A scary hot topic phrase: reverse cycling. Reverse cycling can be one of the most challenging and difficult hurdles in the early days of parenting. When your baby flips their feeding schedule, eating less during the day and more at night, you may find yourself slowly, but surely, losing your mind.
Let’s break down what reverse cycling is, why it happens, and how you can gently get your baby back on a more appropriate feeding schedule.
What is Reverse Cycling?
Reverse cycling is when a baby feeds more often during night than the day. It’s more common in breastfed babies, especially when transitioning to a new environment (like daycare) or a new caregiver. While it is so normal, it is also SO exhausting. It can be disruptive to your baby and an age-appropriate schedule, but it can also be frustrating and confusing for the parent.
Some specific signs you can look for are…
- Short and distracted daytime feedings
- Long, frequent night feeds
- Sleepier baby during the day
- Increased maternal engorgement (if breastfeeding)
Why Do Babies Reverse Cycle?
First and foremost, there are so many reasons that a reverse cycling schedule can happen. Don’t blame yourself! It is easy to start to point the finger inward, but give yourself grace.
Breastfeeding Separation: It is really common for reverse cycling to appear when you transition back to work from maternity or paternity leave. Some infants will refuse to eat from another person, or from a bottle if you are breastfeeding. In this situation, they will try to “catch up” on their ounces at night.
Distractibility: Babies will become more aware of their surroundings as they grow, but especially during the 4 month sleep regression. A distractible baby might have a difficult time nursing.
Engorgement: If you are nursing and producing more breastmilk than your baby consumes during the day, it can lead to nighttime comfort feeding.
Days and Nights Mixed: Newborns can have their days and nights mixed which can lead to more feedings at night. Maximize your child’s exposure to natural light during the day. Open the curtains in the morning and take advantage of the weather outdoors. At night, use blackout curtains to promote a dark environment.
Cluster Feeding: Cluster feeding is incredibly exhausting. It can last for hours and truly strike at any time of the day or night. If your little one is cluster feeding throughout the night, it can be difficult to get them to eat during the day.
How to Stop Reverse Cycling
Tip #1: Create a Calm Feeding Environment
Minimizing distractions is KEY. If your infant is going through a regression, they may have a super hard time focusing on their feeding. Use a dim room, white noise, or a nursing cover to help your baby focus on the task at hand!
Tip #2: Offer More Daytime Feedings
Gently and slowly encourage more feeds during the day while cutting your feeds at night. Offering the bottle or breast more often, and slowly decreasing what you offer over night, can help eliminate those overnight feedings.
Tip #3: Use Skin-to-Skin Contact
Using skin-to-skin contact can help increase feeding cues. It also promotes bonding. If your little one struggles to stay awake while feeding, skin-to-skin can be a helpful tool for that as well. Using skin-to-skin contact to help initiate feedings during the day can be very useful in the newborn stage (early days).
Tip #4: Dream Feed Strategically
Dream feeding can be an amazing strategy for newborns to help them sleep through the night. As the parent, you are waking your baby up enough to feed them in a state of partial arousal. Check out our blog on Dream Feeding to see if this strategy would fit your baby and your family.
Tip #5: Seek out a Help
Medical advice could be a helpful step. If you are struggling with feedings (whether bottle or breast fed), reaching out to a lactation consultant and/or pediatrician can provide valuable feedback. A lactation consultant can help ensure your baby is latching well, feeding efficiently, and getting enough milk during the day. A pediatrician can evaluate your infant and give an age appropriate recommendation. If you find yourself struggling with sleep deprivation and anxiety, take care of YOU too. Caring for your mental health is just as important as caring for your family.
Reverse cycling at night can be exhausting and challenging, especially for the parents. With patience, support, and a few strategic changes, you can get your baby back on an age-appropriate feeding pattern and schedule. Remember, you aren’t alone! Many parents struggle with this.
Sleep Shore Sleep Consulting
Are you having difficulty with reverse cycling or a feed-to-sleep association? If your child is unable to fall asleep, stay asleep, or wake up at a normal time, it may be time to consider sleep training. Sleep Shore offers personalized solutions for each unique sleeping situation to get your little one on track- whether they’re a newborn, infant, or toddler. We also offer in home sleep training services in the Boston, Massachusetts, Central Michigan (Midland, Clare, Mt. Pleasant) and Traverse City, Michigan. Sleep training offers babies and children with the skills to fall asleep on their own so they can wake up feeling more well-rested- and in turn, you’ll feel more energized, too! See what this mama had to say about our sleep services below:
“Danielle helped us sleep train our 8 month old into sleeping 10-11 hours a night WITHOUT waking. Our 8 month old would wake multiple times a night and was a horrible napper. She is now consistent with her naps and not “eating to sleep” every nap and every wake during the night. We were hesitant on “sleep training” but it was the best thing we ever did (For our daughter and for ourselves). Not only are we happier as parents, but we can see our daughter happier getting the rest she needs. We couldn’t recommend or love Danielle more!!”
Mom of 8-Month-Old