am trying to see if his behavior is any different but it's hard because he is such an emotional, sensitive, prone-to-quick-melt-downs, and blood-sugar-stability-dependent kid anyway.
KWIM?
lJoy-Yes! DS is one of those in the 15% in weight boys who needs to eat about every 1-2 hours or he is a quivering mass. He needs to have a snack before bedtime and I suspect that gives him an extra boost of energy rather than having a sleep-inducing effect, but that has been in place for years.
Blood sugar is an issue all day, yes! My sister and I deal with the prone-to-meltdowns issue in ourselves, and I have learned much more from DD's dietitians. If you don't have professional help on this one yet, I do have suggestions for you:
-Protein is best. Fiber and fat are good. All snacks should contain plenty of protein. A piece of cheese or beef jerky is MUCH better than an apple.
-You probably know that sugar is bad already - but any finely divided starch is equally bad. So soft bread, popcorn, and applesauce are poorer choices than wheat berry bread, coarse-cut oatmeal, and a whole apple.
-Ideally, aim for a mix of protein, fat, and carb. One terrible day I had cottage cheese with maple syrup for breakfast - all protein and sugar, no fiber or fat - and was going up and down like a yo-yo all morning.
-Even within desserts, there is a huge range. Chocolate has a slow, long-term profile. Hard candy, or even worse marshmallows, has a very sharp fast acting profile that can leave a low in its wake. Try aiming for a slightly earlier, longer acting bedtime snack if you think this is contributing to the problem.
And yes, I read long into the night if I love the book too.
