When I was a nurse, on night duty our first job was to give every patient a drink of ovaltine, cocoa or horlicks, and we did this because is some good evidence that having a warm milky drink at bedtime will help to improve your sleep.

So if you have been tossing and turning trying to get your brain to switch off it may be worth adding a glass of lovely warm milk to your bedtime routine.

But how does milk improve your Sleep?

 Milk has something called tryptophan which is a kind of protein that helps your body make serotonin. Serotonin is a chemical in the brain that makes us feel good and happy and it also helps you to make melatonin which is our body's natural sleep medicine. Melatonin is produced when it gets dark and is part of the message to our body that it is time to sleep.

So, in a way, milk helps your body get ready for bed and it can be further enhanced by having a small amount of carbohydrate at the same time, so maybe something like a piece of toast for instance would be good to have with your milky drink?

Just remember to make the snack a small one as having a large meal before bed can actually disrupt sleep, so getting the balance right is important.

In recent years scientists have also discovered that a peptide called Casein Tryptic Hydrolysate which is found in milk has a sedative effect on the brain which could  also enhance sleep quality and duration of sleep.

 The Comfort of Warm Milk

Sometimes, it's not just about what's in the milk that may help you to sleep, but the psychological act of drinking warm milk itself may be beneficial

For many people, drinking milk is a soothing bedtime ritual that signals to the brain that it's time to sleep.  Maybe this has evolved from childhood when we were given milk before bedtime?

This feeling of comfort and routine may well help you relax and get to sleep.

Extra Good Stuff in Milk

Milk also has calcium and vitamin D, which help our body work better and have been linked to good sleep.

Calcium helps the brain use tryptophan to make melatonin, and if you don't have enough vitamin D, you might have trouble sleeping. So make sure to take a vitamin D supplement if you are not getting enough sunshine. If you live in the uk your are very likely deficient in vitamin D !! We  definitely don't get enough regular sunshine.

In Conclusion

While milk isn't a magic sleeping potion, it has quite a few things that can help us relax and sleep better.

From its soothing warmth to its sleep-friendly ingredients, a glass of milk might just be what you need for a better night's sleep.

But remember, if you are having significant problems sleeping beyond the help of a glass of milk, please get additional support.

Whilst sleep hygiene measures can help with minor sleep issues, if you have acute or chronic insomnia it's likely that you will need a sleep management programme to help you to sleep well again.

If you want to learn more about how to sleep well again visit my sleep page HERE

Some suggestions for easy light suppers that may help

1.Cocoa made with 100% cocoa powder (cocoa can mitigate the effect of anxiety) & milk plus small piece of toast

2.Cocoa & banana

3. Small bowl porridge made with milk

4. Horlicks or ovaltine made with milk (not the instant variety)

5. Warm milk, a kiwi & an orange

6. Cocoa & a couple of crackers or savoury biscuits