Contrary to popular belief, sipping this drink before going to bed would not be a very good idea, according to researchers. Alexandra Murcier, dietitian-nutritionist, sheds light on this subject.
Consumption of milk – previously considered beneficial – would not be ideal before bed, according to researchers.
One hour less sleep
For this research, conducted by the gaming site 888 Casino, the consumption of coffee, tea and milk was notably examined by researchers. Concretely, they recruited a panel of participants and had them sip a different drink each evening before bed.
“To find out which drinks affect our sleep more than others, 888 Casino provided a group of participants with sleep trackers and five different drinks. Each participant then drank a different one every night for five days, recording how well they slept. relates a press release.
The candidates' sleep was then examined for a very short period, i.e. 5 days.
Result ? Milk emerged as the worst drink before bed.
“Milk was the worst drink for getting a good night's sleep, with participants sleeping just 6 hours and 52 minutes, almost an hour less than a normal night. details the press release. Conversely, “Tea is the best drink to drink before bed: it promotes dreams and good sleep: one hour and 14 minutes of deep sleep and one hour and 30 minutes of paradoxical sleep.
One of the possible explanations could be the “discomfort” that milk produces, in certain people, when it is digested. However, the researchers do not provide any answers here.
The study (which is more of an investigation than a scientific study) also has several limitations such as the test duration, which is far too short.
NO to diets, YES to WW!
Should we ban milk? Our expert's opinion
On this subject, Alexandra Murcier is firm: no, milk should not be ruled out!
“It is a food rich in tryptophan, which is an amino acid precursor of serotonin, so it is quite the opposite, it helps you sleep better“, relate l'experte.
“Soothing” effects of milk have been confirmed by several studies. An increase in tryptophan concentrations in the brain would indeed lead to an increase in the release of serotonin. However, this hormone allows the transition from one sleep cycle to another.
In fact, Alexandra Murcier recommends putting aside “caffeine, which disrupts sleep – including drinks such as Coca Cola which contain it“.
Slide: The foods richest in calcium: dairy products… and all the others!
