Which foods are best for a bedtime snack?

I know…it can be extremely annoying. I finished cleaning up the kitchen after dinner and just settled into the relaxing part of the evening, and then….someone is asking me for a snack. Or it is time for the kids to go to the bathroom and get ready for bed, and my son says “I am hungry”.

Bedtime snack, yes, or no?

I say, why not, but have a list of quick and little bedtime snacks ready to avoid the desperate search for something nourishing, what isn’t too much, too sweet, or too heavy to digest in the evening. The digestive system needs a break at night to facilitate deep and resting sleep while the brain starts to clean the house by releasing hormones and processing new memories and the information gained throughout the day. There is a lot more happening in our children’s body while they sleep, but to keep the long story short, the body is in night shift work, which simply means: cleaning, growing, and healing. Deep sleep is one of the most fundamental ways our body heals itself and it is linked to weakened immunity and many physical and mental disorders if impaired.

Let’s say the average dinner time is around 6 p.m. and with kids around the age of 9-12 bedtime might be 8:30 p.m. or even later. (My kids are super talented in stretching that part of the evening suuuper long)

So that said, I am ok with a bedtime snack IF :

1. it isn’t about procrastinating bedtime
2. it isn’t about preferring the later snack over dinner
3. they eat it at least 45 minutes before actually going to bed
4. they brush their teeth after

I wouldn’t want my son to have unrestful sleep and wake up too early, and that is why bedtime snacks might have an important role for some children. With blood sugar dropping too low during sleep cortisol would raise too early, which is supposed to be highest in the morning to get us out of the bed, energized and alert for the new day. With awareness of that biochemical process, we don’t want to mess up blood glucose levels. Not at night and also not during the day. Quality of sleep and dysglycemia (blood glucose imbalance) does influence the child’s behavior, mood, and appetite the next day.

Do you know why your child needs a bedtime snack?

If you can see a pattern, why your child is requiring a bedtime snack, you might check and work on the possible cause as well.

1. dinner is too early
2. not eating enough at dinner time
3. how was their day? activities, health
4. meals are imbalanced and lacking nutrients
5. impaired nutrient absorption

Meals during the day should provide a well-balanced variety of protein, healthy fats, and complex carbohydrates. A plate of noodles will satisfy a child’s taste buds but not their bodies protein, fat and overall nutrient demand. In case of malabsorption, the child might eat enough nutritious foods but isn’t absorbing the vitamins and minerals properly. Frequent hunger even right after meals can be a sign. Weakened immunity and slowed growth might be the consequences of impaired nutrient absorption.

Which foods are best for a bedtime snack?

There are certain protein foods which contain an amino acid called L-tryptophan. An important byproduct of tryptophan is 5HTP (5-hydroxytryptophan), which works in the brain and central nervous system to boost feelings of well-being, connection, and safety. It does this by increasing the production of the body’s main feel-good and sleep hormones, serotonin, and melatonin, which work by transmitting signals between nerve cells and altering brain functions that affect mood and sleep.

Studies show that best results are achieved with supplements, but as long as we don’t deal with serious sleep issues and the goal is to simply find good choices of bedtime snacks, I keep focus on whole food sources. L-tryptophan containing foods are: nuts & seeds (pumpkin seeds), beans & legume (edamame), milk products (preferably raw milk), banana, oats, eggs, fish & meat.

The tryptophan transportation way is difficult and dependant on other substances and conditions. To improve possible uptake from foods it should be paired with a little carbohydrate source, like oats or fruit.

Protein, Carbohydrates or Fat?

Don’t get too complicated about the right proportions and simply focus on healthy whole foods. That way, there is always a natural mix of macronutrients. E.g. cheese has fat, protein and a cracker has carbohydrates. Great bedtime snacks are:

1. a slice of cheese with a seed cracker
2. edamame
3. avocado pudding
4. carrot sticks with a homemade dip
5. apple slices with nut butter
6. yogurt and kefir

Every child is different

Depending on your child, its activity level, and health, it might make sense to focus more on one specific macronutrient than the other. Carbohydrate-sensitive children might experience a spike in blood glucose what makes them sleepy at first but is followed by a drop in blood glucose, which might cause disturbed sleep in return. Therefore keep sugar low. Also sugar from fruits. Choose low-sugar fruits and combine pear, banana or apples with a fat source like cheese or nut butter to keep blood glucose level stable. Very active kids might benefit from a protein snack in order to provide amino acids for muscle and tissue recovery during sleep. For other kids, protein might generate too much energy, what isn’t helpful either, if there is trouble with falling asleep.

Other nutrients beneficial for sleep

Pumpkin seeds, almonds, and edamame’s are high in magnesium, which is a mineral stimulating relaxation. Calcium is a natural sleep enhancer. Calcium in cheese, yogurt, and kefir is supporting melatonin production. Higher omega 3 level is linked to better sleep.  Avocados, flax seeds, and walnuts contain omega 3.

Check out how a nutritious, quick and easy bedtime snack might look like!