AS THE summer holidays draw to a close and school begins for many this week, it is essential that your kids get enough sleep.

But did you know that the foods your children eat could play a huge role in their quality of sleep?

It is important that children are getting enough sleep as they begin to go back to school this week Credit: Getty

One expert shares that your child’s diet can play an important role in their quality of sleep Credit: Getty

From drinking milk before bed to eating leafy green vegetables – a source of magnesium – one expert shares her top tips.

Helen Ruckledge, a registered nutritionist, says: “With a little planning, parents can ensure a varied range of nutritious and easy-to-prepare food options are available for their children to enjoy, at regular times of day, to make the ‘back to school’ transition a little easier.”

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According to the Sleep Foundation, children aged between six and twelve need 9-11 hours of sleep a night.

But apparently, as many as 25 per cent are believed to experience poor sleep and excessive daytime sleepiness.

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This can affect attention in the classroom, memory and even their performance at school.

So, what can be done to ensure your children feel well rested and ready to tackle the back-to-school challenges?

Helen, a nutritionist at MattressOnline, says that to start with, milk can be a simple solution.

She explains: “Tryptophan is an amino acid which helps your body make the ‘sleep hormones’ melatonin and serotonin.

“Milk is a good source of this, and there is some evidence that milky drinks are associated with improved sleep quality, in both children and adults.”

Melatonin is a hormone that occurs naturally in the body and at night, your levels of melatonin rise before returning to normal during the day.

Drinking milk can help your body make melatonin, which is known as a ‘sleep hormone’ Credit: Getty

Helen warns parents to beware of hot chocolate, as it may contain caffeine Credit: Getty

The NHS explains that this helps to control how and when you sleep.

Helen continues: “Combining tryptophan-rich foods with carbohydrate foods can improve how effectively the brain absorbs tryptophan.

“Some studies have found that carbohydrate is linked with falling asleep more quickly.”

So, if your child enjoys sweet drinks, milk could be an excellent option to encourage sleep.

But Helen warns parents to “beware of hot chocolate“, as it usually contains some caffeine, which can affect sleep quality.

Melatonin is known to help with sleep, and Helen says that milk isn’t the only thing that can help your body produce the hormone.

“A variety of dietary sources of melatonin are wonderful additions to a balanced diet, for example, tart cherries, goji berries, kiwi, eggs, milk, cheese, oily fish, and nuts such as almonds, walnuts, and pistachios,” she says.

Helen adds: “Melatonin supplements have been named as the solution to poor sleep across social media, and Google searches for ‘melatonin for children’ have increased 70 per cent compared to last year. 

Magnesium can also help with sleep, and this can be found in green leafy vegetables Credit: Getty

Wholemeal bread, along with brown rice, is also a good source of magnesium Credit: Getty

“However, as a ‘Food First’ nutritionist, I always aim to meet children’s needs from their diet, rather than relying on unnecessary and expensive supplements.”

Helen also notes that magnesium – an essential mineral in the body – can help improve your sleep.

It also plays a role in nerve and muscle function, bone development, blood sugar control and heart rhythm consistency, the Sleep Foundation says.

The nutritionist says: “Magnesium is a mineral involved in hundreds of enzymatic reactions of the body, including those associated with sleep and relaxation.

“Good sources include dark green leafy vegetables, nuts, seeds, legumes, oily fish, dairy and wholegrains such as oats, wholemeal bread and brown rice.”

The timing of when magnesium is eaten throughout the day doesn’t matter too much, so Helen advises it’s just built into your child’s daily routine.

As children return back to school this week, it is likely that the change in routine will make them feel more tired than usual Credit: Getty

The 3 food groups to help with sleep

Helen Ruckledge, a registered nutritionist at MattressOnline, shares her recommendations on food that can help with children’s quality of sleep.
She says the three things are:

Milk
Foods containing magnesium
Melatonin-rich foods

Milk is a source of melatonin and Helen says there is some evidence that milky drinks are associated with improved sleep quality, both in adults and children.
Other sources of magnesium include:

Dark green leafy vegetables – like spinach and kale
Nuts
Seeds
Legumes – such as chickpeas and lentils
Oily fish
Dairy
Wholegrains – oats, wholemeal bread and brown rice

Melatonin-rich foods include:

Tart cherries
Goji berries
Kiwi
Eggs
Cheese
Oily fish
Nuts – such as almonds, walnuts and pistachios

“There is little evidence in the research about the timings of consumption, so just build these choices into everyday life,” she says.

“There’s no need to force down a combination of kale, fish and cheese at bedtime!”

Helen, however, urges parents not to focus too much on the individual foods their children eat, and rather try to just ensure they have a balanced diet as a whole.

She says: “Rather than focusing on individual ‘sleep foods’, it’s more effective to ‘zoom out’, focusing on what you can add into the diet as a whole.

“As a registered nutritionist, I like to encourage children to ‘Eat a Rainbow’.

“A wide variety of colourful, plant-based foods will provide the nutrients you need for a good night’s sleep, together with some dairy foods and oily fish.”