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I’m sorry I can’t find a straight answer. My 3 month old eats 6 ounces every 2 hours during the day but at night he sleeps for almost 5 hours without eating. Is this normal or is there a set amount of hours he can go without eating. He looks so peaceful and moves around a bit when sleeping but never wakes up. Someone please tell me the time limit !!! I’m awake and I don’t know what to do. Anything helps. Thank you !

Edit: I have to wake him to eat at the 6 hour mark. Can a baby go without eating if they’re growing very fast. My son is 17Lbs. He weights more than his 8 month old cousin but she sleeps thru the night for the most part. I don’t believe there’s any wrong answer, I’m open to listening to all inputs.

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    Fun fact: My son was just 7 days old when he slept through the night. The nurse that helped us with the first week of having a newborn had to wake us up, but was not concerned in any way.
    – Bart van Ingen Schenau
    Mar 2, 2023 at 7:23

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There is no fixed time that a baby can go without food during the night. Some babies continue the "I need food every 2 hours" cycle 24/7, while others at the same age happily sleep for 8 hours or more without waking.

If your baby is happy and growing/gaining weight, there is no need to be concerned about how long he/she sleeps. Also, unless you were instructed to do so by your baby's doctor, there is no need to wake them just to feed them (although there might be other reasons, such as the daily routine of the parents and daycare for example).

As a parent, take the opportunity to get some much needed sleep. Nature has taken care that you will wake up when your baby needs you.

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  • Another key thing to check is output, if baby is having a sufficient number of wet and dirty nappies/diapers in the 24 hours then its ok. Baby will no doubt soon change their sleeping habits and OP will be left wishing for the glorious days of 6 hours of sleep.
    – R Davies
    Mar 2, 2023 at 9:02
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There certainly are circumstances where very small babies can harm themselves by sleeping through their hunger cues.

I'd guess that a full term healthy 3 month old does not have that problem, but ask your pediatrician.

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Used to feed one of my 3 at 10pm so he would (possibly) sleep through the night. He was a hungry baby from day 1 - scoffed more than his elder brother did (who is about 18 months in front).

At 3 months we were feeding 5 or more times a day (depended on what he wanted), but he was on the top of the growth chart all the way through - the nurses who came to visit (had home visits) were always commenting. Still have the charts somewhere but they are 20+ now and both over 6ft... Even the Doc said feed him what he wants and was happy with his health and progress.

They are all different. Do what works for them.

You will wake if needed. I did and I was known for sleeping like a log.

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  • The OP asked if this was normal and healthy at 3 months. You didn't address that; you don't even mention the age at which you fed yours in the manner you described..
    – anongoodnurse
    Mar 1, 2023 at 17:20
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It's normal and fine. Babies eat more during the day because they are more active. They don't (generally) have fat reserves to pull from as they go through the day learning to move, giggle, roll around, smile, etc. At night, their little bodies rest so they don't need an energy boost.

At 3 months (in the USA) your baby would be due for a 3-month well-baby visit with the pediatrician. Just ask them. Better yet, just give them a call. This is not a question you need to search the internet for answers.

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