Sleep Solutions for Your Baby, Toddler, and Preschooler :: the blog

Time to Talk Turkey About Turkey

Contrary to popular belief, eating turkey will not make you drowsy. While the food may be rich in tryptophan, it doesn't contain enough of the substance to cause sleepiness. If you want to serve your child a bedtime snack that helps to promote sleep, choose a carbohydrate-rich snack like cereal or whole-grain toast instead.

To Schedule or Not to Schedule?

To schedule or not to schedule? That is the question. If you're wondering whether putting your demand-fed baby on a schedule would improve her sleep habits, here's what you need to know: Babies fed on demand are no more likely to wake up in the night than babies fed on schedule. But babies who have irregular eating patterns may have irregular sleeping patterns and hence more difficulty sleeping through the night than other babies. In other words, babies whose eating habits are somewhat erratic -- who may have a light breast milk or formula "snack" at one feeding and then the breast milk or formula equivalent of a six-course meal at the next feeding -- are more likely to have totally unpredictable sleeping patterns as well.