According to an article in the Guardian, a German company has patented 'midnight milk' - a milk that contains 25 times more melatonin than regular milk.
To produce this dream milk, the cows are exposed to high levels of light during the day and low levels of light during the night. The cows are also bathed in warm, soft-hued lights that apparently help to keep them calm. The cows are also fed large amounts of clover which contains high levels of protein and tryptophan - an amino acid needed by the body to create melatonin. The animals are then milked between the hours of 2am and 4am.
If you're worried that the nighttime milkings are stressful for the cows, fear not - apparently the daytime light coupled with the soft lighting at night actually helps the cows sleep better, so it looks like this midnight milk can help cure insomnia in humans and cows alike.
Before you get too excited, be aware that an independent website which investigates claims made by the pharmaceutical industry warns that the milk would have to be drunk in huge quantities to have any real effect. A consumer watchdog says that if you took the powdered midnight milk as a substitute for melatonin supplements, you'd need to consume around two million portions.
Perhaps this is an insomnia cure exclusively for milk lovers, then.
Improve your sleep in two weeks: Over 5,000 insomniacs have completed my free insomnia sleep training course and 97% of graduates say they would recommend it to a friend. Learn more here.
Last updated: November 27, 2010
