• There are many foods that can help babies sleep more soundly at night.baby image by Diane Stamatelatos from Fotolia.com
  
  A parent's joy knows no bounds at the time of a baby's birth and the mother heaves a sigh of relief since she believes that the hardest part is behind her. It's only when the baby is taken home and begins to wake up intermittently throughout the night that the parents realize many sleep-deprived nights are ahead. Although a pediatrician or doctor should always be consulted beforehand, there are several foods that can be given to babies to help them sleep more soundly.
  
  

Milk and Formula

• Breast milk---as well as imitation formulas---are the best source of nutrition for infants. It contains the required nutrients and provides the satiation which is essential for calmness and comfort to the baby. If the baby has not been fed for more than four hours and begins to cry, it should be interpreted as a sign that the child is hungry and requires to be breast-fed again to be soothed. One of the main ingredients is tryptophan, which serves as a natural sedative to babies and children.
  
  

Honey

• Although lots of sugar and glucose result in a stimulating alert response, smaller amounts can have the opposite effect. Once a baby has reached a stage where they can take in foods other than formula and breast milk, honey can be put into liquids such as milk to decrease orexin, a neurotransmitter directly linked with alertness.
  
  

Cereal and Almonds

• It'll take several months before infants can eat solid food. Once they begin, cereal should be incorporated into the baby's diet to ensure a calm, peaceful sleep. Cereals such as oatmeal are commonly used to calm babies and children. Oat or rice-based cereals are the best cures for sleep deprivation and must be administered to the baby in small doses a few hours before the child's bedtime. Another lesser known remedy is the almond. Although care should always be taken to ensure that almonds are broken into extremely small pieces to avoid the hazard of choking, they provide tryptophan as well as magnesium, which can help to relax the muscles.