Bedtime Snack Fallacy

[fireflies~for~me]

My DH insists that our boys need snacks right before bed...he is always worried that they are not getting enough to eat, since he and I and both boys are really lean...

I notice though that when they do eat a snack, my four year old wakes up famished and my 2 year old wakes up more frequently at night to nurse.

Is there any research/suggestions out about this issue that I can show DH?
That might do the trick.

DH is extremely supportive/advocating for extended BF...my oldest nursed until 3.5 and youngest is still going...

I think he is wrong on this one though!! ACK!

[amcal]

I don't know of any scientific evidence to support this but I know for me, when I eat before bed, I wake up famished.

I think I would just follow my kids cues. If they are asking for a snack before bed, I would give them one. Sometimes my kids ask for one, sometimes they don't but if they do, they get a cheese stick, yogurt, an apple or bananna, whole grain crackers etc...

But, I wouldn't be giving them a snack just because tey are "lean". Being lean is not a problem that needs to be fixed. Now, if they are underweight and the doctor has concerns, that's a different story but if they are just naturally lean, I would't try to get them into the habit of eating before bed "just because".

[funkygranolamama]

i offer my kids a healthy snack about 45 minutes before bed. seems like they sleep better and if i don't offer them something they say they are hungry to get out of bed.

[lolar2]

What are you giving them as a snack? Maybe protein vs. carbs makes a difference.

[mamameg]

Having a bedtime snack is cuing their metabolism to go into action, so that IS what is causing them to be more hungry in the night and upon waking. Unless they are saying they are hungry, I would skip the snack.

And you didn't mention this, but I also don't like teaching kids that we eat because it's "time to eat". We should eat when we are hungry. I think American culture includes a lot of unnecessary eating simply because it's meal time. I prefer to teach my kids to listen to their body and eat when hungry. I feel this way because my mom was ALL about us eating at certain times, and eating every bit of food that was on our plates, and I feel I developed some bad eating habits because of it.

[MOM2ANSLEY]

Isn't that a bad habit to start??? I thought you were not supposed to eat closely to bed time b/c calories are not used???? but that could just be for adults....or maybe not true at all...anyone else???

[4evermom]

Originally Posted by MOM2ANSLEY

Isn't that a bad habit to start??? I thought you were not supposed to eat closely to bed time b/c calories are not used???? but that could just be for adults....or maybe not true at all...anyone else???

Yeah, not good to eat before bed if you are prone to carrying a few extra pounds. I figure it's not a good habit and I'm pretty sure there are studies that say sleeping on a full tummy interferes with sleep. I'll feed ds if he is hungry, of course, but I don't offer food before bed anymore. I DID when he was younger (3?), though. He wouldn't eat much in the evening (maybe just a bite at dinner), then wake up hungry during the night. So at the point, a bedtime snack was helpful.

[sunnmama]

Originally Posted by MOM2ANSLEY

Isn't that a bad habit to start??? I thought you were not supposed to eat closely to bed time b/c calories are not used???? but that could just be for adults....or maybe not true at all...anyone else???

I've heard this often, but never believed it. Maybe because I come from a thin family, and we all eat a large snack right before bed. It just never had the "ring of truth" to me. I mean, think about it....when you eat a big breakfast, you don't "burn it off" before lunch. We eat in spurts, but we use calories every moment we are breathing (more at times, but every moment of the day regardless).

So I just spent 30 minutes on Google, and could find no studies that show eating closely to bedtime contributes to weight gain, if the total calories eaten in 24 hours remains constant. It seems to be a myth.

What I did find:

Late night eating (large proportion of calories for the day) can lead to weight gain if the eating is out of loneliness, and not hunger.

A full stomach (different from a snack) before sleep can inhibit certain hormones, possibly interfering with the restorative nature of sleep.




As for waking hungry due to snacking at night, I believe that. But I'm not sure that is a good reason to skip a snack (if hungry for a snack). When I was a (very thin) teen, I noticed that I would be hungry earlier in the day if I ate breakfast. So I skipped breakfast....allowing me to not eat at all until 3 pm or later. That was not a healthy habit for me, physically or psychologically.



Also, look at the issue cross-culturally. In many European countries, people routinely eat a large meal after dark--and still have less obesity than in the U.S.


I think, as with so many other issues, we should follow our children's lead re: eating at bedtime. If they are hungry, feed them. If they are waking hungry, maybe time to introduce a bedtime snack. If they are craving a huge meal at bedtime, maybe look at offering food a couple hours earlier in the day. If they are not asking for a snack, and are happy until breakfast--don't do anything at all!

[Adele_Mommy]

My dd eats a snack before bed and she does not wake up famished (or even hungry really - some days she waits awhile before feeling like breakfast) and I don't see any correlation btw whether or how much she eats before bed and night waking.

My dd tends to not eat very much at any one meal, so she needs to eat small amounts more frequently. She usually has dinner between 5:30 and 6:00 and doesn't go to bed until close to 9, so she is legitimately hungry by then (she is also very slim).

However, with all that said, dd nursed until almost 4yo including nursing to sleep at bedtime, and I don't think the snacks started until after we stopped nursing. I seem to recall we started snacks after she weaned, mainly because she was used to having a little something in her tummy before going to sleep.

I don't think being lean is a good indicator of whether or not a child needs a bedtime snack, but I also don't think waking up hungry or more wakeful nights indicates a problem with a bedtime snack. I think you should try to assess whether your 4yo is hungry at bedtime. If so, he needs a snack (but just a snack, not a full meal). I wouldn't think your 2yo needs to nurse AND have a snack, but maybe he is in a growth spurt and really does need some extra calories?

[lyttlewon]

Originally Posted by Adele_Mommy

My dd eats a snack before bed and she does not wake up famished (or even hungry really - some days she waits awhile before feeling like breakfast) and I don't see any correlation btw whether or how much she eats before bed and night waking.

My dd tends to not eat very much at any one meal, so she needs to eat small amounts more frequently. She usually has dinner between 5:30 and 6:00 and doesn't go to bed until close to 9, so she is legitimately hungry by then (she is also very slim).

However, with all that said, dd nursed until almost 4yo including nursing to sleep at bedtime, and I don't think the snacks started until after we stopped nursing. I seem to recall we started snacks after she weaned, mainly because she was used to having a little something in her tummy before going to sleep.

I don't think being lean is a good indicator of whether or not a child needs a bedtime snack, but I also don't think waking up hungry or more wakeful nights indicates a problem with a bedtime snack. I think you should try to assess whether your 4yo is hungry at bedtime. If so, he needs a snack (but just a snack, not a full meal). I wouldn't think your 2yo needs to nurse AND have a snack, but maybe he is in a growth spurt and really does need some extra calories?

Wow I could have written your post. DD is the same.

[kittywitty]

Originally Posted by sunnmama

I've heard this often, but never believed it. Maybe because I come from a thin family, and we all eat a large snack right before bed. It just never had the "ring of truth" to me. I mean, think about it....when you eat a big breakfast, you don't "burn it off" before lunch. We eat in spurts, but we use calories every moment we are breathing (more at times, but every moment of the day regardless).

:

I also always have to eat before bed. Or I wake up with my stomach growling within a couple of hours. It's hard to sleep on an empty stomach. I would suggest a high protein snack with some fruit like apples. My kids always get snack, but if we miss it, they get very hungry and are restless sleepers.

[fireflies~for~me]

wow-everybody's story sounds a bit different....the jury is out!

[grisandole]

Originally Posted by sunnmama

I've heard this often, but never believed it. Maybe because I come from a thin family, and we all eat a large snack right before bed. It just never had the "ring of truth" to me. I mean, think about it....when you eat a big breakfast, you don't "burn it off" before lunch. We eat in spurts, but we use calories every moment we are breathing (more at times, but every moment of the day regardless).

So I just spent 30 minutes on Google, and could find no studies that show eating closely to bedtime contributes to weight gain, if the total calories eaten in 24 hours remains constant. It seems to be a myth.

What I did find:

Late night eating (large proportion of calories for the day) can lead to weight gain if the eating is out of loneliness, and not hunger.

A full stomach (different from a snack) before sleep can inhibit certain hormones, possibly interfering with the restorative nature of sleep.




As for waking hungry due to snacking at night, I believe that. But I'm not sure that is a good reason to skip a snack (if hungry for a snack). When I was a (very thin) teen, I noticed that I would be hungry earlier in the day if I ate breakfast. So I skipped breakfast....allowing me to not eat at all until 3 pm or later. That was not a healthy habit for me, physically or psychologically.



Also, look at the issue cross-culturally. In many European countries, people routinely eat a large meal after dark--and still have less obesity than in the U.S.


I think, as with so many other issues, we should follow our children's lead re: eating at bedtime. If they are hungry, feed them. If they are waking hungry, maybe time to introduce a bedtime snack. If they are craving a huge meal at bedtime, maybe look at offering food a couple hours earlier in the day. If they are not asking for a snack, and are happy until breakfast--don't do anything at all!

I believe this as well. I've always, for as long as I could remember, eaten at night. Usually I don't eat right before I go to bed, but about 45 minutes before. I don't have problems waking up hungry at all.

We give ds2 a snack about 1/2 hour before bed if he wants one, which he always does.


ETA- we do try to make sure there is a protein source for his snack as that is more filling and healthy than just carbs.

[MtBikeLover]

I give them a snack if they ask. The snack is always healthy (yogurt, fruit, cheese, cracker, etc.). but I only give it to them if they ask. And they usually ask every night.