Having a toddler that has yet to
"sleep through the night" has often been a challenge, but I have
begun to find it more so with tax season upon us and a more absent husband, who
when he is home NEEDS his sleep. For the longest while I thought O's frequent awakenings
at night were normal,then I gave birth to Henry, who from day one has slept all
night long. This got me thinking and researching what O might be lacking that
would help her sleep at night. My search led me to serotonin and melatonin
production in toddlers and eventually to foods that increase that production. I
have been keeping track in a little book of what I feed her and which nights
she sleeps better (meaning she only wakes up once or twice as opposed to every
hour after midnight). To my relief I have found that the melatonin and serotonin
producing foods increase her sleep at night! Needless to say I have begun to
incorporate as many of these foods into her diet as possible. I will share them
with you here.
Tryptophan:
Let me start with the fact that tryptophan is an amino acid. This
amino acid is used by the body to make serotonin, the precursor to melatonin,
your sleep inducing hormone. Serotonin affects neurotransmitters by
"slowing down nerve traffic", in other words calming down your brain.
Tryptophan is found in milk, seafood, meats, peanuts and eggs. The key to
consuming tryptophan is not to eat it alone. It must be consumed with
carbohydrates to activate its calming effect. Eaten alone most proteins will actually
wake up your brain (due to the amino acid tyrosine, which with no carbs on
board will over rule the tryptophan). Dairy, which contains calcium, is the
most effective sleep inducing food since calcium combined with tryptophan
increases the production of melatonin in the brain.
Vitamin B5:
This vitamin is required for the synthesis of the hormone
melatonin. Deficiency of this vitamin is virtually unheard of but just for some
good information it is found in high amounts in the following foods:
liver and
kidney, yeast, egg yolk, broccoli, fish, shellfish, chicken, milk, yogurt, legumes,
mushrooms, avocado, sweet potatoes, and unrefined whole grains.
Melatonin:
A fact I
found interesting is that melatonin is produced in the pineal gland AND in the
gut. A child with a compromised gut or "leaky gut syndrome" may have
issues producing melatonin and therefore may not sleep as well at night.
Melatonin is found in the following foods:
(my reference list has a website with herbs
and seeds that contain large amounts of it also)
·
Almonds
·
Sunflower Seeds
·
Cherries
·
Oats
·
Rice
·
Tomato
·
Ginger
·
Banana
As we continue our journey
towards O sleeping better at night I am sure I will have more to share! Thanks
for listening.
References:
