Three types of foods to avoid giving your child before bedtime
Have you ever accidentally had a cup of coffee too close to bedtime then found yourself laying in bed wide-eyed unable to fall asleep?
It has happened to me so I know how frustrating accidentally eating or drinking the wrong thing before bed can be!
But, just as we may accidentally choose the wrong pre-bedtime foods for ourselves, parents may easily make a similar mistake when choosing a bedtime snack for their little ones. While practicing good sleep habits with our children, like having a predictable bedtime routine and following a consistent bedtime plays a significant role in the quality of sleep children get, at the same time, it is worth acknowledging that eating the wrong foods before bed can certainly impact sleep!
To prevent your little ones from going into party mode at bedtime here are some foods you may want to consider avoiding right before bed.
1 ) Avoid Caffeine/ Sugar
Soda, candy, and ice cream might be more obvious types of food to avoid, but even drinks as innocent sounding as a comforting cup of chocolate milk may have more sugar and caffeine than a child can handle before bed, and cause an unwanted boost in energy when they should be dozing off to sleep. Fruit juices, and cereals with added sugar are other seemingly innocent foods that may be a bit too stimulating as a pre-bedtime snack.
What to feed your child instead: Swap out the ice cream for a sweet and creamy cup of greek yogurt with bananas and nut butter.
The reason behind making this switch is that bananas, greek yogurt, and nut butter all contain tryptophan, an amino acid known to cause sleepiness— which is what we want before bed! Something worth remembering is that tryptophan is often found in easy to digest proteins such as turkey, tofu, pumpkin and sesame seed, and eggs. Another pro-sleep reason for choosing bananas is they also contain potassium, which is considered to be a natural relaxant. Double win!
2) Avoid Citrus fruits
While we know the sugar in fruit juices can keep a child awake, we want to be mindful of citrus fruits and other acidic foods such as nectarines and grapefruit too.
The reason being, citrus fruits may be the culprit of sleep disturbances due to acid reflux. This is especially relevant to infants who may be prone to reflux, as these foods can worsen already existing reflux issues.
What to feed your child instead: Provided they are cut and/or served in an age appropriate way, serve a handful of cherries or grapes in place of citrus fruits! Cherries, as well as some varieties of grapes contain higher than average levels of melatonin, the hormone that induces sleepiness. If you are an adult who frequently takes melatonin as a supplement, know you can opt for these foods instead.
3) Avoid Tomatoes and Eggplant
These are two foods you may want to reserve for earlier in the day, such as lunch time or the early evening.
The rationale being, foods rich in the amino acid tyramine, such as tomatoes and eggplant, release a natural stimulant that can lead to difficulty falling asleep. So while these foods may promote focus for learning tasks earlier in the day, they may not be the best choice if you are looking for a sleep inducing food choice for your child.
What to feed your child instead: Kiwis, or fatty fish like salmon are sleep promoting foods you may want to choose to serve your child in the evening. They are both associated with improved sleep, possibly due to helping regulate the body’s natural serotonin levels.
Being mindful about avoiding certain foods, and having balanced nutrition throughout the day may help prevent unnecessary sleep disturbances, such as difficulty falling asleep, for both children and adults.
At the same time, relying solely on certain foods to promote sleep will likely be insufficient in solving sleep issues without proper sleep hygiene and will not be enough to compensate for unhealthy habits. In order to get quality sleep you will have best outcomes when making wise pre-bedtime food choices while also practicing healthy sleep habits.
If you are looking for support in setting up healthy sleep habits for your little ones, our services include 1-1 coaching, virtual classes, group sleep training, and sleep guides.
Related articles:
Five ways nutrition/ feeding can affect your baby’s sleep
Will starting solids help my baby sleep longer?
Follow these ten habits to help your baby get better sleep
Sources:
https://www.rileychildrens.org/connections/food-before-bed-what-to-offer-kids-and-when-to-hold-back
https://www.sleephealthsolutionsohio.com/blog/foods-avoid-before-sleep/
https://www.infant-acid-reflux-solutions.com/
https://www.sleepfoundation.org/nutrition/food-and-drink-promote-good-nights-sleep
https://www.healthline.com/health/tryptophan#foods-with-tryptophan