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Sleep is a fundamental pillar to achieve healthy development in children, since during the first stages of life, sleep is not only crucial for growth physical, but also plays an essential role in cognitive and emotional development. As children sleep, their brains process and consolidate information, strengthening memory and promoting skills. crucial, such as attention, creativity and problem solving.
However, despite its importance, many parents face significant challenges in ensuring that their children get enough and adequate sleep. Without a doubt, lack of sleep can not only affect children’s mood and school performance, but can also have long-term repercussions for both physical and mental health.
According to the World Health Organization (WHO), approximately 25% of school-age children experience difficulties falling asleep. For this reason, the American Academy of Pediatrics determined that preschool children need between 10 a.m. to 1 p.m. of dream per night, while schoolchildren require between 9 to 11 hours.
Infant sleep is vital to children’s development and overall well-being; However, several factors can influence the quality and quantity of sleep a child gets, such as sleep routines and habits, the environment, the child’s physical and mental health, the use of screens before bed, sleep problems, family factors, physical activity at nightas well as food.
From a nutritional point of view, as said by Isabel Ríosnutritionist at the International Home and Family Clinic, the factors that can affect children’s sleep are:
“In short, the type of food can significantly impact the quality of sleep. For example, foods high in sugar, such as sweets, cookies, cakes, among many others, can cause an increase in energy levels and make it difficult to sleep. In additionheavy or very greasy foods, whether hamburgers, pizzas, fried foods and fast foods, can cause indigestion and discomfort, thus preventing children from achieving a restful rest. Likewise, caffeine which is present in various soft drinks, soft drinks, tea, chocolate and energy drinks, is a stimulant that can also alter sleep,” said Karen Velásquez Pérez, nutrition coordinator at the Ricardo Palma Clinic.
Falling asleep as a child can be a real challenge for many parents. Therefore, the diet plays a fundamental role in the quality of children’s sleepsince certain foods, mainly, all those that have a high content of tryptophan, a precursor amino acid, which helps in the production of melatonin and serotonin, both hormones that favor and promote deeper and more restful sleep.
According to Velásquez, among the foods that can help infants sleep better are:
“Other foods, such as pineapple, kiwi, green leafy vegetables and cheese can be considered part of a healthy and varied diet, as they also promote quality sleep, thanks to their tryptophan content. It is important to keep in mind that tryptophan It is an essential amino acid, that is, the body does not produce it in the necessary quantities, which is why it is essential to obtain it through food. Likewise, other nutrients that influence sleep are: magnesium, zinc, omega-3, omega-6 and B complex vitamins, all of which together help tryptophan can carry out the normal process of serotonin and melatonin production.”
Basically, the last meal will depend a lot on the family’s customs, that is, whether it will be a dinner with a main course or a lunch type. However, either of the two options are valid, as long as, contain all the necessary nutrients. As the specialist from the Ricardo Palma Clinic mentioned, an alternative lunch could be: oatmeal (drinkable or mazamorra) with Greek yogurt and a few pieces of fruitsuch as pineapple or banana, also accompanied by a boiled egg and a glass of warm milk.
“If you opt for a main dish, a balanced dinner is recommended, which includes: carbohydrates, such as quinoa, rice or noodles, as well as light proteins, such as eggs, cheese, fish and chicken. It is essential to avoid beef or pork at night, since they are proteins that are more difficult to digest. In addition, these food groups can be accompanied by vegetables, such as pumpkin, carrots, spinach, among others. It is important to remember that, if you are going to opt for fish, it is preferable to consume it sweated and not fried, because apart from being a healthier alternative, in this way, you can take full advantage of the amount of omega-3 that this fish offers. food,” said Ms. Ríos.
Ideally, children should eat dinner between 2 to 3 hours before bedtime to optimize sleep quality. As Karen Velásquez assured, this allows them to have enough time to digest food before going to bed, which can help prevent digestive discomfort that could interfere with sleep. Similarly, It is essential to avoid heavy or spicy foods close to bedtime, as they can cause digestive problems and make it difficult to fall asleep. Instead, opt for foods lighter, healthier and richer in tryptophan can be very beneficial in promoting restful sleep.
Definitely, it is preferable to opt for the most natural options possible, that is, a healthy and balanced diet. However, to determine whether or not it is appropriate to use a supplement such as melatonin, it must be evaluated how necessary it is or the state of insomnia that the child could be suffering from, But normally, as the nutritionist highlighted, a good pattern and order in food would be enough for the infant to stay healthy and achieve quality sleep.
“The use of supplements such as melatonin in children to improve sleep should always be supervised by a health care professional, such as a pediatrician or sleep doctor. As we well know, melatonin is a hormone that regulates the sleep-wake cycle and can be useful in certain situations, such as sleep disorders or circadian rhythm imbalances,” said the expert from the International Clinic.
First of all, it is important for parents to evaluate what foods they are giving their children, because many times due to lack of knowledge they could be consuming foods with a high caffeine content or too much junk or heavy food during the night. Likewise, it is important to know that, Children who do not rest adequately are more likely to become overweight, obese and even in some cases, they may also have insulin resistance or suffer from diabetes. For this reason, it is crucial to sleep well, otherwise certain hormones, such as hunger satiety hormones, may be altered, thus increasing the risk of developing this type of disease, said Velásquez Pérez.
For her part, Isabel Ríos stressed that it is essential to establish proper sleep hygieneIn other words, create consistent bedtime routines. Therefore, we must adopt the following habits:
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