If you thought milk was the best drink before bed, you should think again, as a new study suggests that the drink that is really your sleep ally is the one that doesn’t go to your head. Can you guess which one it is?
Drinking a glass of milk before bed is often thought to be a great way to feel sleepy – but is this really true? In a surprising new study it has been claimed that this dairy product has been crowned the worst for helping sleep – even than coffee.
The Shocking results 🙄
The new research reveals that participants were asked to drink tea, coffee, milk and hot chocolate before going to bed as sleep experts monitored their sleep habits every day.
Shockingly, those who drank milk had the worst results of all, sleeping an average of just six hours and 52 minutes, while those who consumed coffee got more than seven.
Those who drank tea actually topped the charts for better sleep quality , but their results weren’t much different from the hot chocolate participants, the Daily Star reports. Both drinks also promoted more than an hour and a half of REM sleep—generally referred to as the point at which we begin to have vivid dreams.
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These results are admittedly a little confusing, as countless previous studies have reported the beneficial effect of milk before bed. This is mainly due to an amino acid in the liquid called tryptophan, which is thought to have sleep-promoting properties along with melatonin, another natural compound.
What consultants think about drinking milk before bed time
But sleep consultant Rosey Davidson at Just Chill Baby Sleep argues that it’s not quite a simple condition, as a person’s reaction to milk is based on many different factors. She told the Mirror : ‘Milk is often discussed as a sleep aid because of its content of tryptophan, an amino acid, which is a precursor to serotonin and melatonin. But the evidence supporting milk’s direct effect on sleep is mixed. While tryptophan can theoretically promote sleepiness, the amount found in milk may not be significant enough to cause noticeable effects. Furthermore, individual responses to tryptophan can vary widely. »
Rosey Davidson
However, the placebo effect of drinking milk before bed and the belief that it will make us sleepy can be enough to induce relaxation and signal the body that it’s time to wind down.
Rosey continued: “For some people it can be part of their bedtime routine and provide a sleep ‘cue’ to the body.
Ultimately, whether milk helps sleep depends entirely on the individual’s sensitivity to its ingredients and the context in which it is consumed. For some, it may contribute to a more restful sleep, while for others its effects may be negligible.
If one consumes a large amount of milk, it could actually disturb one’s sleep. And the truth is that we shouldn’t drink large quantities of any beverage too close to bedtime. »
