Hot Chocolate: Bed Time Drink or Disturbed Sleep?

Many say that drinking milk before going to sleep helps improve the quality and or length of one's sleep. However even if you dont have a problem with lactose but do happen to experience some bloating after drinking milk ( as it just so happens that you are having episodes of hyperacidiy) , is it right that it is not milk perse that causes the bloating but rather the fat content in milk so If you take non fat milk then you wont experience bloating when taking milk even if you have some hyperacidity. Some say its the calcium in milk that causes bloating for those who have hyper acidity . What is right ?

Though milk components and serving temperature are not likely to influence the onset of sleep through physiological means, warm milk might have psychological significance. The routine of consuming a glass of warm milk may elicit memories of mom, home, and comforts of childhood that help us to relax. This is part of the natural transition from wakefulness to sleep. Recommendations include practicing stress reduction techniques, sticking to a regular sleep schedule, creating a relaxing bedroom environment, and avoiding caffeine or heavy meals close to bedtime.

Lactose intolerance is not due to milk's fat content. It's due to inability to digest lactose, the predominant sugar of milk. This inability results from a shortage of the enzyme lactase, and drinking skim milk isn't going to improve the problem.

Chocolate contains caffeine and will interfere with sleep.

Why exactly chocolate negatively affects our sleep? The answer is simple: chocolate is a mild stimulant. Many might be surprised to hear that chocolate actually contains small amounts of caffeine. However, the main "offender" of our precious sleep contained in chocolate is theobromine, which is also, at least in part, is responsible for bitter taste of dark chocolate. Cocoa powder - which is mixed with milk to cook hot chocolate drink - may contain from 2% to at least 10% of theobromine in it.

Even though, theobromine and caffeine are similar in that they are related alkaloids, theobromine is weaker. However, theobromine stimulates the heart to a greater degree. Theobromine can cause sleeplessness, tremors, restlessness, anxiety, as well as contribute to increased production of urine. Additional side effects include loss of appetite, nausea, and even vomiting.