Do formula-fed babies sleep better than breastfed babies?

[babyboymam]

So I am 4.5 months into my BF journey and I have set myself a target of 6 months. I am starting to feel ready to stop and I have been thinking whether switching to formula will improve my baby's sleep at all? Does anyone have any experience of switching to formula at six months and seeing any improvement?

My HV and all the evidence says no but speaking to some friends it seems to me that formula fed babies do sleep better at night as the formula fills their bellies for longer. My ds was waking twice a night which was amazing but since the 4 month sleep regression kicked in he's up every 2 hours through the night.

I know threads like this can be heated in the breast vs bottle debate so please be kind and keep comments just about sleep 🙏🏼

Research says that breastfeeding co-sleeping mothers get the most sleep!!

This doesn't surprise me really! It is my situation still at 15 months and the amount of sleep I'm able to get is why I still choose to do it! Especially as I'm now back at work PT. We aim to go to bed at 6:30 but often he won't sleep until more like 8 (this is the only difficult bit and might be because it's time to drop to 1 nap!), then in the night he only wakes for resettling a couple times (takes minutes), then wakes around 7!

I honestly think it depends on the baby - my first was FF and never slept , we co-slept eventually until she was around 3. Many night feeds trying to make bottles or loosing her dummy.
My second BF - slept well (other than the odd waking for teething or if poorly) in her own room at 6 months. I did find the night feed easier BF, but that’s me and everyone experiences different things!

Do whatever you want - I know lack of sleep was so tough with my first and would have tried anything!! We had her doctor agree to start weaning slightly early - it made no difference 😂

I really can't stress how important I think sleep training / controlled crying is. I know some people consider it controversial, but for our sons it really was just a few minutes of crying on the first few nights. You then get your evenings and sleep back, which makes a huge difference.

I think I would add to this that I can't stress enough how different babies can be. For your sons it was a few minutes of crying. I have never tried it but I know for my dd it would have been screaming and crying uncontrollably. She would be really distressed as a baby just with dad if she was tired and wanted me. She would cry to the point of vomiting on a 15 minute car journey with me singing to her while driving.
You have to do what works for you and your baby. And that may very well be something that loads of other people, with different experiences, would tell you not to do because that wasn't right for them.

Not sure as I have never breastfed.
DS always slept through he's nearly 4. My twins are 5 months and also sleep through but I think my kids just like their sleep at night in all honesty and has nothing to do with how they are fed.

Ff both of mine and other than a post op blip both mine slept through from five /six weeks.

I think the formula kept them fuller longer. I also think because they were big babies (10lbs+) their digestive systems were a little more developed?

We were so lucky, I was out and about with both of them after day 3. Partially to walk to reduce back issues and a bit because I was worried about PND. Being out walking integrating was my personal barometric of being ok.

I do feel some mums get an unfair combination of challenges - broken sleep, baby only sleeps on them during the day and then add in a painful recovery.

I do feel there must be research done to improve birth care and post care, we don't seem to have come very far. And from antidotes I hear it is very dependent on care provider.

It depends why they are waking. If they are hungry formula might keep them full longer, but if it's for comfort probably not much difference.

Both mine were FF, one was a terrible sleeper (still is at 6!) The other was sleeping through from 2 months.

I breastfed both mine and the second one was an amazing sleeper (the first not so much).

I know friends who formula fed who had both good and bad sleepers.

Not read the full thread but I have three and all were breastfed but the odd time I would formula feed to if I needed more sleep because they really did all sleep longer when formula fed. It seems to bloat them or something so keeps them feeling fuller for longer IME.

I don't think it makes any difference to their sleep patterns. Babies have small stomachs and their is only so much they can digest. It's a myth about filling them up more to make them sleep longer

I just started mix feeding at 5.5 months... Bf during day and bottle feeding at night and it's made a massive difference!!

He's never slept more than 2hrs at a time and wanted boob to go back to sleep. Since formula he has been having a feed at bedtime (6.30) and another formula feed about 11.30pm and then will have a breastfed about 5.30am.

Prior to this, when he was BF at night he was prob only taking very small amounts as he would fall asleep on the boob but with the bottle he's having 7 or 8 ounces and it knocks him into a longer sleep!! I don't think it's the formula itself it's just the amount he's having. Kendamil milk tastes amazing it has no shite in and a good place to start if your thinking of this. My DS would not drink other brands of formula after being breastfed for so long.

I don’t know my eldest two were FF and they rarely fed at night from very early on but they used dummies and we were up and down like yo-yos replacing the dummy when they fell out.

My youngest BF and fed on and off at night but he co slept with me so other than switching boobs I really didn’t notice much and our sleep cycles kind of synced up and I found I slept better with him than the older two even though he fed more. So I think he slept less but I slept better than his FF siblings.

My DS1 was FF and woke every 45mins until her was 12months, eventually sleeping through about 15months. It was awful as nothing soothed him for long enough.
DS2 was breastfed and slept like an angel until 12weeks then awake and fed through the night, although was easy to settle. He slept through about 2.5yrs.

I formula fed my second. She was awake a lot in the night. I doubt you’ll find much of a difference

Maybe at first as cluster feeding etc is bypassed but not long term no.

I stopped breastfeeding at 4 months with both mine because I loathed it so much. Made zero difference to their sleep. Still not brilliant sleepers as extremely active school/preschool kids.

DD was combi-fed from the start for various reasons, both from the bottle. It made no difference to her sleeping.

Dc1was formula fed, didn't sleep through the night til 3 and a half. They were a terrible sleeper, still is as now. Dc2 breastfed. Slept though from 7 weeks still a good sleeper. I think sometimes it depends on the child

I can only tell you from my experience but from what others have said (in circles of friends and family etc) formula fed babies tend to sleep through sooner.
My son has always been breast fed and started sleeping through at around 13 months. He doesn't feed at all in the night and hasn't for months. Before that he was very wakeful. From 4 months to 1 year woke anywhere between 1-6 times per night. He is 17 months in a couple of days and he sleeps so much better now. I've probably just jinxed it though 🤣
First year of sleep was a killer for us.