If Your Child Feels Sleepy Every Day, Too Many Fast Carbs at Home May Be Part of the Problem

When a child does not do well at school, many parents quickly think the problem is laziness, poor concentration or lack of effort. But sometimes, the child is not unwilling to learn. The child may simply not have stable energy during the day. In many families, children start the morning with foods such as white rice porridge, steamed buns, mantou, youtiao, dumplings, stuffed pancakes, white noodles or other refined carbohydrate foods. These foods are common and familiar. They are not “bad” by themselves. But if a child eats too much of them, especially without enough protein, vegetables and healthy fats, the body may receive energy very quickly and then lose it quickly. This can make the child feel sleepy, tired, hungry again, irritable or unable to focus. A child may feel fine during the first class, but start feeling sleepy during the second class. After lunch with a large amount of white rice, noodles or refined flour foods, the afternoon may become even harder. At night, homework becomes difficult because the child cannot sit still, feels tired, and keeps wanting snacks. This does not mean children should never eat rice, buns, porridge or dumplings. The real problem is balance. A better meal should not be only fast carbs. It should include protein, vegetables and slower carbohydrates. For breakfast, parents can try combinations such as eggs with whole-grain food, unsweetened soy milk with oats, sweet potato with eggs, mixed-grain porridge with vegetables, or fish, chicken or beef with a small portion of staple food. For lunch and dinner, a simple structure is: one portion of protein, one portion of vegetables, and one portion of slow carbohydrates. Slow carbohydrates may include oats, brown rice, mixed grains, sweet potatoes, corn, beans and whole-grain bread. Fast carbohydrates such as sweet drinks, cakes, biscuits, white bread, sugary snacks and fried refined-flour foods should be reduced. Learning is not only about extra classes. A child’s brain also needs stable energy, enough protein, better food and regular sleep. Before blaming a child for being lazy, look at the breakfast, snacks and staple foods at home. Sometimes, the first change should begin at the dining table.

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