how old til they don't need to be fed at night?

[GirlWithTheMouseyHair]

DS is nearly 16weeks, has started waking twice a night to feed (I think) from waking just once and after 5 consecutive nights of sleeping through about a month ago.

I'm worried I'm feeding him when maybe he doesn't neccessarily need it (both feeds anyway) they're both pretty short, he's rooting but clamps down on a finger rather than suckles on it...have tried giving him water, popping dummy back in, soothing - most work for about 10mins and he wakes up again, I give it three goes and if he still wakes I feed him, he invariably feeds to sleep

He's waking exactly 4 hours after dream feed and then exactly 3.5hours after that (often then deciding to start the day after waking having fed to sleep)

But is it too early to expect him to go longer without a feed?

Yes - sorry

They can 'need' (physiologically) feeds till about 6 months (26 Weeks)
It may be that he is having another growth spurt, the four months time is perfect for this. Just go with it and feed as much as poss in the day/early evening.

Hate to be the one to say but you need to get him to fall asleep from awake (ish).

Whatever is happening when he is going to sleep must happen when he stirs in the night in order for him to return to sleep. He is waking classically in his light sleep (3-4 hour cycles) and because he's not feeding - he wakes properly. But at the moment he is probably hungry too!

it's funny you should ask this - my ds is (er, counts weeks - er -) 7 months next week and it's only in the last week or 2 that we've got to the stage where not every wake up is a feed. To achieve this dh goes in. Ds initially howls (anger that it's not mummy) but now within seconds is more chilled and dh cuddles him back to sleep. If he gets distressed and doesn't calm, obviously I will feed him but I do think we have got to the stage where he doesn't need a feed. I guess some nights he does (?? ) and i'm more likely to offer if he was ill, but....