Recipes for Insomnia
Most everyone knows that coffee and tea deliver a hefty dose of caffeine, the ingredient of choice for increasing the heart and respiration rate and keeping people awake. But some people don't realize that:
Most brown-colored sodas contain this same stimulant
Some light-colored sodas now contain caffeine, too
Some cold and headache remedies also contain caffeine
Black and green teas contain caffeine; herbal kinds do not
Caffeine can pass through breastmilk, although the quantities are small
Chocolate contains a caffeine-like substance called theobromine, a weaker stimulant than caffeine
To determine whether a manufactured product contains caffeine, read the label
Some toddlers are affected more than others, but anything containing caffeine is on the list of before bedtime no-no's — exactly
Cane sugar and artificial colorings have also been known to turn some youngsters into whirling dervishes. So do some food allergies. Exercise greater-than-normal caution about bedtime snacks for toddlers who have a hard time winding down and dozing off. Having the child undergo allergy testing may be a good idea.
If soothing music isn't boring your toddler to tears — and to sleep — perhaps a little crib-side excitement will do the trick. Try a tape or CD like
Just as there are foods that keep people awake, there are foods that promote sleep. All those feelings of heavy-lidded peace and contentment after a Thanksgiving feast aren't just from the warmth of an extended family meal. Turkey, which is rich in tryptophan, induces sleep. Stuffing, a complex carbohydrate, facilitates the absorption of tryptophan. A snack that combines a food high in tryptophan with a complex carbohydrate can help induce feelings of well-being and slow brain activity. If you're not up to roasting a bird with homemade stuffing for a toddler bedtime snack, try these ideas:
A turkey sandwich
An egg with cheese and toast
Pasta with cheese
Tuna with whole-wheat crackers
Chicken and rice
