You have some good advice here and some not so good. I'll give you mine as a professional in this field:
As a Lactation Consultant, child development specialist and parent of 3 (boys, 22, 13 and 11) I can tell you one thing for sure: Every baby is different. I will also say that if the baby is hungry you should feed him. Period. To make him wait in hunger while you pat his back and he cries...that leaves him confused as to why you are letting him cry and be hungry and you feeling like hell for letting him cry and be hungry. You can NEVER go wrong by meeting a baby's needs. He clearly has a NEED to be fed - feed him. You will both feel better.
Fact: Babies are designed to eat frequently during each 24 hour time period. Research has shown that, while some kids do OK on the scheduled 4 hourly feeds and 10-12 hour sleep at night, they are the less common babies. These children have generally been conditioned to do so. Their bodies are not designed to do this naturally and there is evidence to show this rigid feeding schedule can cause other health issues later in life. There are many reasons parents end up with this type of schedule: Some on purpose because it suits their needs (not the baby's) and some because their Dr (who didn't know any better) told them to.
Fact: It is NORMAL for a baby to wake every 2-3 hours to feed. It is also normal for babies to wake only once a night to feed. Key here is to FEED the BABY when they wake. Most babies will only wake up if they are hungry. I ask my parents how they would feel if they were really hungry (to the point their stomach hurts) but someone spent an hour or more patting them on the back and saying "sorry - you need to soothe yourself, you can't possibly be hungry but if you are it just isn't time to eat - even tho I have your food right here in my hand you have to wait another hour."
Fact: You will NOT confuse your child by feeding him when he is hungry. Rather, you will show him that he can trust you to meet his needs when he has them. Do NOT work to cut out night feeds at 6 months of age. He needs those feeds to get his necessary daily intake of food. He is not on enough solids as of right now to make up for the missed nighttime feedings. And it would not be healthy for him to suddenly increase the amount of solids in order to get rid of night feeds.
You can never go wrong by meeting his needs. Make your life and his easier by simply feeding him when he is hungry. You'll sleep better, he'll sleep better, you and he will both be a lot happier. He will grow to trust that you will always be there when he needs you - this is a really good thing! If someone told you he shouldn't be eating at night anymore then that someone doesn't truly know what babies are all about and how they truly grow and develop. Some need to eat at night so they wake up and ask to be fed. Those who don't need to eat at night don't. Watch the baby - if he needs you - be there. You won't regret it... He will drop the night feeds when he is ready and able to... I know this from personal and professional experience...
Good luck!
J. Simpson, IBCLC, CIIM, MOM