# Does your toddler have a bedtime snack?



## ShadowMom (Jun 25, 2004)

My DS sleeps horribly at night (sometimes he does OK, but he's had several really bad nights).

Anyway, I was talking to DH about it and he was criticizing me because DS always has a bedtime snack.

I don't GIVE him a bedtime snack - he seems to specifically seek out something to eat right when he's winding down before bed (usually cheese or fruit).

Since he goes to sleep VERY late (10:30 is his usual bedtime, sigh), that means he eats at 10 p.m. DH was saying that the human body is not meant to eat that late, which I totally understand.

But normal kids don't go to bed at 10:30 - they go to bed at 8ish or 9ish. So that would put a bedtime snack at around 7:30 or 8, KWIM?

Anyway, I was wondering if your toddler has a bedtime snack, and if so, what is it? And did they lead the way in wanting one, or was it a routine you started?

Oh, and they have a late snack, what kind of food do they have?

Just curious what everyone else does.


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## Llyra (Jan 16, 2005)

Normally, Julia goes to bed right after dinner (7) so a snack is not an issue, but if we have to be up or out late for some reason, I always give her a snack. Maybe adult humans aren't meant to eat so late, but toddlers are different, I think. Anyway, I can't see that a snack does any harm, and if it helps them get to sleep, that's a blessing.

A few crackers and some juice or milk usually do it for us, or some fruit. Strawberries are Julia's current favorite snack actually.


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## julesmom (Apr 18, 2005)

For some reason ds has also been asking for a snack before bed. He has been going to bed very late these days as his schedule got shifted around the holidays. We are trying to slowly shift it back to an earlier bedtime. I don't even want to admit how late it can get







:

He will have a banana and water while we read bedtime stories. He's not a big eater so an extra banana before the day ends is fine with me. I'm not sure if he is really hungry or if he just likes adding a step to the bedtime routine. Maybe he feels it allows him to stay awake longer. He is truly a sleep fighter. He'll be exhausted and pushing himself up to sit up just to fall back down on the bed again with his eyes half closed. This will go on for a while.

Maybe he's trying to get energy with food to be able to do this as long as possible









In any case, yes, we do a snack and no, I never really thought anything of it. If anyone knows of any reason we shouldn't be doing this...please fill me in.


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## julesmom (Apr 18, 2005)

double post, sorry


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## meowmix (Jul 14, 2005)

This is not about a snack, just kind of a question and not a critisism, either (so I hope it isn't taken as one). Maybe he sleeps badly at night because he is overtired and going to bed too late? So maybe the snack has nothing to do with it, maybe it's that he's going to bed too late?

I know with my children, they normally go to bed around 7ish. They never have a snack before bed because we eat dinner around 5:30 or 6pm. When they stay up late and end up going to bed WAY past their bedtime, they seem to sleep much more restlessly and tend to wake more and call for us.

Just a thought.


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## annekevdbroek (Jun 5, 2005)

We do dinner maybe 2 hours before bedtime. For almost a year now my son wants food at bedtime. We've started just giving him a snack cup with crackers in it to keep in bed. It works for us. Sometimes he eats a lot, sometimes nothing.

I think humans are designed to eat when they are hungry. "Normal" eating times vary widely from culture to culture, afterall.


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## MamaPam (Oct 8, 2005)

Our 18month old goes to bed late too. It is not uncommon to eat something right before she goes to bed even if we have had a late dinner. Doctors have been concerned about her weight in the past so the more she eats the better. Usually she'll go after a cracker or cheese. She almost always has drinks a cup of milk before bed too. We haven't had any problems with her sleeping that I would contribute to eating before bedtime.

Pam








wife to James and mama to







Marissa 18months and







Makayla 4months who







: and







.


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## OakBerry (May 24, 2005)

My ds doesn't have a pm snack because we eat dinner late and he goes to bed about 8-8:30pm. But if we get home late or he's up late for some reason, I give him cheese and crackers or fruit.
I don't think food at 10 pm or any time of night is going to cause problems sleeping, unless the child has issues with heartburn/reflux, then eating at bedtime is discouraged.
I agree with the op who suggested the later bedtime may be causing the wakings. The less sleep my ds has, the worse he sleeps. Late bedtimes for us often means ds waking up screaming at 3am.


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## lisac77 (May 27, 2005)

My son's standard betime is midnight, because DH and I are late shift workers. He eats pretty much until he goes to bed. His two current snack preferences are cheese or carrots and ranch dip. I would never deny a toddler food. They eat so infrequently, I really try to honor his needs to satisfy his hunger.


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## ShadowMom (Jun 25, 2004)

Quote:


Originally Posted by *meowmix*
This is not about a snack, just kind of a question and not a critisism, either (so I hope it isn't taken as one). Maybe he sleeps badly at night because he is overtired and going to bed too late? So maybe the snack has nothing to do with it, maybe it's that he's going to bed too late?

I know with my children, they normally go to bed around 7ish. They never have a snack before bed because we eat dinner around 5:30 or 6pm. When they stay up late and end up going to bed WAY past their bedtime, they seem to sleep much more restlessly and tend to wake more and call for us.

Just a thought.









Ha ha! Well, my laughter is laughter of sadness really. Who the hell knows? He does sleep worse the less well rested he is.

But, I cannot get him to go to bed earlier for ANYTHING. I hate the late bedtime... he did this all summer, then when fall came it changed to 8:30-9 for a while, now we're back to 10:30. I have no idea why.

He sleeps until around 8:30 usually... that's around 10 hours sleep. He has only seemed to need 10 hours at night for the last several months, even when he went to bed earlier.

No offense is taken at the suggestions... it's just starting to get ridiculous to me now. I mean, all of his teeth have been in since he was, like, 19 months old. Why doesn't the little squirt sleep at night????? Argh.

Thanks for the info on snacks, everyone, looks like having a bedtime snack is a fairly normal thing and nothing to be concerned about in terms of his sleep issues, most likely.


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## straighthaircurly (Dec 17, 2005)

My son always had a bedtime snack until he was about 2. Around his 2nd birthday, he stopped asking for it, so i stopped offering. Now once in a rare while he will ask and I give it to him. I see nothing wrong with it unless he was sitting down and eating a bowl of ice cream...lol. Toddler metabolism is not the same as an adult. And I think it is important to let kids listen to their own body when they are this young (within reason of course).

Kris


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## Dreaming (Feb 8, 2004)

DD is 19 months and is ALWAYS saying she's hungry.
No matter what, we find a snack for her even if it's just a couple crackers or whathaveyou.
There have been many times she wakes up in the middle of the night (3 AM) and starts crying that she's hungry and wants some yogurt. DH has even prepared scrambled eggs with cheese at that hour just to make her happy.









ETA:
DD also has a habit of going to bed SUPER late. Sometimes as late as midnight. She would then sleep until 10 AM, nap from 2 PM to 4 PM... on and on.
Well, I have started limiting her afternoon nap to less than an hour (preferably 1/2 hour) and she goes to bed at 8 PM instead. No waking up crying those nights for food either.








If she hasn't napped and it's late in the afternoon, I try and keep her busy and awake until at least 7 PM. If she naps for even 15 minutes it can be enough to keep her up for HOURS.







hth


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## peilover010202 (Nov 1, 2005)

My ds is 2.5 and when he was younger, I always offered a snack to him before bed (usually cheese, cracker, or yogurt.)

Now, is usually doesn't ask for something - he just gets it. And, he usually picks something not so healthy - so I usually counter offer with cereal, yogurt, apple, etc.

I agree with pp about your dc's sleeping habits are probably affected by a late bedtime rather than a snack. My toddler was also a horrible sleeper for the longest time. But, I read a very non-AP book that suggested CIO. While I didn't take most of the advice into consideration (my daycare provider offered it to me) I did find some information about sleep important.

First, if you're trying to move your child's bedtime up - it shouldn't be from 10:30 one night to 8:30 the next. It should be moved up in 15 minute increments every few nights. #1 - 10:30, #2 10:15, #3 10:15, #4 10:15,
#5 10:00 #6 10:00 etc. And, the most important thing I read is to learn your child's cues. Because, they will experience an adrenaline rush if they get overtired which makes getting to sleep and staying asleep very difficult. So, when you see your child rub his/her eyes for the first time each night - take note, this is porbably when you should aim to get your child to bed or start the bedtime routine.

Also, making the bedtime routine constant and ROUTINE is important. Children really like consistency and knowing what to expect.

GL!

But, I agree with everyone - I don't think the snack is affecting your child's quality of sleep at all.


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## Ilana (Mar 14, 2005)

With the bfing all night long I know that I tend to wake less if I have a snack before bed. Low blood sugar tends to contribute to nightwaking in MY case, so don't see why the same wouldn't apply to your DC? As of last night I've decided to start offering a bedtime snack if she'll take it. She slept pretty well last night, though seemed to have a lot of bad dreams. But she only woke maybe three or four times.

ILANA


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## tgrlilly (Jan 28, 2005)

my ds is 17 months and usually goes to bed around 9 pm and i bf him until he falls to sleep. some nights he just won't go to sleep then I try to let his daddy entertain him, up and down from bed drives me nuts!
Dp will usually feed him some cold cereal with rice milk and after the snack ds is usually ready to come to bed for the night.
Maybe he wants to be with daddy, maybe just not tired enough yet or maybe hungry that day!
I agree - with a toddler when they will eat let them!


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