The Sleepy Time Baby Oatmeal recipe is perfect to help get your baby tired and ready for a good nights sleep! (2024)

FAQs

Does oatmeal before bed help baby sleep? ›

Adding cereal to a bottle, beginning solids before a baby is ready, or stuffing them full of food is NOT the solution to long, restful nights. In fact, studies show us that these three things can actually cause a disruption of sleep instead.

Oats, sweet potatoes, rice and butternut squash all contain complex carbs. Foods rich in B-vitamins also support sleep. Beans, lentils, broccoli, avocados, and bananas help your child to produce the calming and relaxing hormones of serotonin.

Yes, babies between 6 and 9 months old can eat cereal. Choose soft cereals such as an iron-fortified grain cereal or oatmeal made with breast milk, formula, or water. Fortified infant cereals are a good source of iron for growing babies.

The introduction of oats and solid foods is an important milestone in your baby's life. You don't want to introduce them too soon, or you risk them developing food sensitivities, watery stools and discomfort. You should also avoid giving your baby any solid foods until they are between four and six months old.

We want to protect this sleep as much as possible and that's why bedtime is just so important. Babies are naturally sleepy between 6.30 and 7.30pm so try to map your bedtime routine to wind down in that window. If naps have been particularly short or your baby is fussy, moving bedtime as early as 5.30pm can help.

Foods which naturally contain melatonin are cherries, kiwi fruit, and raspberries. Tryptophan is an amino acid and a precursor to melatonin. Foods that contain tryptophan and are therefore beneficial to sleep are: Fruit: bananas, peaches, apples.

Bananas. Another article on Moms.com includes some mom-approved foods that make toddlers sleepy, such as bananas. Bananas also contain tryptophan, as well vitamin B6, magnesium, potassium, and complex carbohydrates. Potassium is a natural muscle relaxer and carbs produce serotonin, which makes you feel calm and drowsy.

Bathing, reading, and singing can soothe babies and signal an end to the day. Some babies like to be swaddled (wrapped in a light blanket). This is OK until they start to roll (typically, when they're 3 to 4 months old). Be consistent and your baby will soon associate these steps with sleeping.

You can add a few tablespoons of oatmeal to your child's solid diet every day. The amount of oatmeal to use may depend on your personal preference. Three to four tablespoons of oats per day can provide adequate fiber and nutrition for a growing child.

What are the side effects of oatmeal for babies? ›

In infants and children, a reaction to oats can cause food protein–induced enterocolitis syndrome (FPIES). This condition affects the gastrointestinal tract. It can cause vomiting, dehydration, diarrhea, and poor growth. If severe or long term, FPIES can also cause lethargy and starvation as well.

Arsenic in Rice Cereal

Arsenic is a carcinogen that is linked to several different diseases. Even low levels, like those found in rice cereals for babies, can affect their development. Instead, the American Academy of Pediatrics (AAP) now recommends that you introduce oatmeal to your baby instead.

Infants ate soft or liquid foods made from animal milk, broth, or grains. In the 17th and 18th centuries, these foods were homemade; by the late 19th century, industrially produced options became available. But until the 20th century, babies who were not breastfed often died.

Oatmeal's strong nutritional profile will aid in baby's growth and development. It is recommended for babies to start solid foods when they reach six months of age. Oats are a single grain food that are easy on your baby's digestive system. They help promote fullness and a healthy appetite while preventing gas.

Around age six months, it's time for the fun of feeding babies to begin. Previously, the recommendation was to start rice or oatmeal cereal around four months. But now, the American Academy of Pediatrics recommends parents start solid foods around six months of age, when a child meets developmental milestones.

I know it's an old wives' tale. Your grandmother probably told you, “Put cereal in the breast milk or the formula, and this baby will sleep all night.” In reality, this is not true.

Helping Your Baby Sleep

Bathing, reading, and singing can soothe babies and signal an end to the day. Some babies like to be swaddled (wrapped in a light blanket). This is OK until they start to roll (typically, when they're 3 to 4 months old). Be consistent and your baby will soon associate these steps with sleeping.

There was no statistically significant trend or a consistent tendency of one group to have a higher proportion of sleepers than the other. Therefore, feeding infants rice cereal in the bottle before bedtime does not appear to make much difference in their sleeping through the night.