Enhancing Melatonin Secretion: The Methodical Consumption of Tryptophan from Whole Cow’s Milk to Regulate Sleep Quality in Individuals Aged 18-30 with Delayed Sleep-Wake Phase Disorder

Enhancing Melatonin Secretion: The Methodical Consumption of Tryptophan from Whole Cow’s Milk to Regulate Sleep Quality in Individuals Aged 18-30 with Delayed Sleep-Wake Phase Disorder

Pre-Recorded

Young adults in the United States are increasingly affected by DSPD (delayed sleep-wake phase disorder), a circadian rhythm disorder that delays evening sleep and morning wake times. Although medicinal supplements have shown to produce effective results on sleep induction, they come with unwanted side-effects. A review of the literature on clinical nutrition and endocrinology suggests that dietary alterations through the timed consumption of tryptophan-abundant whole cow’s milk could be a supplemental means of improving sleep quality. Studies on chrono nutrition indicate that dietary components absorbed by the bloodstream can change the circadian schedule of melatonin secretion from the pineal gland, and the timed consumption of tryptophan through one cup of milk can consequently spike melatonin levels before a DSPD patient’s desired sleep time. This MILC treatment may decrease the patient’s morning sleepiness on the basis that disordered, high-stressed, and sleep deprived individuals are susceptible to minimal changes in hormones because their bodies naturally attempt to attain homeostatic equilibrium. The correlation between chrono-nutrition and dietary effectiveness is a novel idea, and testing is needed to quantify the optimal timings and ranges of dietary intake that can produce a significant effect on the sleep schedule of a DSPD patient.