Sleeping

Could choosing the right food be the key to more precious sleep time for little ones and you?

If your baby won't sleep after eating, or you're hoping to feed baby to sleep through the night, here are our top tips for the best baby food to give baby before bed to encourage them to sleep better.

Bedtime foods when weaning

If your baby is starting to wean off milk and you're introducing solid foods (from around six months onwards), you're probably already trying a variety of different foods, from purees to porridge and rice, finger foods and fruit. The most important thing is to keep food healthy, nutritious and easy for baby to digest.

Foods that can help your baby sleep through the night

So, what foods will aid sleep for your little one and which are the best baby foods to feed before bed? Try these easy-to-digest foods to help your little one sleep through the night:

• Porridge: This wholesome favourite is a healthy choice for babies and adults and it's light and easy to digest, provided you can get your little one to eat it rather than wear it.
• Rice: Brown rice is very nutritious for babies and white rice is easy to digest and light on the stomach. Rice pudding is a popular dessert that could help your little one sleep.
• Whole grain cereal with milk: Combining diary and cereal will help encourage your baby to naturally produce sleepy hormones.
• Turkey and chicken: Provided you're not feeding baby a vegetarian diet, adding these meats shredded or in soups can be a good way of adding protein to baby's diet. If your little one is confident enough to feed themselves, then let them help themselves to small strips.

Helping baby to sleep well

There are many reasons why your baby may struggle to sleep or wake frequently throughout the night, so it's always important to check that they are safe and comfortable. Visit our sleep section for more help and support with baby sleep.