Follow the fasting instructions from your own anaesthetist or hospital
Your hospital, dental practice or anaesthetist will give you the exact times to stop eating and drinking for your procedure. Always follow those instructions, even if they are different from the general guidance on this page.
Most adults can have a light meal up to six hours before their anaesthetic, and clear fluids such as water until two hours before. Children have shorter times for clear fluids and milk. Your hospital, dentist or anaesthetist will give you exact times for your procedure.
Why fasting matters
Anaesthesia and deeper sedation relax the reflexes that normally stop food and fluid going into your lungs. If your stomach has food in it, there is a small chance that some could come back up and be breathed in. This is called aspiration. It can cause a serious chest infection or breathing problems.
Fasting means your stomach is as empty as it can safely be. Fasting for longer than needed is not better: long fasts can leave you thirsty, light-headed and dehydrated, which is why current guidance encourages clear fluids closer to your procedure.
What counts as a clear fluid?
A clear fluid is a drink you can see through, with nothing solid in it.
| Usually allowed as clear fluids | Not clear fluids |
|---|---|
| Water | Milk, and tea or coffee with milk |
| Pulp-free apple juice | Juice with pulp, smoothies |
| Clear cordial | Soup |
| Black tea or coffee (no milk) | Alcohol |
| Clear carbohydrate drinks, if your hospital provides them |
Hospitals sometimes have their own list. If yours is different, follow your hospital’s list.
General fasting times for adults
These times are general guidance from the Australian and New Zealand College of Anaesthetists (ANZCA) guideline on preparing for anaesthesia (PG07, with its fasting appendix revised in June 2026). They apply to healthy adults having planned procedures. Your own instructions may be different.
| What | Stop this long before your anaesthetic |
|---|---|
| Food, including a light meal | 6 hours |
| Clear fluids (up to about 200 mL an hour) | 2 hours, unless your hospital uses Sip Til Send |
| Your usual medicines with a sip of water | Take them as your doctor has told you |
Sip Til Send. Some Victorian hospitals let low-risk adults keep sipping clear fluids (usually water) until they are called to theatre. This only applies if your hospital has a Sip Til Send policy and your anaesthetist agrees. It is not recommended for people whose stomach empties slowly, for example some people with diabetes or those taking GLP-1 medicines.
General fasting times for children
ANZCA’s guideline (PG07, Appendix 1) sets shorter times for children up to 16 years of age. Your child’s hospital or anaesthetist will tell you exactly what applies, and their instructions come first.
| What | Stop this long before the anaesthetic |
|---|---|
| Clear fluids (about 3 mL per kilogram of body weight each hour) | 1 hour |
| Breast milk | 3 hours |
| Formula, babies up to 12 months | 4 hours |
| Formula, children over 12 months | 6 hours |
| Food | 6 hours |
Read more in our information for parents and carers.
When the usual rules change
Your instructions may be different from the general times if:
- you take a GLP-1 receptor agonist medicine (weekly or daily injections used for diabetes or weight management) or a combined GLP-1/GIP medicine. You may be asked to follow a clear-fluid diet the day before. Do not stop the medicine unless your doctor tells you to. See our medicines guide.
- you have a condition that slows stomach emptying, such as some types of diabetes, reflux or a recent injury
- you are pregnant
- your procedure is urgent
- you are having a lighter form of sedation, where fasting may be shorter or not needed.
Practical tips
- Write your stop times down the day before, using the actual clock times.
- Have your last meal at a sensible time. You do not need to stop eating the night before unless you have been told to.
- Keep drinking water until your clear-fluid stop time, unless told otherwise.
- Do not chew gum or suck lollies on the day unless your hospital says you can. If you have, tell the staff.
- Take your usual medicines with a small sip of water only if you have been told to.
- If you are unsure, ring the hospital, dental practice or anaesthetist’s rooms before the day.
If you have eaten or drunk something by mistake
Tell the staff or your anaesthetist straight away and be honest about what you had and when. It does not always mean your procedure is cancelled. Your anaesthetist will decide whether it can go ahead safely, needs to start later, or needs to be rebooked.
Common questions
Can I drink water on the morning of my procedure?
Usually yes, up to a set time. For most adults, clear fluids such as water are encouraged until two hours before the anaesthetic. Some hospitals let low-risk adults keep sipping water until they are called to theatre. Follow the exact time in your instructions.
Can I take my usual medicines while fasting?
Most medicines can be taken with a small sip of water, but some need to be paused or changed before a procedure. Ask your anaesthetist, surgeon or dentist, and read our medicines guide.
What if I forget and eat or drink something?
Tell the nursing staff or your anaesthetist as soon as you arrive, and be honest about what and when. They will work out whether your procedure can go ahead safely, needs to start later, or needs to be rebooked.
Do I need to fast for sedation?
For sedation given through a drip, the fasting rules are usually the same as for a general anaesthetic. For some lighter forms of sedation the rules can be different. Follow the instructions for your procedure.
Sources
- ANZCA. PG07 Guideline on pre-anaesthesia consultation and patient preparation (2024; Appendix 1, Fasting, revised June 2026). June 2024; Appendix 1 June 2026.
- ANZCA. Fasting before your surgery. Page modified 26 Oct 2026.
- ANZCA. Fasting, breastfeeding and smoking advice updated in review of PG07. 29 Jul 2024.
- ANZCA. PG09(G) Guideline on procedural sedation. Dec 2023.
- Safer Care Victoria. Sip Til Send: fluid fasting. Accessed 2 Nov 2026.
- ANZCA. GLP-1 receptor agonists: clinical practice recommendations (with patient information sheet). Recommendations Apr 2025; page modified 22 Oct 2026.
- Written by
- Altitude Creative, health content team, on behalf of Dr Walid Aly
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In an emergency, call 000. This information is general and does not replace advice from your treating practitioner.