[News] Got Milk?

[ApneaNews]

Milk: The Bedtime Drink

Prominent Sleep Expert Partners with GOT MILK? to Educate Californians about Establishing a Nighttime Routine for Better Sleep

Between obligations from family and work as well as distractions from TVs, computers and smartphones, sometimes the last thing on people's minds is sleep. According to the National Center on Sleep Disorder Research at the National Institutes of Health (NIH), as much as 40 percent of the U.S. population suffers from insomnia. Millions also suffer from sleep disorders such as snoring, sleep apnea and nighttime wakening, even if they sleep the appropriate number of hours every night. Thankfully, there are simple ways to combat this problem, even as simple as drinking milk before bed. That's why the California Milk Processor Board (CMPB), the creator of GOT MILK?, has partnered with renowned sleep expert Dr. Nina Shapiro to educate Californians about the importance of establishing a nighttime routine that starts with the real and simple beverage, milk.

"Whether you drink it warm or cold, drinking milk has been scientifically proven to help relax the body," says Dr. Shapiro, who practices at the University of California, Los Angeles' Geffen School of Medicine and the Sleep Center. "Milk is high in protein, vitamins, calcium, and the amino acid tryptophan which all have a positive impact on sleep quality."

This spring, the CMPB launched two, 30-second TV spots titled 'Goddess' and 'Flight' to reinforce how drinking milk before bed can help achieve quality sleep and ultimately, longer, lasting positive dreams. The campaign is also supported by radio spots on Pandora as well as online banner and bus shelter ads.

"The advertising campaign coupled with the education program with Dr. Shapiro provides a holistic approach to raising awareness about the milk health benefit of sleep," says Steve James, Executive Director of the CMPB. "We're excited to partner with Dr. Shapiro to provide tips to Californians about the importance of setting a nighttime routine for better sleep quality."

The National Center on Sleep Disorder Research also reports that getting proper rest not only helps people recover from the day, but it also helps prepare the mind and body for a successful start the next day. People who lack proper sleep suffer from fatigue, stress, increased risk of motor vehicle accidents, irritability, and have shorter attention spans throughout the day.

Along with consuming the nighttime drink, milk, prior to bed, Dr. Shapiro encourages practicing the following nighttime routine:

NO SUGAR - A bowl of frosted marshmallow flakes or a scoop of ice cream can be very tempting as nighttime snack. Sugary foods will cause a sudden spike in blood sugar levels, followed by a crash one to two hours later. This may lead to restlessness and nighttime wakening. Avoiding sugar will help relax the body before bed and enhance both depth of sleep and sleep quality. .

SHUT OFF - Most of us aren't getting enough sleep because we're always "ON." We're over-scheduled and over-stimulated with television, computers, smartphones and other electronic devices. Why not dedicate the last hour before bed to YOU? Take the time to decompress, take a bath and turn off electronic devices. Doing so will keep your mind at peace, preparing you for a good night's rest.

TO-DO LIST - If you find yourself thinking of things you need to do after you've left the office for the day, write them down on a piece of paper (or your phone's notepad) and put them away. Not only will you have a clear roadmap for the next morning, but you'll also clear your head and focus on rest.


Fair use from:
http://www.sacbee.com/2013/04/03/5313468...drink.html

[DocWils]

Unfortunately, drinking milk before bedtime is a bad idea for apnoea sufferers, it is in fact a no-no, as is consuming nay mucous forming substance. Milk encourages the formation of mucous and increases any post nasal drip considerably, which increases the chance of OSA caused by mucous blocking the airway and percussive breathing (coughing for you civilians). So, no, it does promote sleepiness if you drink warm (not cold) milk, especially with a drop of brandy in it, but for pretty much anyone on this forum, the answer is it is not really advisable.

[zonk]

according to Australian study by university of Adelaide did not show a significant relationship between mucus production and milk consumption
http://www.ncbi.nlm.nih.gov/pubmed/2154152

Brandy with milk or

[DocWils]

Yes, I saw that study, but it was flawed and so far, no one here is willing to go with it. One study does not a medical trend make - it has to be backed up by several others, and so far it hasn't.

[zonk]

okay ... according to Swiss study "children who drink raw milk are 48% less likely to have problems with allergies and asthma than those who are raised without it". http://www.ncbi.nlm.nih.gov/pubmed/21875744

[DocWils]

Yes, and? Exactly what has that to do with natural milk intolerance and mucous formation in adults? You are looking at little bits around edges and not looking at the actual question at hand. Sure, there is lots of data about drinking milk and its effects on health at various stages of life, and much is confirmed for one thing or another, but the question at hand has little to do with building the immune system in children at all. It has to do with drinking milk or taking in milk products as adults and the mucous formation that often is associated with it, in response to the original article. There is no question as to the overall health benefits of milk in children (in adults it is a bit more questionable because there is a natural intolerance to milk that builds up as one matures, which many researchers have used to explain our change in preference to teas and coffees as we grow up), but if one has sleep apnoea, then current thinking is that it is inadvisable to exacerbate any possible triggers, including mucous and saliva production. The Australian study was flawed and has not been reproducible as of yet (something that the Swiss, Germans and Austrians would dearly love to do, given the high reliance on the milk production industry we have collectively), so until the study can be confirmed beyond a shadow of a doubt, which IMHO will be problematic given the strong observational evidence to the contrary, I will follow our official guidelines and continue to consider milk and milk products to be among the mucous forming substances category in adults.

[archangle]

Gee, Doc, you don't really think they'd imply these things in an ad campaign if it wasn't scientifically and medically valid, do you?



Next thing I know, you will be saying the herbal supplements for men they advertise on TV don't really make you bigger in the right places.

I probably need to add some cultural relevance for those outside the US. When you watch TV these days in the USA, it seems that about half the ads are quack medicine. I don't know how much of this goes on with Swiss or European TV.

In the US, Homeopathy has the same legal standing as real medicine. Actually, it has better legal standing, since there is no testing for effectiveness, only for safety and purity. Since homeopathic medicine has almost no active ingredients, it's usually "safe."

You can also sell quack medicine as long as you can claim it's a "food supplement," which is a pretty easy loophole to get through. In theory, you can't make bogus medical claims, but you can hint at it, offer testimonials, as long as you put in a disclaimer that "These statements have not been evaluated by the Food and Drug Administration. This product is not intended to diagnose, treat, cure, or prevent any disease."

The hucksters push the envelope of legality all the time, but rarely suffer the consequences.

"Healthy food" claims are almost as bad.

Do they allow this kind of questionable advertising over there?

[archangle]

However, It might not be a bad idea to try a glass of milk near bedtime and see how it works for you. Don't expect much help and watch for the drawbacks.

As someone pointed out on public TV the other day, lactose (milk) intolerance is the normal state of human adults. Only Europeans and a few other ethnic groups have good lactose tolerance, and even they have a fairly high percentage of intolerance. We should all watch for the problems milk can cause us.

[DocWils]

Lactose tolerance in adults does not extend as far as rendering non-mucous forming, at lest under current findings.

Quack medicines are a bit more regulated over here, as is advertising (although I notice that German tv has a lot, but they don't follow Swiss rules, anyway). Homoeopathic medicines and other herbal medicines, as well as TCM (Traditional Chinese medicine) are recognised under Swiss law as "non-school) medicines, meaning they are not part of normal medical school training, but are regulated and insured. Doctors are encouraged to supplement their normal education with knowledge of these as well, and those that have are covered under medical insurance. Some homoeopathic medicines are recognised as having some, if minor value in school medicine, for instance it is not uncommon for surgical patients to undergo a regime of arnica before and after surgery, as it has been demonstrated to reduce bruising and swelling post operatively, but it seems that mostly cosmetic surgeons recommend it. In addition, Bach Flower remedies are very common. But you must remember that what you call "health foods" and the like are sold in normal shops here, and are not only found in Reformhauser (our name for health food stores). They are getting into trouble in fact, since of old their exclusive claim was on bio (organic) foods, but that is also now commonly found in supermarkets, so they have to struggle against our giant supermarket chains these days.

We don't get a lot of quack medicine advertising here, although there is some in the print media. TV far less so. Mostly you get weight loss formulas and gadgets against tinnitus, most which don't work, but beyond that not a lot, since just about anything else you can get a prescription for. There are a lot of non-recognised alternative practitioners out there, but we do look into them at least to be sure they aren't hurting anyone physically. Taking your money, on the other hand...well, Switzerland is the original land of free enterprise.....

People here are raised to think differently about eating and medication than in the US, and taking natural supplements and yeast preparations are sort of ingrained, as are folk remedies, a lot of which work. So I am not sure that you can really compare the Swiss experience with the US. You might try the UK, and Russia is FULL of quacks and charlatans, and a lot are down right dangerous, but here we tend to be a bit more conservative and really old fashioned. We may be the centre of the pharmaceutical industry world wide, but the locals tend to grab for a traditional medicine before going to a doctor, and we might well prescribe a traditional medicine as well. My favourite though was a doctor in the UK who prescribed Guinness for me once many years back for a stomach complaint. I loved that guy....

[Sleepster]

I don't think the TV advertisements for quack medicine in the US are at all comparable to the situation in the UK.

It seems that every time I turn on the TV or the radio here in the US someone is claiming that this supplement or that is guaranteed to produce weight loss. It's gotten to the point that advertisement is now basically government-regulated lying.

In the UK there just aren't anywhere near as many TV advertisements of any kind.