5 Year Old Needs a Snack Before Bed... What Do I Give Him???

Every kid is different but if you are going to give him a snack before bed make it something like crackers w/ cheese or peanut butter, celery w/ cheese or peanut butter, a piece of fruit or some veggies, a piece of toast w/ peanut butter. It is something light and except for the fruit or vegetable it is giving him a bit of protein.

If he's just stalling, you should be able to tell because he will probably decide he doesn't NEED a snack. Also, let him have the snack at 7:30-7:45 so he has time to brush his teeth and still make bedtime. After 7:45 it is a no go.

I would do a carb and protein. Like crackers and cheese or meat and cheese etc. apples with peanut butter etc. Its probably a comb. of both--he wants to stall and is really hungry. Give him a quick snack and he will be all set to go to bed.

M

I would go for baby carrots, grapes, bread, bananas, or something along those lines. I'd probably push dinner back to about 6:30. I was always hungry by bedtime, too, as a kid.

Put a bedtime snack into your schedule so that you know it's not a stall tactic. Bed time is 8; then snack time is 7:30.

I suggest that he can need a snack and it can also be a stall tactic. By scheduling the snack it doesn't work as a stall tactic.

My 3.5 year old just started asking for a snack before bed. We usually eat dinner between 5:30-6:30. Bath at 7, snack after, book (sometimes we read to him at the table while he is eating), brush teeth, in bed at 8. They have small tummies and it is ok for them to eat again after dinner. His choices are string cheese, granola bar, cereal bar, cereal, fruit, crackers, yogurt.

To Jackie S: Please do not make your daughter eat in her dark room. It shouldn't be punishment if she is hungry. Just have a limit on what her snack is so she isn't asking you for 5 things.

I'm a fan of hot chocolate made with milk and chocolate syrup. (as opposed to water and cocoa)

Milk is a superfood with proteins, fats, sugars, vitamins, and minerals (all the stuff they need to grow), warm milk sits happy in your belly and is soporific in any event, and the syrup gets added by you, so you can add as little or as much as you like. Whole milk has the most nutrients in it, but 2% will work in a pinch. Avoid nonfat milk which has nearly no nutritional value.

Mug'o'hot chocolate, brush teeth, bed.

I let my kids have a banana if they are hungry before bed.

R.

the snack should not replace the bedtime. Give him some carbs (piece of toast) a half hour before bed. It helps the sleep.

I usually do a banana or cheese stick.... something easy and self-contained Bananas are supposed to help with sleep anyways.

I agree with Lynn. Schedule the snack & that takes care of any stalling tactics...

My 4 year has dinner around 6:45 pm and needs a snack before bed which is at 9:30 pm. He is usually ok with a glass of milk but some days when he is hungrier , I also give him a handful of almonds or a banana.

If there is a 2.5 to 3 hour gap between dinner and bedtime it's normal for them to feel hungry . I don't think he's trying to avoid bedtime .

When my son wants a bedtime snack the choice is always fruit or maybe a yogurt. He can have apple or orange slices, usually half a piece of fruit or a squeezable yogurt. I don't let him have anything to drink at that time so he likes these snacks because they are also hydrating. I tell him he has until such and such time, like until the end of something we are watching or five minutes etc. If I see him dawdling I tell him in two minutes I am taking the snack, done or not. He honestly eats it up usually.

I would set a time for snack, and have it be part of the evening ritual. So, if he finishes dinner at 6, snacktime is 7:00 (at the earliest) or 7:30. Then, it's teeth brushing, jammies, and a story or two, starting at 8.

I think, especially for little kids, a snack before bedtime is a good idea. Try something yummy but relatively healthy. We do any one of these:
* small bowl of non-sugary cereal (grapenuts, multigrain flakes, quaker oat squares, special k)
* a few whole wheat crackers
* a homemade popsicle (made w/ yogurt and 1 cup of frozen fruit-like blueberries, pureed in the blender)
* a piece of cheese
* yogurt with granola sprinkled on top
* a piece of fruit or serving of applesauce
* hot pretzel with mustard
* blueberry bran muffins or whole wheat muffin
* bread or toast with sunflower butter or almond butter (no peanuts due to allergy)
* toast with a piece of melted cheese on top
Very occasionally, snack will be a cookie or a 1/4 to 1/2 cup of ice cream.

My 4 year old has a snack every night before bed. Usually it is fruit or yogurt but sometimes she does want a bowl of cereal. We brush after that and then its off to bed.

If he eats fruit, give him a piece of fruit before bed. Cheese, yogurt, and crackers are also good choices. Whatever you choose, aim for something healthy and not overly filling. A fully tummy at bedtime will often help a child sleep, but being too full will only make them uncomfortable and less likely to sleep well.

I doubt his wanting a snack is a stall tactic. Many children need a snack before bed, mine did. Just add the snack into the routine and make sure he brushes his teeth after eating.

He may be having a growth-spurt.
Kids eat more and more frequently at these times. My kids included.

Just give him fruit. Or fruit with cheese. That's what I give my kids.
Nothing heavy.

Or a yogurt cup.

My boys and I usually have a snack before bed. Here are some things we like to eat: chips, cheese, milk, chicken, fruit, juice, toast, nuts, burritos, popcorn yogurt. Right now, my 16 year old is having biscuits and a smoothie before going to bed. My 14 year old sometimes goes to bed then realizes he's too hungry to sleep and heads back to the kitchen for one last meal before hitting the sack. None of us has a weight problem and we eat a full meal around 6 so I think our bodies really are hungry and need a little something to keep things running til breakfast.

We do cheese sticks - easy to eat and clean up and filling.

Cheese and crackers
Fruit, like a banana
Cereal and milk
Toast with peanut butter

I always gave my kids a little piece of cheese. Maybe a half an ounce or an ounce. The protein is satiating, and if you aren't going to enforce RE-brushing of the teeth... the cheese is less likely to cause damage than lots of other foods. (Cant remember where I read that).

wow i am really surprised how many kids get snacks before bedtime...my kid is an eating machine, i mean he would never stop if i didn't cut him off - and he's never ever had a snack before bed. now, he will have dessert after dinner which he might eat 30 minutes or an hour before bed, but that's it. i've never given him anything right before he goes to sleep. our family is on the larger side already, he does NOT want for weight, and eating right before bed is a big way to put on pounds (i don't do it myself either). also we are trying to discourage accidents at night as much as possible. eating or drinking right before bed is kind of counter productive for that. so no, i would not do snacks before bed. i do, however, do a snack when he wakes up in the morning (preschool feeds him breakfast but that can be an hour and half after he wakes up). after he does his "chores" - getting dressed and ready for school- he can have a snack if he chooses to. lots of times he would rather play and forgets he can if he wants. this is how i know it's not really "necessary". if any kid would be hungry at these times and "have" to have something to eat, it would be mine. he doesn't, so i don't think it's necessary.

Have you thought about pushing back dinnertime to 6:30 so maybe his tummy will still feel satisfied come bedtime? Or perhaps his need for a snack before bed is a stalling technique?

If you feel that you must give him a snack before dinner, I would suggest something light and easy to digest like a yogurt or maybe a small bowl of cereal.

Best wishes.

Ugh I am having the same problem with my 3 year old and the same questions - is she just using this as a delay tactic or is she really hungry? I've come to the conclusion that she's really hungry because she won't eat if she's not hungry, plain and simple. If she asks, i've been letting her sit on a chair alone in her room in the dark and I give her a cheese stick, some berries and a small piece of bread. Then I brush her teeth and put her back in bed. I will be looking for your replies so I can heed the wise advice of the Mamas too since I have no idea if I am doing the right or totally wrong thing here.

I think if dinner is over between the hours you describe that his dessert should be considered his snack and I would give it to him after he gets into the PJ's and before 7:30 PM. He's probably just stalling for time.

Blessings....

Maybe some yogurt, but to avoid making it a habit a cup of milk or water. If I stay up too late I start to feel hungry and will drink something, I should be sleeping!

I have found oatmeal with warm milk in it works for my oldest. He also has less bad dreams when I give it to him. Take away the excuse so you know it isnt avoiding bed and make a snack time like i saw several other moms say.

You have a long gap between dinner and bed. My kids (2 and 5) go to bed about the same time but eat dinner a bit later (6:30 usually) and we are starting baths and bedtime almost right after dinner. But they get a good snack around 3-4 pm or they would not make it until a later dinner time. On a good day we can have a family dinner when my husband gets home (on a bad day when the kids are tired dinner can be a circus).

I'd do as others suggested and schedule in a healthy snack before tooth brushing.

My kids (age 6) eat dinner around 4:30-5 (they eat slow) so it takes a while for them to finish. their bedtime is 7. they get one healthy snack one unhealthy snack before bedtime.
for example, they get sliced fruit for healthy or yoghurt.
and their choice of 'unhealthy' is: fruit crisps (looks like chips), multigrain chips, or a piece of chocolate. They get this after they're in jammies.