Skip to main content

20+ ways to keep baby awake during breastfeeding

There are many reasons you might want to keep a baby awake while breastfeeding. The number one reason is that they keep feeding! While babies can “dream feed,” they might stop drinking if they fall asleep at the breast, and it’s important they keep going, especially in the earliest weeks. You might also not want them to fall asleep in the later weeks because of trying to get them on a sleep schedule.

Your touch, warmth, smell, and milk are so comforting and calming for your baby. They feel perfectly relaxed when with you to feed with all of their needs met, and they relax right into sleep time. Because of the reasons above, you might not want that to happen, while still making sure nursing is a happy and comfortable time for them. Don’t worry– they’ll still loving nursing even if you tickle them a bit to stay awake.

Mom breastfeeding baby
Image used with permission by copyright holder

How to keep baby awake during breastfeeding

First, consider the timing. Feed them right after they’ve woken up so they are rested instead of sleepy, or right after a bath so their wet hair might make them a little colder.

Recommended Videos

Next, think about the environment. Keep the white noise machine off, the room cool, and blanket and snuggly clothes off. You could also lay them on a flat surface while you sit next to them so your warmth and softness don’t encourage them to fall asleep. Advice differs on whether to keep the lights on or off. Lights on may make it harder for them to fall asleep, but may also encourage them to close their eyes. You’ll have to experiment with what works for your baby.

Besides setting yourself up in those ways, the main way to keep a baby awake while breastfeeding is to change things up during the feeding session. When you see your baby drifting off, use these methods to make a change to keep them awake:

  • Change the hold position
  • Change the breast they are feeding from
  • Take off a piece of their clothing like socks
  • Change their diaper before continuing
  • Blow air on their face
  • Move their limbs
  • Tickle them
  • Make eye contact
  • Talk to them or make other sounds
  • Rub a wet washcloth on their head or skin
  • Pause for a burping break
  • Squeeze your breast so the milk flow increases
  • Turn music on
  • Take a deep breath or make another movement

Sometimes a baby might fall asleep to tune everything else when things get overwhelming, so if you’ve turned on the lights, music, and everything else to make it hard to fall asleep, it can end up having the opposite effect. If your baby is falling asleep with little stimulation or lots of stimulation, just try doing the opposite to see if that helps. Baby may need to concentrate on eating to be able to keep going so you can back off on all of these above methods if it’s not working.

Woman breastfeeding a baby
SeventyFour/Shutterstock

Expert tips

Kathy Kuhn, RN, BSN, IBCLC says that stroking under the baby’s chin from chin to Adam’s apple with medium pressure can help promote staying awake to feed.

The Dr. Sears website recommends if you are waking baby up from sleep to feed, try to do it during REM sleep: “This lighter stage of sleep is recognized by fluttering eyelids, sleep grins, clenched fists, and limbs that are not limp. A baby in a deep sleep is harder to rouse.”

Anne Smith, IBCLC gives these tips to increase stimulation: “Rub his back in a circular motion from the shoulder blades down and back up; stroke his scalp in gentle but firm circles, squeeze gently in the cavity between his neck and collarbone (remember in grade school when someone wanted to get your attention, and they sneaked up from behind and grabbed your shoulder blade? Remember how you jumped out of your chair? This is effective, but do it gently); rub his hands or feet by applying pressure with your thumb (your partner can do this while you are nursing to help keep him stimulated); walk your fingers up his spine; move his arms and legs in a bicycling motion, play pat-a-cake; or circle his lips with your fingertip. Keep talking to him and trying to establish eye contact.”

Be sure to follow the advice of International Board Certified Lactation Consultants (IBCLCs) when it comes to breastfeeding. If a baby is falling asleep, they may be done feeding and you don’t want to force them to overeat. You know the context of your feeding journey best, so trust yourself.

Sarah Prager
Sarah is a writer and mom who lives in Massachusetts. Her writing has appeared in The New York Times, The Atlantic, National…
What to do if your baby falls off the bed: Steps for proper care
Have a little roly poly? Here's what to do if baby rolls off the bed
A mother changing a baby on a bed

As hard as parents try to keep their babies safe from dangers around the home, they're only human, and sometimes accidents happen. A fall only takes a split second to happen with little ones. If you've ever put your baby down on a bed and turned your back for even a quick second only to see your baby fell off the bed during those moments, you know this is true. Babies falling off beds is the leading cause of injuries for children. You happen to have your baby lying there — away from the edge, no less. You turn around for just a few seconds and then you hear your baby crying.

What do you do? First, you’ll need to keep from panicking. Taking a deep breath and making some initial observations is a vital step to ensure your baby gets the right help. Once you've calmed down imagining your little one going over the edge, we have advice for you to follow in case this unfortunate accident happens to your child.
What to do to avoid further injury

Read more
A guide to cruising babies: What it means for your little one
Here's how a little cruiser will affect your household
A mother helping the baby to cruise along the couch.

All parents melt when you feel that little tug on your pants, look down, and see your baby using your legs to help them stand up. But that also means your little one is entering the cruising phase. Once your child discovers they can use objects, furniture, and yes, their parent's limbs to stand up and move around, it's on.

When you notice your child starting to leave crawling in the past, you are about to have a cruising baby in your house. Before things move along too fast, here's what that means for your little one and the rest of your family.
The first few steps toward cruising

Read more
Is your baby done with breastfeeding? Watch for these 6 signs
Clues to look out for that your baby is ready to move on from breastfeeding
Mother holding her baby in bed

When you make the decision to breastfeed, it is a whole journey you and your baby go on together. But as with all stages, breastfeeding, too, will come to an end at some point. It's better to know the clues and tells your baby will give to be prepared for the newest adventure. If you're doing baby-led weaning, these are the signs your baby does not want to breastfeed anymore, so you know when it's time to transition to the next stage of feeding.
Signs to watch for during feedings

The feedings themselves will sprinkle clues your baby is ready to ditch breastfeeding for good. If something feels off about the feeds, start paying attention each time you go to sit down for a session.
Feeding sessions become shorter
You know how long your baby eats at each session. When you notice your baby not wanting to feed for the usual time, you might start to worry they're not getting enough to eat. But your baby cutting down on the duration of each meal is a clue they might want to stop breastfeeding.
Baby skips feeding sessions
This is more than your baby finally sleeping longer and missing a feeding in the middle of the night. If you notice your baby refusing those additional snack time feedings, they may be telling you they don't want to breastfeed anymore. Offer a bottle or sippy cup or solid food and see how they react to taking those options. Once the feedings become shorter and then get skipped, your baby has sent strong signals they are over breastfeeding.
Baby gets more distracted during feedings
Babies love to look at everything and check out every sound, but when it comes time to eat, they usually mean business. If your little one is looking around the room, playing with their hands, or generally more interested in what's going on around them than eating, that is a sign they are done breastfeeding.
Other feeding signs to watch for

Read more