Why My 2 Daughters Wake Up Crying at Night - 5 Foods That Helped Them Sleep Better

Why My 2 Daughters Wake Up Crying at Night - My Real Story as a Mom

I am a mother of 2 daughters. My elder daughter is 6 years old and my younger daughter is 3 years old. For the last 6 months, my biggest problem was not cooking or cleaning, it was sleeping at night. Both my daughters used to wake up at 2 or 3 AM and start crying very loudly. I was so tired because I could not complete my own sleep. My husband also goes to office early morning, so whole night I was alone handling them.

In the beginning I thought maybe they had a bad dream. I used to give them water and make them sleep again. But this was happening every single night for many weeks. Sometimes my elder daughter said her stomach is paining, sometimes my younger one said she is scared of darkness. I talked to my mother in village and she said this is very common in small kids from age 2 to 7 years. She called it night waking problem.

I was very worried so I went to our child doctor in Rawalpindi. He asked me about our full day routine and what I give them to eat at night. He told me that most night waking problems in kids come from 3 things - heavy oily food at night, too much milk before sleeping, and mobile screen time. I realized I was making all three mistakes.

So I decided to change everything. I made a new night routine for my daughters and in just 10 to 12 days, both started sleeping full night without crying. I want to share my real experience with all mothers who are facing same problem like me.

1. Heavy and Oily Food at Night - My Biggest Mistake

Earlier I used to make dinner very late. Because my husband comes from work at 8:30 PM, we all used to eat together at 9 PM. I used to make paratha with chicken salan, or biryani, or oily aloo paratha. My daughters used to eat this heavy food and go to bed directly at 9:30 PM. Doctor said this is very wrong.

He explained that when kids eat heavy oily food and sleep immediately, the food does not digest. It makes gas, acidity and stomach pain at night. That is why they wake up crying. After that I changed our dinner time. Now I give dinner to my daughters early at 7:30 PM. I give light and easy food like mix vegetable khichdi with curd, or one small roti with dal and cucumber salad, or chicken vegetable soup with one roti. Light food digests in 2 hours and stomach remains calm at night. Since I started early light dinner, my daughters never complained of stomach pain.

2. Too Much Milk Before Sleeping - Second Mistake

I always thought that one big glass of milk before sleeping is very healthy for kids. So I used to give them full 300ml warm milk at 10 PM after dinner. But doctor told me too much milk at once at night is not good. It makes gas in stomach and also kids need to go to washroom again and again, so their sleep breaks and they cry.

Now I give only half cup warm milk, about 120ml, with one small soft date or half banana at 8:30 PM. Warm milk has natural calcium and tryptophan which helps in good sleep, but small quantity is important. I add a little honey for taste. My 3-year-old daughter now sleeps full night without needing to go to washroom. This small change made a very big difference in our house.

3. Mobile and TV Before Sleep - Very Harmful

This was my biggest mistake and I feel guilty for it. To make my daughters sleep fast, I used to show them cartoons or rhymes on my non-PTA mobile phone till they close their eyes. I thought it will make them sleepy. But doctor said blue light from mobile and TV makes kids brain more active. It stops natural sleep hormone melatonin. Kids cannot get deep sleep and they wake up scared and crying.

Now we have a strict rule in our house. No mobile, no TV, no cartoons after 8 PM. At 8:15 PM we sit on the bed together. I tell them a small story from my childhood, or we read a small colorful story book, or we just talk about what we did whole day at school. Sometimes we say small duas together. This calm and loving time makes them feel safe and loved. They sleep within 15 minutes without any mobile. In first 3 days they cried for mobile, but after that they got used to it.

4. 5 Foods That Help My Daughters Sleep Better at Night

Doctor also told me that some healthy foods have natural melatonin and magnesium which help kids sleep peacefully. I tried these foods and they really work for my daughters.

First is Banana: I give half banana in evening. It has magnesium and potassium which relaxes muscles and helps in deep sleep.
Second is Warm Milk with Honey: Only half cup at 8:30 PM, not full glass. It makes body warm and calm.
Third is Oats Khichdi: Light, soft and easy to digest. It keeps stomach full but not heavy. I make it with carrot and peas.
Fourth is Curd or Yogurt: Small bowl of fresh curd with dinner helps in good digestion and prevents gas at night.
Fifth is Soaked Almonds: For my 6-year-old elder daughter I give 2 soaked almonds in morning after removing skin. It helps in brain development and also helps in better sleep at night.

I avoid giving chocolate, chips, cold drinks and toffee after 6 PM because they have sugar and caffeine which disturb sleep.

5. My Complete Night Routine That Finally Worked

Here is my simple daily night routine which finally worked for both my daughters:

7:30 PM: Light dinner like khichdi or dal roti or soup
8:00 PM: Brush teeth, wash face and hands, change into night clothes
8:15 PM: Story time on bed, no mobile, no TV
8:30 PM: Half cup warm milk with one date
8:45 PM: Lights off, I hug them and say Allah Hafiz and dua for 10 minutes

Now at 9 PM both sleep peacefully and wake up fresh at 7 AM for school. My whole day is now more active because I also get full sleep.

When Should You Go to Doctor?

If your child wakes up crying every night even after changing food and routine for 2 weeks, or if child has fever, fast breathing, leg pain, or itching at night, then please go to a child specialist quickly. Sometimes it can be due to Vitamin D deficiency, worms in stomach, or cold. My daughters had Vitamin D deficiency last winter and after medicine they sleep much better.

Message for All Mothers Like Me

If you are also a mother like me who is tired because kids don't sleep full night, please don't worry and don't think you are a bad mother. You are not alone. Every mother faces this. Please don't shout at your kids when they wake up crying at night. Just hug them tightly, give them little water, and make them feel safe. A mother's hug and love is the best medicine at night. Try this routine for 7 days and tell me in comments if it worked for your kids. I will reply to every comment.