Tryptophan and sleep: breakfast tryptophan content and sleep

Abstract

The breakfast tryptophan intake affects circadian typology and sleep habits for children and students aged 2-25 yrs. Breakfast tryptophan and vitamin B6 intakes and sunlight-exposure can promote morning-typology in young children aged 2-6 yrs based on the results of questionnaire studies and in university soccer team members aged 18-25 yrs based on intervention studies. Tryptophan intake effects can be abolished by evening exposure to a fluorescent lamp; for example, salivary melatonin level of the soccer team members was suppressed by exposure to lights from fluorescent lamps. Evening typology correlated positively with body mass index both of young children aged 2-6 yrs and their mothers.