A Full Tummy = Better Sleep for Your Baby

When it comes to helping your baby sleep well, one of the most important (and often overlooked) factors is making sure they’re full. Hunger will always win over sleep, it’s part of their survival instinct.

Babies need to take in more calories than they burn to build up fat stores, fuel their growth, and get through important developmental leaps. Even while sleeping, they’re busy using energy, their little bodies are repairing, growing, and their brains are working hard to keep them alive and learning.

Why Hunger Can Disrupt Sleep

One of the most common reasons little ones wake frequently is simply not getting enough milk or food during the day.

With so much conflicting advice out there, it’s easy to get confused:

• “Don’t start solids until 6 months.”

• “Don’t do purées.”

• “Baby-led weaning is the way to go.”

• “Food before one is just for fun.”

It might surprise you, but many conversations I have with tired parents end with the same realisation - their baby wasn’t waking because of a “bad habit” or a “sleep regression”… they were just hungry.

💡 Quick Tip Box: The Sleep-Hunger Link

✅ A hungry baby will always prioritise feeding over sleeping
✅ More food in the day = longer, more restful stretches at night
✅ Quality nutrients help regulate growth, digestion, and brain function

The Simple Truth: They Need Fuel to Sleep

While other things like awake windows, sleep environment, and settling methods matter, hunger is one of the easiest things to fix.

Babies need:

• Carbs for sustained energy

• Protein for muscle and brain growth

• Fats, vitamins & minerals for overall health

From 6 months onwards, a balanced plate for main meals looks like:

• 1/3 carbohydrates (rice, pasta, bread, oats, sweet potato)

• 1/3 protein (meat, poultry, fish, eggs, legumes, dairy)

• 1/3 fruit & vegetables (fresh, cooked, or mashed)

💡 Quick Tip Box: Daytime Feeding Checklist

✅ Offer milk feeds before naps to prevent hunger wake-ups
✅ Provide balanced solids after milk once solids are introduced
✅ Mix spoon feeding for nutrition with finger foods for skill development
✅ Keep water available with solids to aid digestion

Why I Started Lil’Kooee

I’ve spent over 20 years working with mums, dads, and bubs and one thing I kept seeing was how the right feeding tools and knowledge made a real difference to sleep.

That’s why I created Lil’Kooee a range of bottles, teats, bowls, and spoons designed to help parents get the right amount of quality food into their little one’s tummy.

💡 Quick Tip Box: Signs Your Baby Might Be Hungry at Night

• Wakes and feeds fully, then returns to sleep

• Short naps or early morning wakes despite good settling

• Increased fussiness in the late afternoon

• Poor weight gain or slow growth

Your Baby’s Daytime Food Impacts Nighttime Sleep

If your baby is waking more often than expected for their age, take a closer look at their intake during the day. Often, a small increase in protein, carbs, or overall portion size can make a big difference to both naps and overnight stretches.

How Lil’Kooee Helps

Our products are designed with feeding and sleep in mind:

• Natural Instinct Bottles & Teats - better latch, better flow, less air = more milk in tummies

• Weaning Spoons - narrow, flat tippped design for easy mouth entry and less mess

• Bowls & Plates - suction bases to keep food where it should be

When tummies are full, sleep becomes easier.

Need More Help?

Lil’Kooee feeding products make it simple to give your baby the fuel they need for better sleep. If you also need personalised sleep support, head over to Happy Baby Consultancy - I’d love to help you and your little one rest easier.