Young adults in the United States are increasingly affected by DSPD (delayed sleep-wake phase disorder), a prevalent circadian rhythm disorder that delays evening sleep and morning wake times relative to the solar cycle. Although bright-light therapies and medicinal supplements have shown to produce effective results, they come with undesired side-effects, and a dietary method might reduce these effects. By incorporating clinical nutrition with endocrinology, I propose dietary alterations through the timed consumption of whole cow’s milk as a supplemental means of improving sleep quality and morning alertness in individuals with DSPD. I noted the parameters applied for DSPD patients to reset their circadian rhythm, and higher sleep quality correlated with the intake of tryptophan-abundant foods, such as whole cow’s milk. I examined how chrono nutrition and timing of food consumption can determine the effectiveness of dietary components being absorbed by the bloodstream. DSPD patients have imbalanced timing of melatonin secretion from the pineal gland, and timing the consumption of milk before the patient’s desired sleep time would not only give natural spikes to melatonin levels, but it could also promote circadian rhythm advancement. Based on findings gathered from other studies, I expect one cup of milk intake to prove a net improvement in sleep quality in DSPD patients due to milk’s ability to raise melatonin levels three hours after intake. Milk could decrease their morning sleepiness on the basis that disordered patients are susceptible to minimal changes in their body’s hormone levels. Due to the connection of chrono nutrition and dietary effectiveness being a novel idea, research is currently in the premature stages, and further testing is needed to quantify the optimal timings and ranges of dietary intake to produce a significant effect on the sleep schedule of a DSPD patient.
The Use of Cow’s Milk as a Dietary Source of Tryptophan to Regulate Sleep in Individuals Aged 13-24 with Delayed Sleep-Wake Phase Disorder
Category
Health and Human Development 2