Breastfeeding and the Sleep Association: Why Babies Wake at Night
Explore why breastfeeding becomes a sleep association and how nursing to sleep impacts infant sleep cycles, causing babies to wake frequently throughout the night.
Best quote from Breastfeeding and the Sleep Association: Why Babies Wake at Night
Sleep is a skill, just like walking or talking. Giving your baby the space to learn this skill is actually a gift, and you can keep your breastfeeding relationship while still getting a full night's rest.
This audio lesson was created by a BeFreed community member
The most successful method to sleep train and infant, who is super reliant on their breast-feeding mother to go to bed while they go to sleep and breast-feed throughout the night
Frequently Asked Questions
A sleep association is a habit or tool a baby uses to drift off to sleep, much like an adult uses a favorite pillow. For many breastfed babies, nursing becomes this primary tool. When a baby relies on nursing to fall asleep, they often struggle to return to sleep without it when they experience natural wakeups between sleep cycles throughout the night.
Babies naturally experience tiny wakeups every 45 to 60 minutes as they transition between sleep cycles. If nursing is their primary sleep trigger, they will look for that same nursing session to click back into sleep. While it may seem like hunger, they are often just seeking the familiar sleep association they used to fall asleep initially.
Not necessarily. While parents often assume night wakings are due to starvation, research indicates that by four to six months, most babies are physically capable of going at least six hours without a feed. Often, the baby is not hungry but is instead relying on nursing as a sleep association to help them transition back into a deep sleep.
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From Columbia University alumni built in San Francisco
"Instead of endless scrolling, I just hit play on BeFreed. It saves me so much time."
"I never knew where to start with nonfiction—BeFreed’s book lists turned into podcasts gave me a clear path."
"Perfect balance between learning and entertainment. Finished ‘Thinking, Fast and Slow’ on my commute this week."
"Crazy how much I learned while walking the dog. BeFreed = small habits → big gains."
"Reading used to feel like a chore. Now it’s just part of my lifestyle."
"Feels effortless compared to reading. I’ve finished 6 books this month already."
"BeFreed turned my guilty doomscrolling into something that feels productive and inspiring."
"BeFreed turned my commute into learning time. 20-min podcasts are perfect for finishing books I never had time for."
"BeFreed replaced my podcast queue. Imagine Spotify for books — that’s it. 🙌"
"It is great for me to learn something from the book without reading it."
"The themed book list podcasts help me connect ideas across authors—like a guided audio journey."
"Makes me feel smarter every time before going to work"
"Instead of endless scrolling, I just hit play on BeFreed. It saves me so much time."
"I never knew where to start with nonfiction—BeFreed’s book lists turned into podcasts gave me a clear path."
"Perfect balance between learning and entertainment. Finished ‘Thinking, Fast and Slow’ on my commute this week."
"Crazy how much I learned while walking the dog. BeFreed = small habits → big gains."
"Reading used to feel like a chore. Now it’s just part of my lifestyle."
"Feels effortless compared to reading. I’ve finished 6 books this month already."
"BeFreed turned my guilty doomscrolling into something that feels productive and inspiring."
"BeFreed turned my commute into learning time. 20-min podcasts are perfect for finishing books I never had time for."
"BeFreed replaced my podcast queue. Imagine Spotify for books — that’s it. 🙌"
"It is great for me to learn something from the book without reading it."
"The themed book list podcasts help me connect ideas across authors—like a guided audio journey."
"Makes me feel smarter every time before going to work"
"Instead of endless scrolling, I just hit play on BeFreed. It saves me so much time."
"I never knew where to start with nonfiction—BeFreed’s book lists turned into podcasts gave me a clear path."
"Perfect balance between learning and entertainment. Finished ‘Thinking, Fast and Slow’ on my commute this week."
"Crazy how much I learned while walking the dog. BeFreed = small habits → big gains."
"Reading used to feel like a chore. Now it’s just part of my lifestyle."
"Feels effortless compared to reading. I’ve finished 6 books this month already."
"BeFreed turned my guilty doomscrolling into something that feels productive and inspiring."
"BeFreed turned my commute into learning time. 20-min podcasts are perfect for finishing books I never had time for."
"BeFreed replaced my podcast queue. Imagine Spotify for books — that’s it. 🙌"
"It is great for me to learn something from the book without reading it."
"The themed book list podcasts help me connect ideas across authors—like a guided audio journey."
"Makes me feel smarter every time before going to work"
