Avoid sugar-filled snacks before bed, life coach advises
Parents may be interested to hear that a child's diet may affect how well or badly they sleep, according to Joanne Mallon, a life coach and author of Toddlers: An Instruction Manual.Ms Mallon explained that children should not be given sugar-filled snacks before bedtime as they may interfere with a restful night's sleep.
She said: "Food can have quite a big effect on children's behaviour. Avoid anything with caffeine in it (cola drinks and chocolate) and anything highly sugary in the evening especially brightly coloured sweets."
Bananas or toast can be given as pre-bedtime snacks if parents are concerned that their child is waking due to hunger, she suggested, although Ms Mallon has warned that this may cause young ones to wake in the night needing the toilet.
Children are able to regulate their hunger most of the time, she assured parents, and will therefore eat when and what they need.
Her comments come in light of research by UAB and Ramon Llull University, which revealed that children, who have disturbed sleep or rest for less than nine hours, perform worse at school.
