Does eating butter before bed improve children's sleep?
I came across the ‘butter before bed’ trend on social media: giving butter to babies before bedtime to help them sleep better.
At first, I thought, "Why haven't I heard about this before?" Then I started to have doubts. I'm always wary of super-methods and easy solutions to complex problems. Because I know that humans are complex, and simple solutions often don't take into account the complexity of the situation.
So I decided to look for scientific articles or any reliable evidence of the effectiveness and, most importantly, the safety of this method. And... unfortunately, I couldn't find any.
- There is no scientific evidence of the effectiveness of this method.
- The possible negative impact on the baby's body of consuming such a large amount of butter, a source of saturated fat, before bedtime have also not been studied.
What else should be taken into account:
- The number of times a child wakes up at night is affected by a large number of factors. And it's not just hunger.
These can be physiological, medical reasons, teething, heat, colds, age, growth spurts, lactation crisis, activities and stress during the day, separation from mom during the day, nutrition during the day, screen time (especially before bed) and sweets in the diet, iron deficiency, and much more.
In addition, the ability to sleep for long periods at night and to fall asleep if wake up gradually develops and is linked to brain development. This brain development cannot be skipped. It is also linked to age and individual characteristics of babies. Children differ in how often they wake up at night, but all babies tend to wake up at night, especially in the first year of life.
The question is whether a couple of tablespoons of butter can solve such a complex issue as sleep. The answer is probably “no”.
But let's assume that it helps someone. Then the question is about the safety of this method.
Fats are important for the development of a child's body. Fats can be saturated, unsaturated, or trans fats. Trans fats should be avoided, and unsaturated fats are preferable to saturated fats. Although both types of fats are important in the diet, they should be consumed in certain proportions. Unsaturated fats should predominate.
Butter is a source of saturated fat. Moderate amounts of butter used as an additive can supplement the diet. However, feeding spoonfuls of pure butter, especially to children who have not yet reached the age of complementary feeding, is cause for concern.
- The baby may choke.
- The portion of butter may be too large for their age.
- Butter may replace breastfeeding or formula feeding.
Would I recommend giving butter at night if there were questions about sleep or weaning during a consultation? No. I only share verified information. We often discuss the baby's diet during consultations on weaning. But this is only one element of many approaches.
Butter is yet another attempt to improve sleep for sleep-deprived and tired parents. It is like continuing the trend of using flakes, cereals, rice, porridge before bedtime or adding them to milk at night. Research and time have proven their ineffectiveness.
I know that sleep deprivation can sometimes cause despair in parents. But I urge you not to give in to easy, untested solutions.
My work is based on a holistic approach. Sleep, development and nutrition are inseparable.
And remember, you can always write to me. Sometimes one conversation can solve everything!
Author of the article: Aleksandra Ņekrasova
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