Just accepted the answer to this question on whether or not we should encourage/discourage our 2-year old from skipping his naps. Now I have a follow-up question.
On occasion, when our son decides to go to sleep earlier than anticipated, he'll fall asleep without having dinner.
Should we try to wake our son up to feed him dinner? Or should we let him sleep if he isn't obviously distressed?
Relatedly, does it make a difference if he has had a fairly big lunch or snack before falling asleep?
Hungry children generally make their discomfort known :)
If he wasn't in obvious discomfort before falling asleep, you can be reassured that he was satisfied from his other meals/snacks.
You can always offer him proteins for breakfast if you're worried he missed out on the nutrition from the day before.
It's generally best to let your son sleep if he isn't distressed. If he had a substantial lunch or snack, he likely has enough nutrients for the night. Waking him might disrupt his sleep pattern. If he wakes up during the night hungry, or early morning then you’ll know you need to readjust. It's best to give them more of a filling breakfast & lunch, rather than dinner. My 2 year old skips her dinner, usually when she has seconds for lunch :)
