I'll leave it to others to discuss the risks, but a study I often 
share with people is this one - it shows the bottle at night does not 
increase the sleep of the parents...and excl breastfeeding is more 
effective at preserving parental sleep.

Breast-feeding Increases Sleep Duration of New Parents

Journal of Perinatal & Neonatal Nursing. 21(3):200-206, July/September 2007.
Doan, Therese RN, IBCLC; Gardiner, Annelise; Gay, Caryl L.; Lee, 
Kathryn A. PhD, RN, FAAN

  Abstract:
Objectives: This study describes sleep patterns for mothers and 
fathers after the birth of their first child and compares exclusive 
breast-feeding families with parents who used supplementation during 
the evening or night at 3 months postpartum.

Methods: As part of a randomized clinical trial, the study utilized 
infant feeding and sleep data at 3 months postpartum from 133 new 
mothers and fathers. Infant feeding type (breast milk or formula) was 
determined from parent diaries. Sleep was measured objectively using 
wrist actigraphy and subjectively using diaries. Lee's General Sleep 
Disturbance Scale was used to estimate perceived sleep disturbance.

Results: Parents of infants who were breastfed in the evening and/or 
at night slept an average of 40-45 minutes more than parents of 
infants given formula. Parents of infants given formula at night also 
self-reported more sleep disturbance than parents of infants who were 
exclusively breast-fed at night.

Conclusions: Parents who supplement their infant feeding with formula 
under the impression that they will get more sleep should be 
encouraged to continue breast-feeding because sleep loss of more than 
30 minutes each night can begin to affect daytime functioning, 
particularly in those parents who return to work.

Heather Welford Neil
NCT bfc, tutor, UK

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