Does a Toddler Need Milk Before Bed?

Once your baby becomes a toddler, is milk before bed necessary? Well-meaning parents should know the facts before making a decision.

Significance

If your toddler has been weaned from the bottle, he may no longer expect milk to help him fall asleep at night.

Considerations

Toddlers over the age of 2 should drink low-fat or skim milk. Toddlers under 2 should still drink whole milk.

Misconceptions

If a toddler is simply in the habit of drinking milk before bed, some parents think she has to have it, but this is a habit that can be broken.

Prevention/Solution

Once your toddler no longer drinks from a bottle, you can transition to a sippy cup. Then you can gradually water down the milk until it's all water if you're trying to break her of the milk-before-bed habit.

Warning

If a toddler drinks milk before bed, it's important to follow up with teeth brushing to prevent sugars in the milk from leading to tooth decay.

Theories/Speculation

Milk before bed is only a bad habit if there's a specific reason parents want to break it, such as too much dependence on it. However, as long as teeth are brushed after milk drinking, there's no reason a small cup before bed is harmful.

References

• About.com Kids and Milk
• Toddler nutrition guide