If you thought milk was the best drink to sip before falling asleep, think again, as one new study claims it’s an entirely different beverage. Can you guess what it is?
Drinking a glass of milk before bed is often believed to be a great way to make you feel sleepy – but is this actually true? A surprising new study reportedly crowned this dairy product the worst for helping you get a good night’s rest – even before coffee.
The new research reveals that a handful of participants were asked to drink tea, coffee, milk and hot chocolate before hitting the hay, as sleep experts tracked their snoozing patterns on a daily basis. Shockingly, the milk drinkers had the worst trends of all, averaging just six hours and 52 minutes of sleep, while the coffee guzzlers got more than seven.
Tea drinkers actually topped the charts for the best sleep quality, but their results weren’t too dissimilar to the hot chocolate participants, the Daily Star reports. Both beverages promoted more than an hour-and-a-half of REM sleep too – generally referring to the point at which we start to have vivid dreams.
These results are arguably a little confusing as countless previous studies have drawn to milk’s beneficial impact upon sleep. This is primarily thanks to an amino acid within the liquid called ‘tryptophan’ which is thought to have sleep-promoting qualities alongside melatonin, another natural compound.
But sleep consultant, Rosey Davidson at Just Chill Baby Sleep, claims it isn’t quite a straight-forward picture, as an individual’s reaction to milk is based on numerous different factors. She told The Mirror: “Milk is often talked about as a sleep aid due to its content of tryptophan, an amino acid, which is a precursor to serotonin and melatonin. [But] the evidence supporting milk’s direct impact on sleep is mixed.
“While tryptophan may theoretically promote sleepiness, the amount found in milk may not be significant enough to induce noticeable effects. Additionally, individual responses to tryptophan can vary widely.”
Despite this however, the placebo effect of drinking milk before bed and believing it will make you feel sleepy, may be enough to trigger relaxation and signal to the body that it’s time to wind down. Rosey continued: “For some people it can form part of their bedtime routine, and provide a sleep ‘cue,’ to the body.
“Ultimately, whether milk aids sleep totally depends on the individual’s sensitivity to its components and the context in which it’s consumed. For some, it may contribute to a more restful night’s sleep, while for others, its effects may be negligible.
“If someone was to consume a large quantity of milk, it could actually disrupt their sleep. We shouldn’t be drinking large quantities of any drink too close to bedtime.”
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