Why does he eat more asleep than awake. -

Why does he eat more asleep than awake.

On a average day, My son will eat more food while he is sleeping than while he is awake.

Schedual roughly looks like this. 4month old FYI

10pm-midnight - Goes to bed for the night

only wakes briefly for his bottle to be refilled or turned over. Though stays asleep like this till 9am-11am. In this time he goes through 12-18ounzes of food. While sleeping through out the night.

11am-2pm ish plays around till he is hungry.

Gets a bottle of 6 ounzes and falls asleep during his feeding for anywhere between 30mins-2 hours.

Then he is up for basically the rest of the night take maybe another 30-60min nap, and eating maybe 4 ounzes.

I am not concern as far as his health, he is growing great and the doctor says he is doing well. The doctor didnt seem to have an answer as to why he eats while he sleeps and the doctor told me I should force him to eat his food with in 10 mins (6-8oz) and put him to bed and nap scedule on a military type schedule same time same amount for everything, and not allowing him his bottle while sleeping.

I refuse to force my child to live by a schedule like that, and if its of no harm for him to have his bottle while sleeping, I will not take it from him either. On the few times I have figured him to be completly asleep and take the bottle out of his mouth he awakes wanting it back, the moment I give it back, he is back to sleep like it had never happened.

Any thoughts and ideas?

Written by Donkor

Posted on 11/18/2008

See all posts by Donkor

Answers:

I fail to see what is the doctor argument that your son has to be awake when he takes his bottle?

posted by Vero on 11/18/2008

I dont have an answer as to why he drinks more while he's sleeping, but I do agree that he should be on a schedule. He's probably starving at night due to the lack of milk he's consuming during the day. I think it would be a good idea to break him out of that habit. It doesnt have to be a militaristic schedule, but he should have a better schedule than playing and not eating all day. That isnt good for such a small baby.
And FYI. . .there is harm in him taking a bottle laying down 'sleeping'. The harm is that if he is drinking his bottle while sleeping, then most likely some milk is staying in his mouth. Milk does have sugars in it and if its just sitting in his mouth while hes asleep, it will eat away at his gums and soon to be teeth. This is a concern that a lot of Pedi's have and Im suprised yours didnt tell you to about it. The other thing is if he is laying flat on his back while drinking or even on an incline there is a possibility that while he is sucking milk will flow into his eustacian tube and cause ear infections.
Im sooo shocked that his pediatrician never mentioned these things.
I hope you get everything worked out for him.

posted by Amy on 11/18/2008

I would also suggest giving him a pacifier in place of the bottle at night. Im sure that would help a great deal. That way you are at a lesser risk of the things I mentioned, and he will eat less at night and more during the day. (in turn, causing him to have a better schedule)
In my honest opinion it sounds like you enjoy him sleeping through the night; that is why you dont want to change anything.

posted by Amy on 11/18/2008

I'm up most of the night so him sleeping all the way through I don't mind.

Threw out the day I feed him as much as he will take. I always offer the bottle to him when ever I think he may or may not be hungry. So I really don't think he is starving during the day, unless he is starving himself, I feed him when ever he is hungry.

I have tried pacifiers he refuse's to suck on one. Every time I give him one he instantly spits it out. I have also worked with him on it hoping maybe he just needs to get use to using it. Though no luck.

Though I do appreciate the info on the sugars of the milk sitting in his mouth. Though I'm just not sure how to break him of this habbit other than letting him feed, then take it from him allowing him to scream for long periods of times.

As mentioned he needs to be on a schedule, but you said not military style. I believe he is on a schedule, its a consistent day in and day out schedule as I listed, What would you change? Other than taking his bottle from him at night?

I do appreciate all the responses,
Patrick

posted by Donkor on 11/18/2008

i do not think a baby should be on a "rigid schedule"
feed him when hes hungry...let him sleep when hes tired
he will be much happier (and so will you as long as you are able to get some sleep)
DD also ate more when she was sleeping
hardly nursed at all during the day...drank like crazy all night long...she eventually got herself into a routine of eating more during the day when i took one of her night time feedings away...i started pushing it back a half an hour each night (unless she really cried for it)...
we put our children on schedules because we as society are on schedules...i personally believe the baby knows when he is hungry...just my opinion
good luck

posted by nikki on 01/03/2009

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