Anyone do a prebedtime snack?

[Lemonthyme]

I'm mulling this over after finding when he ate more he slept better.  Do any of you give a snack in the early evening as well?  Does it aid sleep?  Do you give milk then rather than directly before bed?

I'm considering it but then he'd be up to 3 meals and 3 snacks in a day which feels like a lot!

[mickey44]

We do a bedtime snack.  We usually do a snack around 6:15 then start our wind down around 6:30 and bed at 7:00 so we do 3 meals and 3 snacks a day.  Our LO has never been a good supper eater and we found that she does sleep better when she has a snack.  We usually giver her milk if she wants with her snack otherwise water.  Our LO is a good milk drinker and gets plenty during the day!!

[~Sara~]

How long is it between your LO's dinner and bedtime?  If it's more than a couple of hours, I'd be tempted to give him a little something to tide him over until breakfast.

Our dinner is later (6:30ish), with bedtime at 8, so we've not needed to do a snack.  But, I know others who do or who give some milk.  As for it helping, if you think LO is waking early due to being hungry, then I'd give it a shot.

Hoping others will chime in, too.

[*Liz*]

Yes I do - J has supper and his milk in a cup before bed while he is watching In the Night Garden. His supper is either toast or cereal in a bowl - I think it helps his EWs as he isn't a big eater.

And no amount of limiting snacks to make him eat a bigger meal helps - he doesn't eat more and just screams with hunger all day!

[teilvnav]

We do dinner at about 5:30, and then a snack with a sippy cup of milk before his bath at 7pm. It is usually toast, cheese, fruit, leftover dinner, some veggies and dip, crackers, etc. Something light and easy. Then he brushes his teeth after his bath, and goes to bed.

It doesn't really seem to help him sleep later, though. He has always been an EW kid, and is awake between 6-6:30 most mornings.

[Mom to M&M]

We also do dinner about 5:30/5:45. Both kids are offered a bedtime snack around 7 or a little after. Usually cereal, toast, that sort of thing. Often DD will have cereal and some milk. DS usually will have dry cereal or some crackers.

[Intransit]

Yes! A snack is a must for us right now. DD does not eat a great dinner every night (depending what we're having) so a snack is a must around 7-730 and a bottle to follow.

[Lemonthyme]

Thanks everyone.  Tea is 4:15 and bedtime is 7:00 (may go back to a little later soon as well) and tea at nursery is around 4pm so I'm thinking a pm snack is a good idea.  He was having more calorific snacks in the day but now I'm just giving him fruit so I don't think he'll become a monster chubber as a result if I do give him a third snack.

Thanks everyone.