Nutritional composition comprising probiotics and improving sleep patterns

Abstract

This invention relates to the use of a probiotic bacterial strain in the manufacture of a medicament or therapeutic nutritional composition for improving the maturation of sleep patterns in infants, young children or young animals and/or for reducing sleep disturbances and/or improving sleep patterns in humans or animals at any age.

1 . A method for reducing the ratio %: REM/(REM+NREM) by at least 8% in humans or animals in comparison to corresponding non-treated humans or animals, wherein REM is duration of active sleep in minutes and NREM is the duration of quiet sleep in minutes, the method comprising administering a composition comprising a probiotic bacteria to a human or animal in need of same. 
     
     
         2 . The method of  claim 1  wherein the composition is a medicament or a nutritional composition. 
     
     
         3 . The method of  claim 1  wherein the human or animal is selected from the group consisting of infants, young animals and young children. 
     
     
         4 . The method of  claim 1  wherein the human or animal suffers from poor quality sleep and/or insomnia. 
     
     
         5 . The method of  claim 1  wherein the composition induces a mature sleep pattern or reduces the number of episodes of wakefulness in the human or animal. 
     
     
         6 . The method of  claim 1  wherein the probiotic bacteria is selected from the group consisting of  lactobacillus  and  bifidobacterium.    
     
     
         7 . The method of  claim 5 , wherein the  lactobacillus  is selected from the group consisting of a  Lactobacillus rhamnosus  species, a  Lactobacillus paracasei  species, and a  Lactobacillus reuteri  species. 
     
     
         8 . The method of  claim 5 , wherein the  bifidobacterium  is selected from the group consisting of a  Bifidobacterium lactis  species, a  Bifidobacterium breve  species and a  Bifidobacterium infantis  species. 
     
     
         9 . The method of  claim 1  wherein the daily dose of the probiotic bacteria is 10 3  to 10 12  colony forming units (cfu). 
     
     
         10 . The method of  claim 1  wherein the daily dose of the probiotic bacteria is 10 7  to 10 11  cfu. 
     
     
         11 . The method of  claim 1  wherein the composition comprises from 10 3  to 10 12  cfu of the probiotic bacteria per g of the composition. 
     
     
         12 . The method of  claim 1  wherein the composition comprises from 10 7  to 10 11  cfu of the probiotic bacteria per g of the composition. 
     
     
         13 . The method of  claim 1  wherein the composition comprises the probiotic bacteria in an amount from 10 3  to 10 12  cfu/g of the dry composition. 
     
     
         14 . The method of  claim 1  wherein the composition comprises the probiotic bacteria in an amount from 10 6  to 10 9  cfu/g of the dry composition. 
     
     
         15 . The method of  claim 1  wherein the composition is a supplement and the probiotic bacteria is present in an amount of 10 3  to 10 12  cfu per unit dose. 
     
     
         16 . The method of  claim 1  wherein the composition is in a form selected from the group consisting of a human milk fortifier, an infant formula, a follow on formula, a growing up milk, an infant cereal, a baby food, a yogurt, a cereal bar, a breakfast cereal, a dessert, a frozen food, a pet food, a liquid suspension, a powder, tablet, a gum, a candy, a nutritional composition, and a nutritional supplement. 
     
     
         17 . The method of  claim 1  wherein the human or animal is suffering from a pathological condition inducing sleep disturbances, the condition selected from the group consisting of allergies, food intolerances, malnutrition, chronic inflammation, critical illness, trauma, infection, surgery, attention deficit/hyperactivity disorders, depression, anxiety, fatigue and stress. 
     
     
         18 . The method of  claim 1  wherein the composition comprises carbohydrates comprising rice carbohydrates. 
     
     
         19 . The method of  claim 18  wherein at least 10% (w/w) of the carbohydrates are the rice carbohydrates. 
     
     
         20 . The method of  claim 1  wherein the composition is a starter infant formula or a follow-up infant formula.