Does Introducing Solids Improve Baby Sleep?

Anyone with a baby somewhere around 4-6 months has probably heard the advice to start solids to help improve sleep. And yet, the reality of the impact of solid food on baby sleep doesn’t back up this common advice. In this episode I’m talking about the popular sleep advice to start solids to improve nighttime sleep. I discuss the reality of solids food having a neutral to negative impact on sleep and the reasons for this including:

  • Waking isn’t just about hunger.

  • Solids generally aren’t very calorically dense.

  • Babies don’t generally eat a lot of solids at first.

  • Digestive issues can happen as baby adjusts to solids that disrupt sleep.

  • Shifting calories to the daytime may help if baby is reverse cycling.

Resources related to this episode

Signs of readiness for solids: https://kellymom.com/nutrition/starting-solids/solids-when/

Reverse cycling tips: https://intuitiveparentingdc.com/blog/2023/6/27/reverse-cycling-why-your-baby-is-suddenly-feeding-more-at-night

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Kimberly HawleyComment