supper snack advice please! I need more sleep!!!

[SE22mum]

My 4 year old wakes a lot during the night or early morning (today it was 5!) and I think it is because she is hungry as she starts asking for breakfast. She's not very into milk but I really want to give her a good snack to help keep her full and asleep. We have tea quite early at 5 as everyone is hungry and if I leave it any later there are arguments. The best time she sleeps is if she has had some meat or fish - but short of giving her fish fingers in bed every night I'm looking for some ideas of high protein snacks that she could have just before going to bed.

The other suggestion I've had is to leave a biscuit and drink beside her bed for when she wakes up at night...

Might sound like a silly dilemma, but I would really like to get some more sleep! Over the Christmas holidays we ate a lot later in the evening and she slept every morning until at least 6. It was a dream and I want it to happen again!!!

[EmilyPie]

Banana and yogurt;

peanut butter on toast or crackers or in a mini pitta (or almond or hazelnut butter)

milkshake made with banana, honey, milk, yogurt, frozen berries and maybe even some oats

A bowl of cereal, eg weetabix with milk or yogurt and chopped banana

Eggy bread

Pitta and hummus

[SE22mum]

thank you! great suggestions. seems so simple when you see it written down - can't believe I hadn't thought of these really. got fixated with fishfingers for some reason?!

[Strawbs]

Could you have a snack at 5 instead and then push dinner to say 7 or 7.30? My 2 year old is a late dinner eater for some reason so I give him a little snack at 6 when he gets home from nursery and then he eats his dinner about 7.30. I have tried dinner before this a thousand times and he just leaves it to get stone cold til about 7.45 and digs in so I have flexed to him now.

Egg and soldiers (protein in the egg will help fill her up)

the humus and pita is a good one with some ham also so carb and protein

All of EmilyPie's suggestions are good!

x

[SE22mum]

she's usually asleep by 7:30! I find everyone is ravenous after school/nursery and even if we have a snack they don't stop asking for food until they have a proper tea. but very happy with these suggestions. will try them out!

then all I will need to do is find a way to stop 7 year old coming into my bed EVERY night and sleep may be coming my way....

[EmilyPie]

Hope it helps!

[SBot]

Could you do snack when you come straight in from school, or even a light meal, cheese on toast etc. and then push tea later each day, start at 5pm, then 5.15 the next day until you are eating at a later time. Maybe even do bathtime etc before the evening meal, this will fill time. I have a friend though gives them cereals or toast just before bed. Good luck!! Sure it's not the toilet calling at 5am??

[SBot]

Can I just add, does she have water by her bed, children feel that thirst is hunger.......

[SE22mum]

no, it's definately not toilet as she has a bladder of steel. might be thirst though, altho she does drink milk before sleeping. I will try a bottle of water by her bed.

[sanity girl]

My daughter has snack at pick up from school, dinner around 5.30 pm and then more snacks (more or less constantly!!) until bedtime - she is ravenous after school! I usually offer the following as snacks: fruit (bananas, grapes, clementines, tinned peaches), natural yoghurt with honey or jam, cheese and crackers, ham, toast with butter. Re. stopping 7 year old coming into your bed - - some things that have helped with my 7 year old who now stays in her own bed most nights - hot water bottle at bedtime, extra blanket during cold weather, reward chart (which has now tailed off as she mostly stays in her own bed) - star for each night she stays in bed with pocket money earned when a line of 10 stars completed.