The Effect of Doogh (a Traditional Yogurt Drink) Consumption on Quality of Sleep in Female Students with Sleep Disorders: A Randomized Clinical Trial

Background and Objectives: Sleep quality, which plays an important role in human physical and psychological well-being, can be affected by dietary intake. The present interventional study was conducted to investigate the effect of doogh (a traditional yogurt drink) consumption on improvement of sleep quality in university students with sleep disorders.  Materials & Methods: This clinical trial was performed on 40 students residing at Ahvaz Jundishapur University of Medical Sciences in 2017. Participants with sleep disorders were identified through Pittsburgh Sleep Quality Index (PSQI). Then they were divided into two groups of intervention and control by random allocation. Participants in the intervention group received 300 mL of doogh one hour before bedtime for three weeks, and the control group was given 300 mL of mineral water instead. After intervention, all subjects filled in the PSQI questionnaire again. Results: At the end of the intervention, subjective sleep quality, sleep duration and sleep efficiency improved in the intervention group significantly (p=0.013, p=0.039 and p=0.015, respectively). Sleep disturbances and sleep latency were also decreased significantly (p<0.001 and p=0.002, respectively). Conclusion: It seems doogh consumption has a significant role in improving sleep quality and reducing sleep disorders in students. So it could be administrated for students with sleep disorders.