Reverse Cycling

What is It and How to Fix It

Reverse Cycling occurs when a baby consumes most of their 24-hour intake of breastmilk during the night and eats less during the day. It is very common, and according to research, can occur in up to 45% of breastfed babies in the first year of life. 

Reverse cycling is unlikely to fix itself, so you’ll need to support the change. But don’t stress, just follow the tips below: 

• Offer frequent, full feedings during the day. 

If you’re in the thick of a reverse cycle, getting a full feed in during the day can be difficult however by limiting distractions during feeding time you’ll increase your chances significantly. 

Expert Tip: Try feeding in a dimly lit room away from people and other household noises. 

• Extend the gap between the overnight feeds.

If your baby fed less during the night, they will naturally be hungrier during the day. I recommend pushing the gap between overnight feeds using 15-30 minute increments.

Expert Tip: If your baby is feeding every hour now, push it out to every 90 minutes, and then every 2 hours. Keep extending the gap between feeds by 30 minutes until they are every 3-4 hours. 

Babies can often protest these changes, especially when feeding is a favourite sleep association. It can take lots of effort including rocking, bouncing, patting etc to settle them back to sleep but stay consistent and you will be rewarded with fewer feeds during the night, better sleep for you and your little one, and a happier household all-around!