Snacks Before Bed

She's not hungry she's stalling...my son used to do that all the time! Most kids are "grazer's" at that age and will eat smaller meals throughout the day. It never failed at bedtime he would say "Mommy I'm starving!" and I would give him something like what you are giving your daughter, yogurt, some cheese, a little fruit, etc, but it didn't take me long to realize he was just avoiding going to bed.

My advice, let her have a small snack, like you are currently doing, and then NO MORE! Add to the fact that she is just trying to avoid sleep, eating anything makes the prefrontal cortex of the brain more active. You are giving her brain fuel late at night (especially with the carbs because they are higher in glucose which is THE fuel your brain uses to run)which can make it more difficult to fall asleep.

Here also is a great article for you on how a child's brain will react to foods of all sorts, and some neat ideas on grazing trays that could help you out late in the day! (first part is a few recipes, scroll down for the full article)
http://www.askdrsears.com/html/4/T040400.asp

1 mom found this helpful

I wouldn't worry too much about snacking as long as it is healthy food. My 3 year old also always has a snack before bed, usually a bowl of oatmeal. She is full of energy, so I don't think a snack before bed will negatively affect her in any way.

Mom, you have to change your pattern. It really isn't a good habit to eat before bedtime. If she's asking for more snack, she's not satisfied from her evening meal. Try increasing her meal portions or give her a small cup of water. Thirst is often confused with hunger.

Is she extremely hungry when she wakes up in the morning? I would say that if she is, and if bath/brush/stories take longer than 45 min, it's probably okay to let her have a little bit more at snack time. I have always heard that you should not eat for 1/2 hour before going to bed because you don't digest as well if you eat right before sleep.

Just my opinion, of course, but the poor little thing is still growing so I see absolutely nothing wrong with a snack before bed. It just needs to be something a little healthy like raisins or fruit or a granola bar. I say let the girl eat!! LOL
Good luck

My 2 year old sleeps best if he has a full tummy. He will wake me up very early to eat if he goes to bed hungry. I'd rather he sleep well with a full tummy than wake up hungry or get me out of bed before the sun is up because he is ready for breakfast.

I think that he is little and should have as much food as he needs because he is growing so much.

Good luck!

We typically don't worry about it very much as long as the snacks are reasonably healthy. We have a 5 year old and a 2 year old, and we'd rather give them a snack before bed then have them wake up in the middle of the night hungry and have them fidget and wiggle the rest of the night, thereby not getting as good of a nights sleep as they might otherwise get. We've noticed that typically when they want more than normal, it's usually due to a growth spurt anyway.

My parents were TOTALLY different. You ate whatever they fixed for dinner, and if you were hungry later, then you should've eaten more at dinner. No snacks after dinner; the end.

For what it's worth....and good luck!

My kids as well as plenty others I know have a snack before bed. As long as this isn't putting unhealthy weight on her it's fine. Don't be surprised that she's asking for more just another thing kids do to get what she wants. You have to put a limit on it just like any other food, your not going to let her gorge on other stuff, don't let her with this. My son always ask for something else and we just say no.

Kids tend to eat when they are hungry and unless they are getting too much junk or high calorie foods, they can usually set their own limit, esp at age 3. If you are concerned that she is getting too much, give her less to begin with, then when she asks for more you can give her the rest.

Sometimes my boys will ask for food if they are bored. So I will tell them they can have a piece of bread plan. Sometimes they say no and I know they aren't hungry when they say yes they generally eat it all and they were hungry and get a good snack. I feel like that is so boring that they have to be really hungry to eat it. It works for us. But I don't feel like snacks before bed are bad at all.

My kids always have had a before bed snack. Like you it's before bath, book ect. We've never had a problem because of it. It sounds like her eating habits are great, go momma, and that her snacks are healthy, so if she wants a yogurt AND string cheese, it's not going to hurt her.

Hi B.,

Teaching your daughter to eat 5-6 small meals is exactly right! As a nutrition coach and mom of 2, I would be feeding my children the same healthy choices...cheese, yogurt..etc. However, you could consider modifying her schedule a little bit. Example: bath time, snack, story, brush, bed. It's not necessarily when you eat, it's what you're eating that is an issue. So, great job on the healthy choices you are making for your daughter!

All my best!
D.

My daughters get popcorn after baths as their snack. I've found that if I make a big bag, they'll want to eat the entire thing. However, we bought the snack size or 100 calorie size, and I split it between the two (they turned three in February) and once they are finished they always ask for more - but i am able to show them that the bag is empty and that they ate it all, and we'll have to wait until next time to get more. At that point, they say "ok" and we finish our nighttime routine. Maybe showing them that they've finished the snack and there is no more helps, not sure.

You say she is hungry a lot. Are you vegan's? If she gets a fistful of a protein at dinner time (6 o clock range) she shouldn't get hungry later. Whatever you do know will set her routine for the rest of her life. SO teaching her healthy snacks is great but I would watch what I give her before bedtime. Be careful not to make a big deal about food. Us women tend to make food, comfort food which is dangerous. Also you don't want to make her paranoid about what she is eating.

B.,

I remember those nights well. My youngest two, now 18 and 9 yrs., both like late night snacks. Even if they had a snack already, they would call to me from their beds that they were starving! I found that a couple of grapes, say 3 since she is 3 yrs. or a large strawberry was the hot ticket.

My kids are fine and healthy, no rotted teeth, not overweight, etc.

I truly believe it is a stalling tactic, but a little munchie can go a long way when you want them to sleep!

R.

I think it all started when Oprah said she lost weight by not eating after 8:00pm or something silly like that. There is absolutely no evidence that WHEN you eat has anything to do with being healthy. It's only how much. She's growing, so if she says she's hungry and isn't asking for ice cream every night, I'd let her eat as much as she feels is necessary and not worry about it.
Good Luck:)

Kids go through growth spurts and sometimes they want more food. I generally make dinner around 6:30pm. My 3 year old always wants a snack around 8pm. I give him some sliced cheese and crackers... something small. I don't let him have anything to drink because he cannot hold much liquids throughout the night. Drinking more than an ounce or two late at night is too much for my sons.

Sometimes my little ones are so active and ready to play that they do not want to eat much dinner. I do not allow snacks later on unless everything is eaten at dinner. If you know your daughter is eating a full dinner, then she should not be too terribly hungry for an evening snack.

This might just be a phase. Little ones are used to eating every 3 hours, so it might just be timing. Perhaps have dinner a little later?