5 Foods That Disrupt Children's Sleep Quality

JAKARTA - Quality night sleep is an important need for everyone, especially children. When children experience difficulty sleeping, this not only makes parents feel disturbed, but also has an impact on their growth and development processes.

According to Dr. Arke Afolabi-Brown, a certified sleep specialist, children's diet has a big role in determining the quality of their sleep. He stressed the importance for parents to be more careful in paying attention to the foods consumed by children, especially ahead of bedtime.

While it is common that chocolate and caffeine should be avoided before bed, it turns out that there are several other types of food that are rarely realized that can affect the quality of children's sleep. Dr. Brown revealed some types of these foods, as well as the reasons why they should be avoided.

Caffeine is not only found in coffee and soda, but also in other foods or beverages such as chocolate, ice tea, drinks labeled "without caffeine", and even carbonated water. Dr. Brown suggested that parents check food and beverage labels to ensure the hidden caffeine content is not consumed by children before bed.

Chocolate, which is often a favorite of children, can be a "double sleep disorder". Its caffeine and sugar content can trigger a surge in energy that inhibits the sleep process. Therefore, Dr. Brown recommends limiting chocolate consumption, especially during certain days such as holidays.

Sugar-high foods, such as candy and cakes, are often blamed for sleep problems. However, sugar can also be found in foods that don't seem suspicious, such as Goodminton and snacks. Excessive sugar consumption can cause a spike in energy at night, followed by emotional disorders that interfere with sleep.

Processed foods, such as chips, crackers, or granola bars, contain additional sugar and salt that can affect overall health and sleep quality. Alternatively, Dr. Brown recommends providing protein-rich snacks before bedtime to maintain blood sugar stability.

Hot foods, especially those containing tomatoes sauce, chili, or other sharp spices, can cause digestive disorders and discomfort in the stomach, thus disrupting children's sleep. If children have a sensitive stomach, you should avoid spicy food at dinner.

By paying attention to the intake of children's food, parents can help create conditions that support good sleep, so that children can wake up freshly and ready to undergo their daily activities.