# Should I Wake My Newborn to Eat? How Long Babies Can Go Between Feeds > When to wake a sleeping newborn to feed, when it's OK to let them sleep, and how to wake a sleepy baby. Stage: newborn - Topic: Feeding - Page: https://www.askcladle.com/guides/newborn/waking-a-baby-to-feed Grounded in: AAP HealthyChildren feeding guidance ("How Often and How Much Should Your Baby Eat?", "How to Tell if Baby Is Getting Enough Milk"), the AAP 2022 jaundice guideline, Academy of Breastfeeding Medicine Protocol #10 (late preterm and early term infants), and CDC breastfeeding guidance. Summarized in Cradle's own words; none of these sources endorse Cradle. General information, not medical advice. Reviewed: 2026-11 ## TLDR - Until back to birth weight, wake a newborn if about 3 hours have passed, even at night. - Jaundiced, early or small babies often need waking more; follow their feeding plan. - Once back to birth weight and gaining well, most can wake you. Call if the baby is too hard to wake to feed for two feeds in a row. ## The short version In the early weeks, yes. Until your baby is back to birth weight and gaining well, don't let long gaps go by, even at night. After that, most pediatricians are happy to let a healthy baby wake you. ## How long between feeds in the early weeks - Count from the start of one feed to the start of the next. - Breastfed newborns: aim for 8-12 or more feeds in 24 hours. Wake the baby if about 3 hours have passed (some pediatricians say 2-3 hours in the first days). - Formula-fed newborns: usually every 2-3 hours in the first week or two, then often every 3-4 hours. Until back to birth weight, the same rule of thumb applies: wake to feed at about 3 hours, and don't let any gap go past about 4 hours. - Many babies cluster several feeds close together and then sleep longer. One stretch of up to about 4 hours a day can be fine once feeding is going well, but ask your pediatrician. ## Babies who always need waking - Jaundiced babies, who often get sleepy, and need milk to clear bilirubin. See the weight and jaundice guide. - Babies born a few weeks early (before about 39 weeks), small for their age, or slow to regain weight. They tire quickly and may not wake on their own. Follow the feeding plan from the hospital or pediatrician. - Babies of parents with diabetes, or babies with low blood sugar after birth, often have a set plan for the first days. ## When you can let them sleep - Once the baby is back to birth weight (usually by 10-14 days) and the pediatrician confirms good gain, you can usually let them wake you at night. Keep offering frequent day feeds. - Diapers still matter: at least 6 wet diapers a day after day 5 (see the diapers guide). - Later, some parents use an optional dream feed before their own bedtime. See the growth spurts and night feeds guide. ## How to wake a sleepy baby Try during light sleep, when eyes flutter, limbs twitch or the mouth moves. - Unwrap the swaddle or take off a layer. - Change the diaper. - Hold skin-to-skin, upright against your chest. - Dim the lights a little; bright light makes babies close their eyes. - Talk, stroke the cheek, palms or soles of the feet, or gently rub the back. - Hold the baby upright on your lap; many open their eyes. - Express a few drops of milk onto the lips. ## Keeping a sleepy baby feeding - At the breast: use breast compressions when sucking slows, switch sides when the baby drifts off (switch nursing), and burp between sides to rouse them. - With a bottle: pause, burp, stroke the chin, then offer again. Don't force the last ounce. - If feeds keep ending after a few minutes of drowsy sucking, see an IBCLC. A shallow latch or slow flow can make babies fall asleep before they're full (see the breastfeeding latch guide). ## When to check in Call the pediatrician the same day if: - The baby is very hard to wake, floppy, or won't stay awake long enough to feed for two feeds in a row. - There are fewer wet diapers than expected, dark urine, or no stool when expected in the first week. - Yellow skin spreads to the belly or legs, or the eyes look yellow. - A baby under 3 months has a temperature of 100.4°F (38°C) or higher, or below 97.5°F (36.4°C). Call 911 if the baby can't be woken, is limp, or has pauses in breathing or blue lips.