel like as babies, dd wasn’t interested in any other comforter to help her settle, I was her only comforter while ds used a teddy and muslins to help self sooth.

If I had another I would breast feed again, simply for the bonding/no cost/easiness of it. Both my ds and dd hardly ever get ill, don’t notice any difference health wise between them.

Ime that's utter bollocks-both mine were EBF, DD slept through at 12 weeks & DS at 5 months. Been great sleepers ever since.

Breast fed my baby until 8 and a bit months, slept through fairly reliably (6-6) from about 5 months. Occasially woke up around 1am for a breast feed. We’ve fully been on the bottle formula feeding for 2 months and he sleeps the same, but wakes up slightly earlier.

Two babies, both bf, one good sleeper and one bad sleeper.

Oh and was always a brilliant sleeper from day 1 with BF!