Below are nutrients to add into your child’s diet to promote sleep, with some practical ideas for implementation:
- Tryptophan and B complex support sleep –found in turkey, chicken, nuts, kidney beans, eggs
- Protein supports blood sugar level through the night since the body responds to a drop in blood sugar with adrenaline – choose complex carbohydrates instead of refined sugar and processed foods
- Zinc and Iron deficiency disrupts sleep – found in sunflower seeds, pumpkin seeds, lamb, beef
- Omega 3 supports sleep – found in fatty fish
- Magnesium deficiency may cause restless sleep – found in leafy green vegetables, an Epsom salt bath
Ideas for Implementation:
- Add in vegetables and roots
- Smoothies work well to get kale and other leafy greens in (eg: kale, spinach, apple, avocado/chia seeds/banana, berries, water blended)
- If a child will not yet eat fresh veggies, try frozen peas, broccoli and string beans
- Hummus with sliced carrots, cucumber, celery, raw cauliflower or broccoli adds in protein, healthy fat and veggies
- Cubed yams baked in coconut oil are fun to pop into the mouth and can reduce the amount of starches from grains (usually less nutritious) to add in variety and nutrients
- Cubed beets, carrots, parsnips, and other roots baked
- Baked squash (butternut, acorn, pumpkin) are good additions, and leftovers can be used to make soup (chicken broth, sautéed onions and garlic with salt put into the blender)
- Raw sauerkraut tastes like pickles
- Seeds and nuts can be used for snacks or meals. Sunflower seeds with coconut shreds are good finger foods
- Keep introducing the new foods. Consistent exposure actually changes taste buds!
- Start a garden
Questions?
Michael at Little One Sleep, a Certified Infant & Child Sleep Consultant, is trained in a variety of sleep coaching methods to help children get the sleep they need. He helps parents explore and choose which method, or variety of methods, best fit their family’s values and needs. He then assists parents in creating a plan to support their child’s natural ability to sleep and provides coaching through the implementation to insure the plan is working and recommend adjustments along the way. This can be done in person or over the phone so you do not need to live locally. Follow this link to schedule a free call to see if our services are right for you.