dream feed - light on or off

[nickymorris]

Just started waking DS for dream feeds in an attempt to not be woken quite so regularly during the night. One question as there seems to be a difference of opinion between the baby whisperer and gina ford - lights on or off?

I've been doing it lights off and DS tends to have one boob then fall asleep so deeply that I can't wake him for burping - so 10 mins after putting him back in his cot I have to get up again and pick him up to bring up the burp when he grizzles. Last night I tried changing his nappy with the landing light on which woke him up a bit and he took only about 2 sucks at my second boob - just enough to stimulate the let down and get milk everywhere (I have very squirty boobs!).

Am wondering if I should put the lights on fully or whether this will make him SO awake that he then wants to play after feeding...

Thoughts/suggestions please

bump

I always used to do the landing light thing too.

We always left it off, on the grounds that it's supposed to be a dreamfeed, ie they should still be half asleep, not waking them properly.

How old is he?

I have 2 dimmer lights in DS room, and have one of those on at the lowest seting. Don't think there is any one right answer to this question tbh!

I think it depends on age. Early on, when they are still waking a lot at night, I think the idea at the 10.30 feed or whatever is that they are awake for 45 mins or so, so light is good. But later, when they can pretty much sleep through but not quite, I think it should be a lights off thing. (But then I trip over all the crap on the floor, thus waking everyone , so I have a night light on).

Light on, wake up fully - one boob. Then change, lights down and other boob. Worked for us.

I used to have just the hall light on, but ds could sleep through a feed like a trooper. Still can at 13 months!

Interesting. When I tried the change with the landing light on DS was super-cute. He kept his eyes screwed shut as he knew he should be asleep - made me love him even more.... which was a good job as he then woke up at 12.30 for the next feed which is why I want to get more into him at 10.30!

He's 10 weeks old - does that affect people's suggestions

DH bought one of these lights and I used to turn it up full to change ds' nappy and then let it fade gradually (it takes about 15 mins) while feeding him.

Used to do the Gina Ford thing of waking dd up for an hr, feeding first boob in light then nappy change then 2nd boob in dark. Worked ok until she was about 12 wks when she started freaking at being woken up and would hardly feed. Around about that time, introduced a bottle of formula at that time and made it a proper dreamfeed. We keep the lights off in her room but light on in living room with the door open (in a maisonette so living room is next to her room). She usually wakes a little bit but we put her straight back down after bottle and she goes back to sleep.