Drinking Warm Milk Before Bed, Can It Overcome Insomnia?

Illustration of the benefits of drinking warm milk before bed (Freepik/KamranAydinov)

JAKARTA – Sleeping at night is necessary for the body to rest. For people who experience insomnia, various ways may be done to get quality rest. Like taking a warm bath, doing yoga, even writing a journal to reduce overthinking.

So whether drinking warm milk can make it easier to sleep at night or overcome insomnia? Apparently, there are many versions regarding the effectiveness of the benefits of drinking warm milk. According to clinical psychologist Michael Breus, as reported by LiveScience, Wednesday, December 22, the reason warm milk makes people sleepy is because it reminds you of the good people who gave it to you.

In addition to the reasons that Breus gave, there are ingredients in milk that can increase drowsiness. The content is called tryptophan, an essential amino acid that helps a person fall asleep. According to the National Library of Medicine, after drinking a drink containing tryptophan, the body responds by producing serotonin, which is converted into the sleep hormone or melatonin.

Normally, melatonin is produced by the brain in response to regulation of circadian rhythms. On the other hand, serotonin which is known as the happy hormone induces sleep and makes you awake.

Foods other than dairy that contain tryptophan and help with insomnia include eggs, fish, soybeans, peanuts, and turkey.

In theory, drinking warm milk containing tryptophan can help us feel sleepy. It is triggered when the body produces hormones that improve sleep quality. However, in reality the portion of tryptophan needed is greater to allow a person to sleep at night.

Breus said, if you drink about 7.6 liters of new warm milk can make you sleepy. But this is very dangerous for the health of the body as a whole. Because milk contains fat and double the calories needed each day. That is, not warm milk that causes sleep or insomnia. But it contains tryptophan which helps you fall asleep.

In milk, in fact, the content of tryptophan is the least. Plus, it has to compete with other amino acids to affect the brain.

However, Breus advice, it could not hurt to try as long as your health conditions allow you to drink warm milk before bed. He also suggested, it's good to try other techniques before bed. Such as avoiding drinking caffeine, turning off the device, and doing breathing exercises to help relax more.