If you find yourself having bedtime battles with your little one, you might want to think about adding some of these sleep inducing foods to your child’s diet:
Tryptophan –
With Thanksgiving and Christmas around the corner it is perfect Turkey season…and Turkey contains Tryptophan which is an amino acid shown to promote drowsiness. Tryptophan is also contained in milk, cottage cheese, nuts and seeds, shellfish, beans and eggs. I personally give my children a small yoghurt every night before bed to promote drowsiness.
Melatonin and Serotonin –
Bananas are full of sleep inducing hormones and minerals. Melatonin and serotonin help calm you and regulate your sleep cycles. They also contain magnesium which acts as a muscle relaxant. Incidentally I always eat one after exercising for their muscle relaxant properties.
Chamomile –
Chamomile is a flower that has long been used in teas for its calming effects. To use it as a sleep aid for your child, make the tea and sweeten it with 1 teaspoon of honey (for children older than 12 months). Allow it to cool slightly and give it to your child as a drink 30 minutes or so before bedtime. This is a safe tea and very different to the teas marketed as ‘sleep aids’ which can contain herbs which might not be safe for children.
Caffeine –
Do not allow chocolate for 2 hours before bedtime as this contains caffeine and can interfere with sleep patterns.
Coping with the clock change
The clocks change this weekend in the UK (and next weekend in the USA). This means making some changes to help kids make an easy adjustment.
My number one tip on the day of the change is to ensure kids get more fresh air (natural light) than usual especially in the afternoon. Light inhibits the sleep hormone, melatonin, so will help them stay up a little later which will help with the adjustment.
Other helpful tips are:
- Introduce a clock (I like the gro clock – http://gro.co.uk/product/gro-clock/) if the child is older than age 2. Young children need guidance when to sleep and when it’s time to wake up. For younger children, keep the room dark and talking to a minimum before your desired wake up time.
- Delay breakfast even if children wake up early. This will help their stomachs becoming accustomed to eating later and will help prevent unnecessary early waking.
- No screen time if kids wake up before the desired time. The light and noise from the screen will make them think it is morning and will encourage them to continue waking early, especially if they think they will get extra iPad/TV time.
On the upside there is one extra hour of the weekend so that’s a positive!
I was thrilled to be part of a baby led weaning, sleep and styling event last week in conjunction with Annabel Karmel, Olivia Rubin (fashion designer) and Karin Thyselius (NW8 Mums). It was wonderful to see so many mums there and be able to share some of my sleep tips with everyone.