"Affordable Therapy" with Faye R. Miller, MSW, LSW ~Cognitive Behavioral Psychotherapist
  • Home
  • About
  • For You
  • Contact

Warm Milk may make you sleepy...maybe!

5/11/2014

0 Comments

 

We all believe that warm milk promotes sleepiness because of the tryptophan contained in the milk.  Tryptophan, the sleep-inducing amino acid, is found in our Thanksgiving  turkey and in milk, and thought to have a sedative effect.  However,  if you're going to rely on a glass of warm milk to act as a sleep-aid, it is best to pair it with some type of carb, e.g., crackers, bread, etc.  The high-carb snack will cause your insulin level to go up, which in turn, will act as a catalyst for the tryptophan to cross the "blood-brain barrier."

If you swear by warm milk as a sleep aid, studies reveal that warm milk does have a calming influence.  The milk, without the carbs, however, is more likely just a placebo effect.

Silber BY and Schmitt JA. Effects of tryptophan loading on human cognition, mood, and sleep. Neurosci Biobehav Rev 2010;34(3):387-407.

Wurtman RJ et al.Effects of normal meals rich in carbohydrates or proteins on plasma tryptophan and tyrosine ratios. Am J Clin Nutr 2003;77(1):128-32.

0 Comments

Your comment will be posted after it is approved.


Leave a Reply.

    Categories

    All

    Archives

    August 2022
    July 2022
    May 2022
    February 2022
    December 2021
    November 2021
    October 2021
    September 2021
    June 2021
    April 2021
    March 2021
    February 2021
    January 2021
    December 2020
    November 2020
    October 2020
    September 2020
    August 2020
    July 2020
    June 2020
    May 2020
    March 2020
    February 2020
    January 2020
    December 2019
    November 2019
    October 2019
    August 2019
    July 2019
    June 2019
    May 2019
    January 2019
    December 2018
    November 2018
    October 2018
    September 2018
    August 2018
    July 2018
    June 2018
    May 2018
    April 2018
    March 2018
    January 2018
    November 2017
    October 2017
    August 2017
    July 2017
    June 2017
    May 2017
    April 2017
    March 2017
    February 2017
    January 2017
    November 2016
    October 2016
    September 2016
    August 2016
    July 2016
    June 2016
    May 2016
    April 2016
    March 2016
    February 2016
    January 2016
    November 2015
    October 2015
    July 2015
    May 2015
    April 2015
    March 2015
    February 2015
    January 2015
    December 2014
    November 2014
    October 2014
    September 2014
    July 2014
    June 2014
    May 2014
    April 2014
    March 2014
    February 2014
    January 2014

    RSS Feed

Powered by Create your own unique website with customizable templates.