Abstract
L-Tryptophane, an essential amino acid and a precursor of serotonin, is shown to have definite effects on human sleep. In normal subjects it reduces sleep latency and slightly increases sleep length without altering the qualitative characteristics of polygraphically recorded sleep. In a double-blind study of 24 hospitalized insomniac patients, doses of 4 g or 5 g of L-tryptophane significantly increased sleep time, reduced sleep latency, and reduced the number of awakenings.
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Hartmann, E., Chung, R. & Chien, CP. L-Tryptophane and sleep. Psychopharmacologia 19, 114–127 (1971). https://doi.org/10.1007/BF00402635
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DOI: https://doi.org/10.1007/BF00402635