Effects of Melatonin-Rich Milk on Mild Insomnia Symptoms

• Main Authors: Sahng Mee Bae, Jahyun Jeong, Hong Jun Jeon, Young Rong Bang, In-Young Yoon
• Format: Article
• Language: English
• Published: Korean Society of Sleep Medicine 2016-12-01
• Series: Sleep Medicine Research
• Subjects: Insomnia; Melatonin; Milk
• Online Access: http://www.sleepmedres.org/upload/pdf/smr-2016-00108.pdf

Background and Objective Insomnia symptoms are common in the general population. This study evaluated the effects of melatonin-rich milk, which contains 10 times more melatonin than usual milk, on insomnia symptoms. Methods Double-blind randomized placebo-controlled trial was performed. A total of 91 subjects aged 21−69 years with mild insomnia symptoms were recruited from the community. All the subjects underwent baseline studies for insomnia severity index, Pittsburgh sleep questionnaire index, Epworth sleepiness scale (ESS), Beck depression inventory and a sleep satisfaction scale (range 1−10). For two weeks, the subjects consumed a cup of either melatonin-rich milk or usual milk before going to sleep. Two weeks later, they completed the same questionnaires used in the baseline. Changes in the questionnaire scores for each group were calculated, after which we compared the differences between the two groups. Results Among 91 subjects (male 18, female 73, age 42.1 ± 14.1 years), 44 subjects drank the melatonin-rich milk and 47 drank the usual milk. There was no statistical difference in demographic variables between the two groups. Subjects consuming the melatonin-rich milk reported an improvement in sleep satisfaction scale than the usual milk group (p = 0.023), with significant improvement observed in the subjects aged 20−30 years (p = 0.048). In the ESS Scale, the subjects who had daytime sleepiness showed significant improvement difference between the two groups (p = 0.014), especially in the 20−30 years age group (p = 0.031). Conclusion sMelatonin-rich milk could be an easy and beneficial regimen for young people suffering from mild insomnia, by preventing the development of chronic insomnia.