When we have to set the alarm early (i.e. 4:45am), my son wakes up and complains of being hungry. (We have a family bed.) If the alarm is not set, my son can sleep well at night and wake up at a normal time... but he's still "so hungry" when this happens.
Any tips on making a bedtime snack that sustains better? We have more issues on mornings following a night when we had early dinner. In those cases, we snack on fruits/veggies/popcorn during the evening, after dinner. Then, before bed, we have our go-to: oatmeal. By then, my son's not interested in eating much of it.
Thinking back, this was always an issue for us. The difference now is I was able to manage this easier before he became so independent. Now he is more verbal about HIS food choices, and he isn't as easy-going about whatever I put in front of him.
Editted to add: on nights when my son complains about what I serve, and if he does not eat it, the consequence is that he only will eat this meal the rest of the night. I stick it in the fridge, and I set it in front of him (cold) when he says that he is hungry. When he makes an earnest effort to finish it, I later give him a little oatmeal right before bed. BTW, this issue happens much less often as he learned that he will have to eat whatever I give him.
Have you thought of trying some protein before bed? When I was a kid my bedtime snack was a glass of V8 and a bowl of cottage cheese. Sometimes yogurt or a large piece of cheese were given maybe along with a piece of toast. I do remember going to bed full on a custard size bowl of cottage cheese and a large glass of V8 juice. I know you are headed into I won't eat this and I won't eat that territory but give it a shot. Good Luck!
sounds like your child isn't eating enough at actual dinner time! Which may be because he knows he will be getting more later. Also, waking up hungry is ok and normal! It means your body is processing the food and wanting more.
Protein and whole grains are the BEST and most sustaining foods. Both of these will last longer and take longer to digest therefore making him less hungry in the morning.
When my kids were 3 I taught them to get their own breakfast and they did great. I had a cup of milk and the breakfast cereal where they could reach it. I put bowls and spoons where they could get to it. I taught them how to toast waffles and get other foods they liked. So it wasn't MY job to take care of the morning hungries, that was the kids' job. Brainstorm easy breakfast foods and teach him to take care of himself!
When my kids are hungry late, I go with a banana or a piece of string cheese...
I haven't really tried any of this before bed to see if it works, but I have read that cheese & crackers, bananas or cereal are good snacks before bed. Also peanut butter on whole grain bread seems to keep me full for a long time if I eat it for breakfast. I know oatmeal is supposed to help keep you feeling full but that actually does not work for me. Good Luck - I know it is hard when kids only want to eat certain things.
My daughter's have both been big bedtime snack people. My youngest always says to me, I need a snack so I won't be so hungry in the morning. My youngest usually has three snacks of some sort before bed. Around 8, my youngest (6 years old) she will have a little ice cream, then she eats a little popcorn and then right before she heads up to bed, she switches between a graham cracker or cheerios with a drink. It used to sound like a lot to me for her, but she does sleep well. My oldest (16 years old) will have one or two snacks before bed as well. More often than not, dinner for us is 5:00 to 5:30. She is in bed no later than 10 (on a bad night when things are going on). As far as food my girls eat, we have always had the rule that you eat what is in front of you without complaining; the consequence being (if they don't eat), no dessert. It has always been, you have to try at least two bites of something you are unsure of on your plate. (there are no comments like yuck or gross allowed at the table to describe the food). We explained to them early on that there are people that have nothing for food, so they need to be thankful for what is served them. I do ask them for favorites with a meal so that they feel they have some choice in what they eat. I hope that this helps.
I like the idea of yogurt with maybe some granola mixed in. Veggies are great but they tend not to sustain for a long time. Yogurt also is good for digestion since snacks before bed can cause digestion issues.
As far as the alarm being set there is not much you can do about that. have you thought about moving your child into his own bed? In his room it will be a lot more quite and alarms will not wake him up but since he is already 3 years old it may not be very easy to switch him to his own bed.
My son eats a yogurt every night before bed and that seems to hold him over.
try a protein and if they are hungry they will eat what you gave them even if it isnt their first choice
