In the UK, one of the most troubling disorders is sleep deprivation. According to official data made available by government agencies, more than one in four persons suffers from this disorder. Sleep loss can weaken your concentration, increasing your risk of committing mistakes both in the office and on the road.

Sleep Deprivation Effects

Sleep loss can cause huge negative impacts on your body. You may find yourself committing a lot of mistakes in the office due to a lack of focus. If you are driving a car, sleep loss can cause you to figure in an accident that can be fatal.

Aside from the loss of concentration, sleep deprivation can also increase your risk of developing many medical conditions, some of them serious. These include diabetes, obesity, and heart disease.

Fortunately, several solutions can help you overcome this problem. One of these solutions is making some simple changes in your regular diet and adding a comforting drink to your daily menu.

drink milk before sleeping
Glass of milk. congerdesign - Pixabay

A Soothing Beverage

Drinking milk before going to bed has been proven to help you get that much-needed deep sleep. Multiple studies have shown that milk has sleep-inducing properties and can aid in your fight against sleep deprivation.

Researchers say that tryptophan, a type of amino acid which milk is abundant with, plays a vital role in the making of serotonin. This is a neurotransmitter that has been linked to sleep and your levels of melatonin, a hormone that manages the sleep-wake cycles.

The National Sleep Foundation said that tryptophan does not instantly affect the levels of serotonin. This is because tryptophan is only among the many various amino acids that travel to the brain. It is usually among the least represented in foods, causing it to be always sidelined.

When combined with carbohydrates, however, the amino acid can then easily enter the brain. When the body consumes carbohydrates, it releases insulin, which effectively gets rid of amino acids from the blood except for tryptophan. Since tryptophan is left without any competition, it can now easily enter the brain and boost its serotonin levels.

Because milk is a good source of carbohydrate, it reacts with your body’s tryptophan and allows it to release greater amounts of serotonin. Thus, it could help you sleep better.