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The Fact
It's not so much the tryptophan in milk that helps people fall asleep, but rather the belief that the "milk hypnosis" mentality has a placebo effect, making people fall asleep faster. If you continue to believe this, then milk may really work for your insomnia.
Milk does contain L-tryptophan, and L-tryptophan is indeed used to make the sleep-inducing hormones serotonin and melatonin. That's probably why this myth is so well known - there's some scientific basis to it. Not only milk, but also meat is widely found in tryptophan. But the total amount of tryptophan in a small serving is generally not enough to cause fluctuations in the body's hormone levels.
In addition, there is a "blood-brain barrier" between our fragile brain and the blood, which protects ourselves from the invasion of foreign substances, but also blocks the entry of some beneficial substances. Therefore, any substance that is to act as a hypnotic must first be able to pass through this barrier in order to be effective. Milk is rich in various amino acids, including tryptophan, but this protein-rich food will cause a general rise in the content of various types of amino acids in the blood, and various amino acids will compete for the passage through the blood-brain barrier—— Like a subway entrance during rush hour - it reduces tryptophan's ability to cross the blood-brain barrier.
Instead of drinking milk to help you sleep, eat some biscuits.
Everyone knows that people feel sleepy after a full meal, but there are different opinions on the underlying reasons. One hypothesis is that carbohydrates stimulate the synthesis of insulin, which allows amino acids other than tryptophan to enter muscle tissue. This makes it easier for tryptophan to enter the brain, and the person becomes lethargic. Another well-known hypothesis is that eating large amounts of food reduces blood flow to the digestive tract and reduces blood flow to the brain, resulting in fatigue and sleepiness. However, the current findings suggest that blood flow to the brain does not change significantly before and after eating, and even if this hypothesis is true, liquid food is not as effective as solid food. If you replace milk with a large bowl of supper, you may sleep easier (and, of course, easier to understand what "a horse without night grass is not fat").
Seeing this, some readers may have thought that taking tryptophan on an empty stomach can help you fall asleep, and this is the truth. L-tryptophan supplements (about 1,000-2,000 mg per day) were once sold in the U.S. to treat insomnia, depression, and other issues, but the FDA recalled the supplement in 1989 after research found it could potentially cause a range of health problems. However, it is only possible, and their exact link to L-tryptophan supplementation has not yet been established.
In fact, it may be the heat of the milk rather than the milk itself that makes you feel sleepy. Studies have shown that rising skin temperature leads to faster sleep. But most of the time, a glass of milk that makes it to the gastrointestinal tract is not enough to give your skin a noticeable rise. In contrast, a hot bath will be much more effective.
CONCLUSIONS
Milk can hypnotize primarily with a psychological placebo effect. If you continue to believe this, then milk may really work for your insomnia.
Remedy
In fact, it may be the heat of the milk rather than the milk itself that makes you feel sleepy. Indeed, research has proven that rising skin temperature results in a faster fall asleep. But most of the time, a glass of milk that reaches your gastrointestinal tract isn't enough to warm your skin. In contrast, a hot bath will be much more effective.
