• Question: How does milk make you sleep?

    Asked by anon-354682 on 8 Mar 2023.
    • Photo: Kirstie Andrews

      Kirstie Andrews answered on 8 Mar 2023:

      One theory is that milk contains compounds (such as amino acids like trytophan) that feed into the body’s natural rhythms of the sleep-wake cycle. These compounds can help the body to produce chemicals (melatonin and serotonin) that make us feel awake or sleepy. Another theory says that having a routine before bed, that can include drinking milk, can form a habit that tells the body it is getting ready for bed and sleep.

    • Photo: Silvia Mazzotta

      Silvia Mazzotta answered on 8 Mar 2023:

      There are a few things in milk that might make you sleepy. One of them is called tryptophan, and it is an amino-acid (one of the many pieces making up a protein). Tryptophan can increase production of two substances (hormones), called serotonin and melatonin. Both Serotonin and Melatonin are really important for your sleep. Melatonin in particular is a hormone that we actually accumulate when it is dark (this is why we normally sleep better in the dark!), and most light will lower your levels of melatonin making you feel awake and more active. Not all light affects melatonin; for example, red light doesn’t, so when I put my son to bed and he asks for a light, I always put a red light on.
      Some say that milk could actually contain melatonin from the cows, if they are milked in the dark, and this might help us humans sleep as well.
      Finally, milk contains magnesium, a mineral which also has a calming and relaxing effect.

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