We have recently experienced some sleep issues with Emilia. She has been struggling to go down at night and wakes up 30-90 minutes earlier than we'd like. We initially attributed the matter to the changes of the move - and that may still play into it - and temporarily and successfully resorted to a small dose of melatonin to help her fall asleep. However, this strategy did not alleviate the early rising.
Then one night, Emilia stayed up with us a bit later than usual and ravenously shared Craig's evening snack: roasted chicken. That night, she went to sleep without issues and woke up at a reasonable hour. Of course, the wheels in our parental heads started turning and we realized that Emilia has been eating a lot in recent weeks and asking for a lot of food, too, especially before 10:00 am. What if she was hungry going to bed, affecting her ability to fall and stay asleep? We've experimented and it does appear that giving her a healthy, high calorie snack right before bed basically eliminates the sleep struggles on both ends of the night. Whew - insert relieved wipe of the brow here.
But here's the challenge. Emilia is allergic to dairy and peanuts. And while her chewing skills have drastically improved, she still eats slowly and avoids hard foods (think pretzels and raw carrots). We need suggestions for easy to eat, healthy, high calorie bedtime snacks that can fit her dietary restrictions. If anyone has ideas or recipes for us, please share.
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Not sure if this would work, but what about a smoothie using a frozen banana, 1 T almond or other nut/seed butter, 1 cup almond milk, and honey (to taste)? It would probably make too much but perhaps you could save 1/2 for the next night...? Just a thought. :)
ReplyDeleteRoasted chicken, aside from the protein which can help with sleep is high in tryptophan which can help with sleep. Soy is high in it so maybe some soy ice cream or tofu in a smoothie. Oat bran or oats have it too (oatmeal with some cinnamon--warm and soft). Also I've read that tryptophan in combination with a light carb snack really helps boost seratonin which helps with relaxation and sleep. Carbs stimulate seritonin production and amino acids, like L-Tryptophan help the brain use the seritonin.
ReplyDeletep.s. Bananas contain melatonin and seratonin! So some sliced banana in oatmeal. Yum. ZZZzzzzz....
ReplyDeleteGoing along with what Beth said, how about baked banana oatmeal? You can make a pan of it ahead of time, keep it in the refrig, and reheat as needed...and it's tasty. :) I'll send you the recipe just in case.
DeleteYes, please send. Emilia requests oatmeal almost every morning, so it would be great to have a big batch of it on hand. How long does it stay fresh in the fridge?
DeleteI usually make it on Sunday and have it for the week. It doesn't spoil quickly. Will send. :)
ReplyDeletehow about hummus?
ReplyDeleteHummus is Emilia's favorite food in the world. She eats about 7 ounces a day between lunch, dinner, and afternoon snack and she would gladly eat more before bed, but we gotta cut her off somewhere, right?
ReplyDeletehaha yes! Lentil kufta? Or lentil anything?
ReplyDeleteOooh, that sounds like a good idea. Will looks for a suitable recipe.
ReplyDeleteDoes she like guacamole, or even avocado slices on pita bread, toast, etc?
ReplyDelete^^Yum, avocado! Also lentil soup, chicken noodle soup, or rice cooked in chicken broth.
ReplyDelete