Insomnia -- Low-fat or non-fat (skim) milk as a natural sleep aid?

Question

I'm a curious insomniac :) I know that warm milk is a natural sleep aid because of trytophans. Does skim milk or low-fat milk work just as well?

Answer 1

Milk is milk despite the fat content, it all contains trytopahans.

I have some other advice on how to treat insomina.

When you go to sleep make sure you do it in a dark room, a room that should only be used for sleeping, pull the TV out. Make sure it is a relaxing place to sleep as well. Hold off on any caffeine at least 6 hours before bed, and the exercise as well. One-half hour before you go to bed dim the lights a little, this will increase the body’s natural production of a sleep hormone called Melatoin. A glass of warm milk will do the same. When you go to bed compose yourself for sleep, relax and push out all thoughts of the day. If you cannot do this then think of something else, something that you like, even a sexual fantasy. If you don’t fall asleep in 20 minutes then get out of bed. Then do something quiet, like watch the TV on low volume or read, but don’t do this in the bedroom. After 20 minutes try to go back to sleep again. If it still doesn’t work then get up and do something quiet, and try it again in 20 minutes.

I run a fan all night in my bedroom. The mind gets used to the white noise, and it covers up the noise around you. Don’t put the fan on oscillate, where it blows over you and then elsewhere, that will distract you. If it gets too cold then point the fan into a corner. I have blocked my shade with a few posters, and made sure that as little light as possible enters my room. Put your alarm clock where you cannot see it, or just turn it away. If you track time then you will only get mad at yourself for not falling asleep. You might try playing some music, use a CD, not a radio. You want a constant level of music. Try something soothing like easy listening or classical. If classical music bores you then that would be the best to use.

If all this doesn’t work then you need more help. The sleep medications that you can buy over the counter are really a sham, and won’t do you any good. You can pick up Melatoin in the drug store or any major supermarket. It is fairly cheap and comes in 1 mg to 3 mg doses. Start at 1 mg a night and work your way up to a maximum of 4 mg, after that any more is a waste.

If you are still having trouble then a doctor visit is in order. Drugs like Ambien and Lunesta may not be what you want. They are good for a week or two, but they are habit forming. I don’t mean that you will get a craving; I mean that after taking these medications for a long time you will acquire a need to take the drug just to get to sleep. A good drug to take is called Trazodone. As prescription medications go this is a fairly cheap one. It is an antidepressant normally used for treating Cocaine treatment. It has a major side effect of causing sleepiness. It is a safe drug to take over the long term, it is not habit forming, and it has few other effects. It is a pretty poor antidepressant, but a good sleep aid. It is also available in a range of doses so your doctor can keep increasing it several times until you find a dose that works well for you. I took it for over 6 years. After that the ringing in my ears got to be a minor problem, so I switched to another drug. I am back on it, and have been for almost 2 years, and I have had no problems. There are stronger medications you can take, but if you need them, then you have a real problem: much more than just stress.
I recommend going to the Melatoin right away. It won’t give you any hangover and its effects will wear off after 4-6 hours, but by that time you should be sound asleep. Find a way to reduce your stress. Some things you just have to accept. Oddly enough it is the everyday worries that cause more stress. When you worry about doing something and just don’t get it done then that can create stress. You know that when you go to work you are going to face traffic. So get a book on CD or something that will let you use the time better; that way you will stress less about the traffic. Expect the idiots on the road to try and cut you off. They are out there and they are just hunting for guys like you to make angry. So don’t play their game. Remember that a traffic light is only 3 minutes long. I heard of a race once, it was held between an aggressive driver, and a law-abiding driver, over a 30-minute commute. The aggressive driver stacked up a dozen traffic violations and he only beat the law-abiding driver by only 8 minutes.

Sleep is very important to your body and mind. It is the time for the body to heal and for the mind to go over the things of the day. If you do not get enough sleep after a while (well over a week) it can cause hallucinations and later even result in death.

Tips for a Good Night's Sleep
Provided by: National Institute of Neurological Disorders and Stroke
http://us.lrd.yahoo.com/_ylt=Am2PMUriLj07OYvu6mao5zTDtcUF/SIG=1179t4bbp/**http%3a//www.ninds.nih.gov/index.htm

Last Updated: July 1, 2001
Adapted from "When You Can't Sleep: The ABCs of ZZZs," by the National Sleep Foundation.
Set a schedule
Go to bed at a set time each night and get up at the same time each morning. Disrupting this schedule may lead to insomnia. "Sleeping in" on weekends also makes it harder to wake up early on Monday morning because it re-sets your sleep cycles for a later awakening.
Exercise
Try to exercise 20 to 30 minutes a day. Daily exercise often helps people sleep, although a workout soon before bedtime may interfere with sleep. For maximum benefit, try to get your exercise about 5 to 6 hours before going to bed.
Avoid caffeine, nicotine, and alcohol
Avoid drinks that contain caffeine, which acts as a stimulant and keeps people awake. Sources of caffeine include coffee, chocolate, soft drinks, non-herbal teas, diet drugs, and some pain relievers. Smokers tend to sleep very lightly and often wake up in the early morning due to nicotine withdrawal. Alcohol robs people of deep sleep and REM sleep and keeps them in the lighter stages of sleep.
Relax before bed
A warm bath, reading, or another relaxing routine can make it easier to fall sleep. You can train yourself to associate certain restful activities with sleep and make them part of your bedtime ritual.
Sleep until sunlight
If possible, wake up with the sun, or use very bright lights in the morning. Sunlight helps the body's internal biological clock reset itself each day. Sleep experts recommend exposure to an hour of morning sunlight for people having problems falling asleep.
Don't lie in bed awake
If you can't get to sleep, don't just lie in bed. Do something else, like reading, watching television, or listening to music, until you feel tired. The anxiety of being unable to fall asleep can actually contribute to insomnia.
Control your room temperature
Maintain a comfortable temperature in the bedroom. Extreme temperatures may disrupt sleep or prevent you from falling asleep.
See a doctor if your sleeping problem continues
If you have trouble falling asleep night after night, or if you always feel tired the next day, then you may have a sleep disorder and should see a physician. Your primary care physician may be able to help you; if not, you can probably find a sleep specialist at a major hospital near you. Most sleep disorders can be treated effectively, so you can finally get that good night's sleep you need.

Answer 2

Non-fat Skim

Answer 3

tryptophan - amino acid - is part of proteins. Not fats. So fats do not influence. Maybe only on digestive tract a bit and some will prefer skimmed milk, others natural.

Answer 4

HI. I find 2% works for me. Skin milk is like water. I also add a wee bit of sugar.

Answer 5

Go for kettlebell workouts — the average person burns 400 calories in 20 min's.

Answer 6

I only drink non-fat milk, and I find it works just as well as "fat" milk to help me sleep.

Answer 7

i think there is no difference in what kinda milk u drink ya.but rather which would suit u better...like let's say u're on a diet.definitely u'll opt for non-fat milk.

Answer 8

Anything warm that you drink can be a sleep aide.

Answer 9

Muscle mass can burn more calories, so include three 20-minute strength-training sessions each week.

Answer 10

Add an extra five minutes on your cardio routine.

Answer 11

Add sprinting intervals to your workout to target belly fat.