Type of Milk Feeding and Introduction to Complementary Foods in Relation to Infant Sleep: A Systematic Review

Inconsistent conclusions from infant sleep and feeding studies may influence parents feeding-related decisions. This study aimed to systematically review the existing literature on infant sleep and its relation to the timing of introduction to complementary foods and type of milk feeding to better understand their role(s) in infant sleep. Cohort, longitudinal, cross-sectional studies, and controlled trials were identified using online searches of five databases up to April 2020. Twenty-one articles with a total of 6225 infants under 12 months-of-age were eligible. Exclusively breastfed infants (& LE;6 months-of-age) had a greater number of night wakings, but most studies (67%) reported no difference in night-time and 24 h sleep duration compared to formula-fed infants. However, after 6 months-of-age, most studies (> 65%) reported breastfed infants to sleep less in the night-time and over 24 h compared to formula-fed infants. Furthermore, studies reported no association between the timing of introduction to complementary foods and infant sleep duration (< 12 months-of-age). Future studies using standardized methodologies and definitions, transdisciplinary expertise, and longitudinal design are required to better understand the complex role of feeding on sleep.

Automated summary

Inconsistent conclusions from studies on infant sleep and feeding may affect parents' decisions. This systematic review found that exclusively breastfed infants under 6 months had more night wakings, but no differences in sleep duration compared to formula-fed infants. However, after 6 months, breastfed infants slept less at night and over 24 hours compared to formula-fed infants, with no association found between the timing of introducing complementary foods and infant sleep duration.