Did you know that food plays a fundamental role in ensuring that your child enjoys a restful sleep?
Much has been said about the importance of bathing and maintaining a routine for the baby to sleep soundly. However, did you know that food also plays a key role in getting your child to enjoy a good night’s sleep?
Today we’ll tell you how you should feed your baby to improve sleeping habits.
How to sleep a newborn baby
If your child is still a baby, whether it’s breast milk or feeding with formula, the most important thing is that the child is satisfied and makes an adequate digestion, because the better it’s, the more pleasant your baby’s rest will be. This is because baby’s digestion not only influences the type of food, but also the intake of air. If your baby shallows air while feeding, its stomach swells and fills with gas. This will make the baby uncomfortable and this discomfort prevents a proper resting.
In this sense, the way you can help is by avoiding, as much as possible, the intake of air. If you’re breastfeeding your baby, help it to expel all gases after each feeding. And in case you’re using formula, help your baby expel all gases with pats on its back or with a massage.
How to sleep a baby that eats porridge
If your child has stopped breastfeeding and is already eating mashed potatoes and baby food, there are also formulas that will help the baby sleep well. For this, the key is to know which foods favors sleep and which do the opposite and make it difficult.
These are:
FOODS THAT FAVOR SLEEP
– Fresh vegetables are, in addition to very healthy, perfect allies for the baby to sleep well, so they are an indispensable ingredient of everyday foods.
-Eggs, fish and cereals are also another alternative for dinners, as they are high in vitamin B, which strengthens the nervous system and makes the little one less irritable.
-And of course, to finish, a bottle of warm milk for the baby to relax and fall asleep. This reassuring effect is due to tryptophan, a substance that causes the brain to secrete serotonin, which decreases nerve activity.
FOOD THAT DIFFICULT SLEEP
On the other hand, there are other foods that, due to their composition, make it difficult for the child to fall asleep and, therefore, their consumption should be reserved by noon. These are:
Carbohydrates, such as pasta, or sugars, in the case of pastries, provide a lot of energy immediately, which difficult your child from falling asleep.
Legumes and other protein-rich foods should not be lacking in a baby’s porridge, but not in the last meal of the day, as they provide energy and boost alertness.
And what about chocolate? … It’s a stimulant that causes excitement
Other tips for sleeping a baby
In addition to food, it is important that we have other guidelines in mind that will help the baby to have some sweet dreams.
After the first three months of life, babies tend to regularize their sleep, although it’s also true that a help never hurts. To ensure that sleep periods are progressively longer during the night, you can help your children from their first day of life of gradually perceive the difference between day and night.
To do this, have the baby sleep during the day with natural light and everyday noises. At night your baby must sleep in a dark environment and without noise. In this way your baby will learn to differentiate the day from the night. If you must feed your baby or change its diaper at dawn, don’t cause overstimulation. Talk to your baby in whispers and with a very dim light so that your baby can return to sleep more easily.