Day 36: Does Warm Milk Help You Sleep

Between You, Me and the Lamp Post

Day 36: Does Warm Milk Help You Sleep

Last night was one of those nights again ... tossing and turning and waiting for the sandman to come. I felt perfectly tired when I went to bed and I expected to fall asleep the moment my head hit the pillow, but once under the duvet, I was wide awake.

Are you one of those lucky people who fall asleep the moment they lie down? Many people have problems falling asleep, or suffer from another form of insomnia where they wake up in the middle of the night and can’t go back to sleep again. An old remedy for sleeplessness other than counting sheep is drinking a cup of warm milk. But does warm milk really help you sleep, or is it a myth?

Urban legend has it that warm milk is sleep-inducing because it contains the enzyme tryptophan. This is the same enzyme that is found in turkey meat and that is credited with lulling people to sleep after a big Thanksgiving dinner.  However, studies have shown that it’s not the turkey meat that makes you sleepy, as you would have to consume 40 pounds of the meat for the tryptophan to have any effect.

If you’ve been tossing and turning, and you eventually get out of bed to warm up some milk, you’ve taken the first step in the right direction, getting up. Going to the kitchen to warm up something relaxes your brain because you’re no longer concerned about falling asleep. While you wait for the milk to warm, your mind relaxes even more, thus preparing you for sleep. Making a cup of herbal tea would have the same effect because it’s the warmth that gives you comfort. People often discover that once back in bed, they can fall asleep even before they’ve taken one sip of the milk.

Further studies have shown that although tryptophan can help with the first phase of sleep, it can interfere with the remaining sleep phases. Tryptophan, when taken in conjunction with high protein foods such as milk, can decrease the chances that the enzyme even reaches the brain.

If you find it hard to fall asleep, it’s a good idea to reach for foods rich in carbohydrates. While it’s not recommended to have a big meal before going to bed, never go to bed hungry either. Mix protein foods with carbohydrates to encourage the brain to produce a calming hormone called serotonin. Good choices would be a slice of whole-wheat toast topped with a slice of low-fat cheese or one banana combined with a teaspoon of peanut butter.

Any number of details could be to blame for preventing you from falling asleep. Stress, the room’s temperature, too much light, an uncomfortable mattress or even an overly fluffy pillow can cause insomnia. There are companies that specialize in making sleep aid products. They manufacture eye masks, pillows, herbal teas, and natural sleep-promoting supplements to fight your insomnia.

Does warm milk help you sleep? Not really, but the routine of preparing something warm is enough to relax you.

Hanging on or letting go

I watched a presentation the other day entitled ‘How heavy is your glass of water?’ The presentation went as follows:

A psychologist hosted a well-attended workshop about stress management. At one point, she raised a glass of water. The audience assumed that she would ask them the well-known question: ‘Is the glass half full or half empty?’ Instead, with a smile on her face, she inquired ‘How heavy is this glass of water?’ The audience called out a range of numbers from 8 ounces to 20 ounces. They were eager to discover why they were asked this question. But to their surprise, the psychologist responded ‘The weight of the glass does not matter. What does, however, is how long you hold it. If I hold the glass for one minute, it’s not a problem. If I hold it for an hour, my arm will ache. If I hold it for a day, my arm will feel numb and paralyzed. Your stresses and worries in life are like this glass of water. If you think about them for a while, nothing happens. Think about them a bit longer, and they begin to hurt. But if you think about them all day long, you will feel paralyzed and incapable of doing anything. It’s important to let go of your stresses, your fears, and worries. Early in the evening, put all your burdens down. Don’t carry them into the night. Always remember to put that glass down and give yourself a rest.’

When I read stuff like this, I can help but roll my eyes and wonder what people who have lost a parent, a spouse, a child or a pet would say to this psychologist. My guess is that they would say her theory is beautiful but naïve.

I’m sure that a great number of people would like nothing better than to put their burdens down, but it’s not that easy. Any kind of burden is not like a glass of water that you can put down, you carry it with you all the time. Work, sports, and entertainment might give you a break from time to time, but eventually, the burdens come back.

The same for people who have medical problems and had tests done. You tell those people to stop worrying and they might sneer and say ‘That’s easier said than done.’

And what about people who have experienced trauma. I’ll bet it’s not as easy to just forget what they have seen, heard, and experienced. During the day they might find distractions, but the nights … the nights are the worst.

If just forgetting was this easy, people would not be on a variety of medications, wouldn’t be in therapy or wouldn’t seek the company of a self-help group.

Psychologists … most of them don’t have a clue about real life. They don’t seem to know that experiences lead to memories and we might not be able to ever escape from them.

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Quiet time

I’m spending an evening by myself. Dieter has gone to bed uncharacteristically early (10:30), the cats are all asleep, and with no TV and no music it’s so quiet here I can hear the tic toc tic toc of the wall clock.

This is just like old times, when I was unemployed. Back then I hardly ever went to bed before 2:30 a.m. I got up late, took a nap in the afternoon and since I didn’t have to get up early in the morning I could afford to get to bed at all hours of the night.

Since I started working again it’s quite different. I have to get up at 5:30, so I like to be in bed around 11:00.
Friday and Saturday night we usually sit up late, sometimes until 2:30 or even 3:00 a.m. We can sleep in the next day, so what does it matter when we extend an invitation to the sandman?

But tonight is different, Dieter’s right hand is broken and this little handicap has been bothering him. I guess we, with two capable hands, don’t quite realize what we have until one of them is out of action.

I could do with an early night too, because the stress of the past few weeks has been crazy. During September there was the running around of condo hunting; October brought stress with estate agents, lawyers and the bank; and if that isn't enough I had to put up with a colleague with the most annoying habit.

This guy was constantly clearing his throat and I do mean constantly.
There were times that not a minute passed without him clearing his throat. Can you imagine once a minute? That’s sixty throat clearings in an hour! I’d like to see anyone putting up with that
It a medical condition he said. Okay then why isn’t he doing something about it? Let him go see a doctor and get some medication to get it fixed. These days there is a remedy for almost anything and everything.

Okay so maybe it’s just me and I’m too sensitive, but I really can’t stand the noises people make. Whether it’s sniffing, snoring or throat clearing ... IT GETS ON MY NERVES!!!