A good article here.
How To Get a Good Night’s Sleep with Tryptophan
By Ronald Steriti, NMD, PhD
For chronic insomniacs, getting a good night’s sleep may appear to be impossible. Fortunatelynature provides a natural sleep aid that is both safe and effective. L-tryptophan is an amino acid found inmany foods, including turkey. Turkey is well known to cause drowsiness, and the culprit is largeamounts of tryptophan. For many years L-tryptophan was the nutritional supplement of choice forchronic insomnia and depression. Those that have tried L-tryptophan can attest to its benefits:
“If I could take only one supplement with me on a desert island, it wouldbe tryptophan! It helps me sleep better, and improves my mood. It’s justwonderful.” Exclaims one long-time user.
The wonderful effect that tryptophan has on both mood and sleep may be because the bodynaturally converts tryptophan into both serotonin and melatonin. Serotonin levels affects mood and melatonin affects sleep.
Tryptophan
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5-HTP
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Serotonin
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Melatonin
Serotonin has a dramatic effect on mood. Serotonin is so powerful that an entire class of anti-depressant drugs work by stopping the breakdown of serotonin in the brain. These anti-depressant drugsare called Selective Serotonin Reuptake Inhibitors or SSRIs. Taking L-tryptophan can accomplish thesame thing by naturally increasing serotonin levels in the brain.
SSRI Drugs
Prozac (Fluoxetine)
Paxil (Paroxetine)
Zoloft (Sertaline)
Desyrel (Trazodone)
Effexor (Venlafaxine)
Scientific Research Validates Tryptophan for Insomnia
Most of the clinical research on tryptophan for insomnia occurred in the 1970s and 1980s. Tworecent clinical studies, however, have appeared after a 13-year hiatus. These studies may herald the revival of L-tryptophan into the marketplace.
Tryptophan Depletion in Insomniacs
Tryptophan depletion has a negative impact on sleep, according to recent research published inthe journal Psychiatry Research. Fifteen patients with primary insomnia were given a tryptophan-freeamino acid drink after spending four days in a sleep laboratory. Lab tests showed a significant decreasein serum tryptophan levels after the tryptophan-free amino acid drink, which indicated tryptophandepletion. Measurements of sleep parameters (stage 1 and stage 2 time, and rapid eye movement sleeptime) also showed a negative impact of tryptophan depletion on sleep. [1]
Tryptophan Protects Against Insomnia
Severe insomnia is a common side effect when using the antidepressant Prozac (fluoxetine). Arecent study found that when tryptophan (2 grams a day) was used in combination with Prozac (20 mgper day), there was a significantly greater decrease in depression scores, and an improvement in sleepafter four weeks of treatment. The authors concluded: “combining 20 mg of fluoxetine with 2 grams oftryptophan daily at the outset of treatment for major depressive disorder appears to be a safe protocolthat may have both a rapid antidepressant effect and a protective effect on slow-wave sleep.” [2]
Tryptophan is Effective for Chronic Insomnia
Six research studies have shown positive results for tryptophan in chronic insomniacs.
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What is The Optimal Dose of Tryptophan?
A review article published in Psychopharmacology found that L-tryptophan is effective for thetreatment of insomnia in doses ranging from 1 to 15 grams. Repeated administration of low doses of L-tryptophan may be required for therapeutic improvement in more chronic, well-established sleep-onsetinsomnia or in more severe insomnias characterized by both sleep onset and sleep maintenanceproblems. An important factor in the decision to give a trial of L-tryptophan is the absence of sideeffects and lack of development of tolerance in long-term use. Further, L-tryptophan does not causedifficulties when trying to wake up the next morning. [9]
Low doses of L-tryptophan (250 and 500 milligrams), however, were not found to have asignificant effect on sleep latency in a study of 21 psychiatric in-patients. [10]
For those with insomnia wishing to try L-tryptophan, a strong initial dose (one to four grams) isrecommended for the first week, followed by a lower maintenance dose (500 mg to 1 gram). Those notresponding to this therapy should seek the advice of a well-trained naturopathic doctor or holisticphysician to determine if an underlying disease state exists.What this means for youIf you have insomnia, tryptophan may help. Several research studies have confirmed L-tryptophan to be useful in the treatment of chronic insomnia at doses of between one to four grams atbedtime. Further, L-tryptophan is not associated with side effects that are common with prescriptiondrugs, nor does it cause difficulty in waking up the next morning. This makes L-tryptophan an attractivealternative to conventional drug therapies for the treatment of chronic insomnia.
References
1.Riemann, D., et al., The tryptophan depletion test: impact on sleep in primary insomnia - a pilotstudy. Psychiatry Res, 2002. 109(2): p. 129-35.
2.Levitan, R.D., et al., Preliminary randomized double-blind placebo-controlled trial oftryptophan combined with fluoxetine to treat major depressive disorder: antidepressant andhypnotic effects. J Psychiatry Neurosci, 2000. 25(4): p. 337-46.
3.Demisch, K., J. Bauer, and K. Georgi, Treatment of severe chronic insomnia with L-tryptophanand varying sleeping times. Pharmacopsychiatry, 1987. 20(6): p. 245-8.
4.Spinweber, C.L., L-tryptophan administered to chronic sleep-onset insomniacs: late- appearingreduction of sleep latency. Psychopharmacology, 1986. 90(2): p. 151-5.
5.Fitten, L.J., J. Profita, and T.G. Bidder, L-tryptophan as a hypnotic in special patients. J AmGeriatr Soc, 1985. 33(4): p. 294-7.
6.Hartmann, E., J.G. Lindsley, and C. Spinweber, Chronic insomnia: effects of tryptophan,flurazepam, secobarbital, and placebo. Psychopharmacology, 1983. 80(2): p. 138-42.
7.Schneider-Helmert, D., Interval therapy with L-tryptophan in severe chronic insomniacs. Apredictive laboratory study. Int Pharmacopsychiatry, 1981. 16(3): p. 162-73.
8.Hartmann, E. and R. Elion, The insomnia of 'sleeping in a strange place': effects of l-tryptophane. Psychopharmacology (Berl), 1977. 53(2): p. 131-3.
9.Schneider-Helmert, D. and C.L. Spinweber, Evaluation of L-tryptophan for treatment ofinsomnia: a review. Psychopharmacology, 1986. 89(1): p. 1-7.
10.Ferrero, F. and J. Zahnd, [Tryptophan in the treatment of insomnia in hospitalized psychiatricpatients]. Encephale, 1987. 13(1): p. 35-7.
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In a pharmaceutical grade quality. 
