Bedtime Drinks

About Warm Milk

Milk contains tryptophan, an amino acid. Your body turns tryptophan into melatonin, the sleep hormone. That is why warm milk supposedly makes you sleepy.

One glass is nowhere near enough tryptophan.

Even what little is in milk has to cross a barrier to reach the brain. There, it competes with other amino acids for limited space. It usually loses.

So does warm milk do nothing? Not quite.

A warm drink relaxes you on its own. And a small ritual — once I finish this, I go to bed — becomes a signal your body learns to read.

That is probably what is actually working. The reason is different from the one you were told, but if it helps, there is no need to stop.

What About GABA?

GABA quiets activity in the brain. It is added to many drinks and snacks.

The catch: GABA taken by mouth does not reach the brain. There is a barrier, and it cannot get through.

Some researchers think it may still work indirectly, through the body rather than the brain.

So it is not necessarily useless. It just does not do what the label implies.

Other Drinks

• Chamomile tea. The mechanism here is reasonably well understood, though the effect is mild. If you take medication, check for interactions first.
• Tart cherry juice. It contains melatonin. There is research behind it, but the studies are all small, and most involve drinking it daily for one to two weeks.
• Alcohol. It does help you fall asleep, but it makes the second half of the night much shallower. Not worth it.
• Coffee, tea, energy drinks. Caffeine lingers far longer than most people assume. Go easy after mid-afternoon.

Things to Watch Out For

Drink a lot right before bed and you will be up for the bathroom. An hour beforehand, and not too much, is safer.

If dairy does not agree with you, do not force it.

And if you have been unable to sleep for days on end, no drink is going to fix that. Please see a doctor.