How popular warm drink can help you get a good night’s sleep
SLEEP is something most of us admit to not getting enough of.
There are various tools we can try in order to get those golden eight hours a night.
A warm drink could ease you into sleep[/caption]One of those is a mug of warm milk.
Milk contains several compounds known to support healthy sleep cycles.
James Nguyen, of Zoma Sleep, previously told The Sun: “Milk contains tryptophan, an amino acid which increases serotonin and melatonin levels that help to induce sleep.”
Tryptophan is an amino acid that can’t be made by the human body itself but can be consumed from the diet.
As well as milk, it’s found in chicken, turkey, fish, eggs, bananas, sunflower and pumpkin seeds – which may be worth stocking up on if you are sleep deprived.
Tryptophan is commonly used as a supplement to ease sleep disorders, including insomnia.
While the evidence on its impact on sleep needs strengthening, experts say it may act as a precursor to sleep-inducing chemicals in the brain.
It increases the body’s natural sleep hormone melatonin which makes us feel sleepy in the evening – the opposite of cortisol, which helps to wake us up in the morning.
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The body starts to produce melatonin in the evening when it starts to get dark outside, and stays elevated throughout the night.
Tryptophan also triggers the production of serotonin, a brain neurotransmitter that impacts mood and memory, sometimes nicknamed a “happy hormone”.
But the amount of milk you would have to consume in order to feel lethargic would probably be quite a lot, experts say.
The Sleep Foundation – a site overseen by a medical advisory board of sleep researchers – says drinking warm milk at night is a sleep strategy that’s been shared for years.
It says: “Scientific evidence suggests that warm milk before bed may help you sleep.
“In a study of people staying in a hospital’s heart unit, those who drank warm milk and honey for three days noticed improvements in sleep.
“A study of adults over age 60 found that drinking fermented milk over the course of three weeks reduced nighttime wakings.
“In a study of people over 65, those who drank more milk and engaged in physical activity reported falling asleep more easily than those who did not.”
All the studies were small and can’t prove that milk and its properties are the secret solution for sleep problems.
It could be that there is a psychological element to drinking milk before bed.
For some, it’s reminiscent of being a child, if a warm cup of milk or hot chocolate before bed was encouraged by your parents.
Michael Breus, a certified sleep specialist in California and author, told Live Science: “[One] reason warm milk makes people sleepy is because it reminds you of the person who was kind enough to give it to you when you were younger,”
Or, the simple act of sitting down with a hot mug could help endorse a feeling of relaxation, which is essential before you hit the hay.
James said: “A herbal tea such as chamomile contains Apigenin, a therapeutic antioxidant which can help reduce anxiety and initiate sleep.”
Experts often stress the importance of having a wind-down routine in the hours before bed to make it easier to fall asleep.
Other ways you can do this include turning screens (including your phone) off for around an hour before bed, reading or meditating, all of which help to reduce heart rate.
It’s recommended to exercise, eat or have a hot shower or bath at least a few hours before bed.