Eating for Sweet Dreams

Every parent struggles with sleep. First you struggle because of your child’s lack of a consistent sleep routine. And, then ultimately a lack of sleep becomes your own problem as you try to carve out a life for yourself in those quiet moments when your little one is dreaming. Sometimes, I will stay up until 2am just to have time to myself. I always regret it in the morning, but at the time staying up late always feels good. It gives me some time to decompress, to write, to think, to watch mindless television.

There are a number of reasons for poor sleep for both children and adults. Some reasons include:

1. Vitamin and mineral deficiencies
2. Lack of a regular and consistent sleep routine
3. Too much or inadequate daytime sleep
4. Noisy or brightly lit sleeping quarters (too much light especially during the summer months can really affect children’s sleep from about 18 months onwards)
5. Lack of a regular eating routine. Believe it or not, food can cue sleep.

Have you ever wondered if there are foods that can encourage or bring on sweet dreams for both you and your little one? The quick answer is YES. Some will sound like the foods your grandmother always told you about, others may surprise you. Here’s a WeeMunch shortlist on sleepy-time whole foods that contain tryptophan (a sleep inducing chemical), magnesium (a muscle relaxant). melatonin and serotonin. Sweet dreams.

Potatoes—ideally organic

Turkey

Cottage cheese (traditionally made not conventional), hard cheeses and yogourt—all ideally organic.

Oatmeal—It is preferred that you use slow oats, but either quick or slow please soak your oats for a minimum of 8 hours. Read about why here. If you suspect your child has gluten sensitivities or allergies, you should avoid oatmeal.

Almonds (or Almond butter), cashews, walnuts, organic peanut butter (Note: Organic peanut butter is a MUST. Read more here)

(Raw) Honey

Warm Milk–WeeMunch prefers organic, goat milk and dairy products, which also contains sleep inducing tryptophan.

Bananas–ideally organic

Eggs–preferably organic, free-range

Avocados

Soymilk, tofu, soybeans—Caution is required with soy products due to the prevalence of allergies. However, non-GMO, minimally refined soy products (no texturized or soy protein isolates) in moderation are healthy sources of protein and iron (especially tempeh and miso).

Foods to AVOID: Caffeine (chocolate, soda, black tea and for yourself if you are breastfeeding), Sugar (a nasty culprit that is found in all kinds of processed foods such as cereal, juice, fruit cups, granola bars and on). Allowing sugar into your toddler’s diet will affect your little one’s sleep at night. See our post on sugar here. Additional sleep disturbing foods are red meat, bacon, ham, sausage, pork, butter, simple carbohydrates such as white rice, white potatoes, bread, cream sauce, MSG, additives and preservatives, orange juice and other citrus juices.

For toddlers, avoid offering a large meal right before bedtime as the process of digesting a substantial meal can cause wakefulness. A consistent meal schedule can help to cue sleep, such as a regular nap following a snack or lunch or a before bedtime snack. A light sleep-time snack 45 minutes before bed is fine. Here are some good examples:

Organic apple slices and organic peanut or almond butter
Organic Yogourt and oatmeal
Warm organic milk
Sprouted grain or sourdough wholegrain toast and organic cheese

Source: The piece was adapted using content from Elizabeth Pantley’s the No-Cry Sleep Solution.