Pediatric sleep and nutrition: Practical tips for better rest

Pediatric sleep and nutrition: Practical tips for better rest | Image Credit: Author provided

It's back-to-school season, and families are adjusting to the demands of busy schedules, late-night practices, and early mornings. It's no surprise that kids often feel exhausted during this transition. Adequate sleep is crucial for children's health and development; yet sleep deficiency has become a growing public health concern, affecting 25% to 40% of children before they are school-age.¹

Sleep deprivation and impairment can significantly hinder childhood development, affecting cognition, school performance, mood, behavior, physical health, and overall quality of life. When sleep problems arise early in life, they often persist into later years. Reduced sleep duration has been linked to 7 of the 15 leading causes of death in the United States, including cardiovascular disease, accidents, diabetes, malignant neoplasm, cerebrovascular disease, septicemia, and hypertension.²

Assessing sleep quality and adequacy should be a key component of every well-child check. Beyond the usual advice—such as avoiding screens before bed, maintaining a consistent sleep schedule, and creating a relaxing bedtime routine—have you considered discussing nutrition as a tool to improve a child's sleep?

While food is no magic solution for poor sleep, proper nutrition has been shown to support better rest. Here are some key strategies to help kids get the sleep they need.

1. Ensure adequate nutrition throughout the day. If a child is undernourished, no vitamin or supplement will help them sleep better. Encourage a well-balanced diet that includes complex carbohydrates to provide kids with the energy they need throughout the day. Foods like sweet potatoes, brown rice, and oatmeal are excellent sources of complex carbohydrates that break down slowly, keeping kids fuller for longer.

2. Consider a bedtime snack. If dinner is served hours before bedtime, a small nighttime snack about 1 hour before bed can be helpful. This can keep little tummies satisfied and promote better sleep. Some snack ideas include:

• 1 cup of milk (or soy milk) and a banana
• Apple slices with nut butter
• Kiwi with string cheese
• Turkey and cheese sandwich

3. Encourage foods high in tryptophan. The body converts tryptophan, an amino acid, into serotonin and melatonin, which help the body relax.³ Good sources of tryptophan include turkey, chicken, eggs, cheese, fish, banana, peanuts, chickpeas, pumpkin and sesame seeds, and milk.

4. Discuss foods naturally rich in melatonin. Foods that naturally contain melatonin can help regulate the sleep-wake cycle.⁴ Some melatonin-rich options include pistachios, grapes, cherries, walnuts, almonds, pumpkin seeds, eggs and milk.

5. Incorporate foods high in iron and zinc. Micronutrient deficiencies, particularly in iron and zinc, have been linked to sleep deficiency, frequent nighttime awakenings and shorter total sleep duration.⁵ To support better sleep, consider these iron-rich foods: red meat, pork, poultry, seafood, beans, tofu, iron-fortified cereals and dark leafy green vegetables.

6. Boost omega-3 intake. Recent studies suggest that omega-3 fatty acids may improve sleep in children with clinical sleep deficiencies.⁶ Omega-3s might also play a role in melatonin production and neuronal function, which could support sleep onset and maintenance, though more research is needed to fully understand this relationship. While the evidence for sleep improvement is still inconclusive, incorporating omega-3s into a child's diet is beneficial for overall health, making it worthwhile to include them in meals. Consider these dinnertime omega-3 options: fish (especially salmon, tuna, mackerel, or sardines), walnuts, flax seeds, chia seeds and tofu.

7. Suggested magnesium-rich foods. Magnesium is another nutrient that plays a crucial role in sleep.⁷ Foods like avocado, pumpkin seeds, almonds, and cashews are rich in magnesium, which helps regulate melatonin production and promotes a calmer state. Pistachios are especially beneficial, as they are high in both magnesium and melatonin, making them perfect for relaxing muscles and keeping blood sugar stable. Soymilk is also rich in magnesium and offers vitamin A and calcium, 2 nutrients that are important for the hormonal pathways necessary for sleep.

8. Bedtime beverages. Certain beverages can soothe and prepare the body for sleep. Chamomile, lavender, and ginger teas are classic options that have been used for centuries to promote relaxation. Warm bone broth, milk, soy milk, and tart cherry juice also contain natural melatonin and other sleep-friendly compounds. For something a bit more unique, consider golden milk—a warm turmeric latte—which is both delicious and soothing before bed.

Ensuring that children get the sleep they need is essential for their overall health and well-being. By recommending foods rich in tryptophan, melatonin, iron, zinc, Omega-3s, and magnesium, you can help support better sleep for your young patients. However, it's also important to guide families on what to avoid before bedtime.

Caffeine, found in coffee drinks, soda, energy drinks, tea, and chocolate, should be off-limits in the evening. Similarly, foods high in added sugar—like sugar-sweetened desserts and snacks—can cause blood sugar spikes that disrupt sleep. While there's no need to fear sugar, encourage families to minimize added sugars at least 2 hours before bed. For those who enjoy something sweet after dinner, suggest naturally sweet options like fruit, yogurt, or trail mix.

By discussing these nutritional strategies with parents, you can help set the stage for better sleep, leading to healthier, happier children.

References:

1. Ordway MR, Logan S, Sutton EH. Sleep Deficiency in Young Children. Clin Chest Med. 2022;43(2):229-237. doi:10.1016/j.ccm.2022.02.007
2. Kochanek KD, Murphy SL, Xu J, Arias E. Mortality in the United States, 2013. NCHS Data Brief. 2014;(178):1-8.
3. Poeggeler B, Singh SK, Pappolla MA. Tryptophan in Nutrition and Health. Int J Mol Sci. 2022;23(10):5455. Published 2022 May 13. doi:10.3390/ijms23105455
4. Meng X, Li Y, Li S, et al. Dietary Sources and Bioactivities of Melatonin. Nutrients. 2017;9(4):367. Published 2017 Apr 7. doi:10.3390/nu9040367
5. Wayne Leung, Ishmeet Singh, Scout McWilliams, Sylvia Stockler, Osman S. Ipsiroglu, Iron deficiency and sleep – A scoping review, Sleep Medicine Reviews, Volume 51, 2020, 101274, ISSN 1087-0792, https://doi.org/10.1016/j.smrv.2020.101274. (https://www.sciencedirect.com/science/article/pii/S1087079220300174)
6. Liu J, Ji X, Rovit E, Pitt S, Lipman T. Childhood sleep: assessments, risk factors, and potential mechanisms. World J Pediatr. 2024;20(2):105-121. doi:10.1007/s12519-022-00628-z
7. Zhang Y, Chen C, Lu L, et al. Association of magnesium intake with sleep duration and sleep quality: findings from the CARDIA study. Sleep. 2022;45(4):zsab276. doi:10.1093/sleep/zsab276