Starting solids is an exciting milestone. Suddenly your baby is discovering completely new tastes, smells and textures; squishing banana between their fingers, experiencing the coldness of yoghurt or working out exactly what to do with a piece of broccoli.

But as the weaning journey begins, it can bring with it something even more frustrating than the mess: sleep changes.

A baby who had begun sleeping through the night may suddenly wake more frequently. Naps can become unpredictable. Bedtime might feel harder, or your baby may seem to wake for more milk feeds overnight again.

So, is weaning to blame?

The first thing to remember is that weaning doesn't happen in isolation. Babies usually begin exploring solid food at around six months - a period when an enormous amount is already changing developmentally. They may be learning to sit, roll and move more independently, becoming increasingly aware of the world around them and, for many babies, teething can also start around this time. 

All of this can affect sleep. Introducing food adds another new experience for their developing bodies and brains to process. 

Their digestive system is adjusting

Until now, your baby's diet has consisted primarily of milk. Weaning introduces their digestive system to a completely new range of foods.

Different ingredients, fibre and textures can mean changes to bowel movements and sometimes temporary wind, constipation or tummy discomfort while their body adjusts.

Introducing foods gradually and allowing your baby to dictate how much they eat can help make that transition gentler.

Milk patterns can change

It's tempting to think that once a baby starts eating solids, food should quickly begin to replace milk feeds.

But weaning is a gradual transition and is as much about how food is introduced, as it is about what's actually being consumed.

It's helpful to see weaning as a learning experience rather than an opportunity to fill your baby up. At around six months, milk remains an extremely important part of your baby's calorie intake. If milk feeds are reduced too quickly because baby is now having meals, they may simply become hungry later, including overnight.

Where you can, try to follow your baby's cues rather than focusing on how much food you think they should be eating.

This is one of the most persistent myths around weaning.

You may hear suggestions that giving baby a big meal before bed will "fill them up" and help them sleep longer.  Unfortunately, it's not quite that straightforward.

Sleep is influenced by many things, including development, temperament, sleep associations, environment, hunger and comfort. Eating more solid food doesn't automatically result in longer stretches of sleep.

And encouraging a baby to eat beyond their natural appetite in the hope of improving sleep can introduce unnecessary pressure at mealtimes - for both of you.

Instead, it's helpful to think of early weaning as learning rather than eating.

Weaning is a sensory experience

When your baby sits down for a meal, they aren't simply consuming calories.  They're learning.

They are seeing new colours, smelling unfamiliar foods, feeling wet, sticky, smooth and lumpy textures and discovering what happens when they squeeze, drop, lick, chew and eventually swallow food.

Leaning into this process and allowing babies the freedom to explore solids this way, is what we call Sensory Weaning.

Sensory Weaning acknowledges that allowing babies to explore food using all their senses, without any pressure on eating it, helps to build confidence and familiarity and, ultimately, a positive relationship with food long term.

But yes, it can be messy. Very messy.

Accepting that “mess” is actually “learning”, and therefore something to encourage rather than reduce, gives your baby the freedom to concentrate on exploring - and creates a relaxed environment in which learning thrives.

That's exactly why we developed the Tidy Tot Bib & Tray Kit. The full-coverage bib attaches directly to the large sensory tray, creating a generous space where little hands can squish, smear, drop and explore. Food and mess are encouraged, but contained, giving baby the freedom to learn and giving parents the confidence to let them.

If sleep has become unsettled since starting solids, it can be helpful to look at the period before bedtime rather than focusing solely on mealtimes themselves.

Mealtimes are incredibly stimulating for a baby. There's food to touch, drop and taste; spoons to grab; cups to practise drinking from, and lots of interaction with the people around them.

That's brilliant for development, but afterwards, giving baby a clear transition from busy exploration into calm can help signal that the day is winding down.

Once the exploring is finished, a gentle clean-up can become part of that transition too. Our Bamboo Wash Mitts are super-soft on little faces and hands, while the mitt design gives parents more control - particularly helpful with a wriggly, food-covered baby! The small mitts encourage baby have a go themselves, turning clean-up into another opportunity for independence before moving into the calmer part of the evening.

A warm bath, soft pyjamas, dimmer lighting, a bedtime story and a final milk feed can all help baby to wind down and become ready for sleep. Finding a relaxed after-dinner routine that works for you both, whatever that might look like, is key.

Both eating and sleeping are developmental processes, and neither progresses in a perfectly straight line.

During weaning, giving your baby plenty of opportunities to explore food without pressure, while continuing their usual milk feeds and following their appetite cues, can make the experience more enjoyable for you both.

Because sometimes the best thing we can give babies at this stage isn't just “one more spoonful”, or sticking only to the foods we know they will eat in the hope they'll stay full and wake less.

It's simply time, consistency and the space to learn.