Irish ‘lullaby milk’ could help insomniacs rest easy

A HERD of cows are being milked at 3 o’clock in the morning to produce a ‘lullaby milk’ which its producers say helps insomniacs, jet lag sufferers and children with sleeping problems.

Ardrahan Lullaby milk, which is substantially more expensive than regular milk at almost €2 a litre, has been produced in Kanturk, Co Cork for nearly two years. Ireland is the fifth country to start developing this niche market. Other dairies are in Britain, Finland, Japan and Switzerland.

As the cows are milked before daybreak, their milk is high in a natural hormone produced by the brain during darkness, melatonin (5-methoxy-N-acetyltryptamine). Darkness stimulates the release of melatonin and light suppresses its activity in our nervous system.