Night Feeds & Nappy Changes
Waking up to feed your baby overnight is developmentally normal and being prepared for the task at hand will make for a quick feed and nappy change before everyone can return to sleep. Having everything ready to go when you’re tired and your baby is hungry will help to minimise the time you have to spend preparing bottles, nappies and refreshments to keep you hydrated.
With all the tasks at hand overnight, I am often asked, when is the ideal time to change a nappy?
· Before or after a feed?
· At the first feed?
· The second feed?
· At every feed overnight night?
Changing a nappy overnight can be quite stimulating for our little ones. We turn on the lights, undress them and inadvertently stimulate them, making the re-settle to sleep particularly tricky if we are working against hormone production and changing night-time sleep cycles.
So when is the ideal time? Let’s take a look at what is happening with our baby’s bodies overnight and what we can do to limit the stimulation and quickly return them to sleep.
Night-time hormone fluctuation
Several hormones are involved in sleep and setting the body’s circadian rhythm or “body clock”. These hormones fluctuate over a 24-hour period and work to keep our babies awake during the day and asleep overnight. From about six to eight weeks of age babies will start to produce their own melatonin, otherwise known as the “sleepy hormone”. So what does this mean and how does it look overnight?
Melatonin starts to rise in the body from 3pm, with secretion peaking between 7pm to midnight. This is when your baby typically has their deepest stage of sleep throughout the night and should easily settle back to sleep after a quick feed.
From midnight, melatonin production starts to diminish, and the body begins to produce cortisol, the hormone that works with our baby’s homeostatic sleep drive to keep them awake.
From 3am to 7am, melatonin has almost entirely left the body, meaning your little one remains in a light stage of sleep until morning and will be easily stimulated by external influences like light, sound, social interaction, and food.
When is the ideal time to change a nappy overnight?
If your baby is having multiple feeds overnight:
If your baby is feeding more than once overnight, it is ideal to change their nappy before the first feed in the early stages of the evening or before midnight. With melatonin secreting through the body, stimulation from a nappy change will be limited and they should be able to quickly re-settle after a feed.
If your baby is having one feed overnight:
Babies who feed only once overnight will feed at various times – some will feed early in the night when they can return to sleep quickly and others in the early hours of the morning when they will remain in light sleep and will be easily stimulated, so determining the best time to change their nappy will require some parent’s intuition! Ask yourself:
How close is it until morning? Will they be uncomfortable with a wet nappy for another few hours?
Have they passed a stool? No matter the time of the night, it’s best to pop on a clean nappy to avoid some uncomfortable sleep for your little one.
How heavy does the nappy feel?
Does your baby easily rouse from a nappy change?
When in doubt, make the change quick and swift!
Be prepared and stay low key
Top tips for nappy changes overnight to help your baby quickly re-settle so everyone can get more sleep:
Change the nappy before the feed
If you need some light, keep it dim and on for as little as possible
Be prepared – have your nappies, wipes, cream and disposable bag/bin close by so you can make the change quickly without fuss
What nappies provide the best protection overnight?
When looking for the ideal nappy for our little ones to wear overnight, I always look for a product that offers 12-hour leak protection, absorbent core, layers of protection, strong grip tabs and a clear wetness indicator! Rascal + Friends Premium Nappies are made to power through the night without leaks and are a favourite in my household!