Thought the following may be of interest since REM sleep (or lack thereof) is often mentioned around here... looks like Tryptophan and Serotonin are involved. Note: Milk contains Tryptophan... drink a glass before you go to bed!
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http://sleepdisorders.about.com/od/slee ... rition.htm
Foods that promote sleep include leafy green vegetables, rich in chlorophyll, whole grain breads and cereals and mushrooms. Fruits, especially berries, help with sleep problems. Even spices, including dill sage, and basil.
The time-honored remedy of a glass of warm milk at bedtime, is still a common method to aid sleep. Milk contains tryptophan, and tryptophan is converted into serotonin, the hormone that controls sleep. Other foods containing tryptophan are honey, turkey, egg whites and tuna, all good as night time snacks.
Other supplements include melatonin, a hormone secreted by the pineal gland that induces sleep. Tryptophan, mentioned above as a component of milk and other foods. Tryptophan is an amino acid and ix converted into serotonin. 5-HTP (5-hydroxytryptophan) increases REM sleep and increases the deep sleep stages of sleep.
Bed-time food supplements and sleep: effects of different carbohydrate levels.
http://www.ncbi.nlm.nih.gov/sites/entre ... t=Citation
"Blood glucose levels were altered during sleep by means of manipulating carbohydrate (CHO) intake through bed-time food supplements.
...
A high CHO condition resulted in significantly reduced stages 1 + 0 sleep over the whole night and
significantly increased REM sleep during the first half of the night.
It was concluded that relatively
high blood glucose levels were required to alter sleep, and perhaps lead to more 'restful' sleep. The REM sleep changes were discussed in relation to increases in brain serotonin synthesis mediated by elevated blood glucose levels.
Impact of experimentally induced serotonin deficiency by tryptophan depletion on sleep EEG in healthy subjects.
http://www.ncbi.nlm.nih.gov/sites/entre ... t=Citation
"
After tryptophan depletion but not placebo, significant effects on sleep EEG were observed in terms of
decreased non-rapid eye movement (non-REM) stage 2, increase of wake %, and of rapid eye movement (REM) density compared with baseline. REM latency was not altered, however
the first and second REM period interval were significantly shorter after tryptophan depletion.
This study underlines the impact of the serotonergic system on sleep maintenance and on REM sleep."
Impaired Nighttime Sleep in Healthy Old Versus Young Adults Is Associated with Elevated Plasma Interleukin-6 and Cortisol Levels: Physiologic and Therapeutic Implications
http://jcem.endojournals.org/cgi/content/full/88/5/2087
We conclude that in healthy adults, age-related alterations in nocturnal wake time and daytime sleepiness are associated with elevations of both plasma IL-6 and cortisol concentrations,
but REM sleep decline with age is primarily associated with cortisol increases.
Mid-morning Tryptophan Depletion Delays REM Sleep Onset in Healthy Subjects
http://www.nature.com/npp/journal/v27/n ... 5948a.html
"Because serotonin is involved in the diachronic regulation of sleep, we tested the effect of a midmorning rapid deficiency in the serotonin precursor tryptophan on the next night's sleep.
"... The results show that
midmorning RTD (rapid tryptophan depletion)
delays REM sleep latency during following night-time sleep, whereas
evening RTD shortens REM sleep latency in previous studies, and suggest that the serotonin control of REM sleep latency is upregulated."
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