Supercharge Your Sleep with 1 Simple Bedtime Routine

Over 70 million Americans report chronic trouble sleeping. Being sleepy is kinda like living life intoxicated. It affects vigilance, reaction times, learning abilities, alertness, mood, hand-eye coordination, and the accuracy of short-term memory. In short, it just sucks. There are lots of factors that affect sleep quality, but today we'll focus on just one thing that's unknown to most people, that can positively affect your sleep and other important health markers and that's a bedtime protein shake.

The Benefits of a Bedtime Protein Shake

Most people view protein shakes as a post workout snack or maybe a convenient breakfast, but what they don't realize is that drinking a protein shake before bed can actually improve the quality of their sleep significantly.


For you science aficionados out there, protein contains an important amino acid called tryptophan that enhances the production of serotonin which helps relax you, and melatonin which makes you sleepy. 


The caveat is that you don't want to drink a protein shake with sugar or other stimulants. Sugar instantly increases energy levels which defeats the purpose of drinking a protein shake to aid in catching some quality zzzz's. Also, some protein drinks contain caffeine which is great for certain times of day like if your drinking our ProLoco Más + Energy in the morning, but you'll want to avoid any stimulants before bed so opt for our caffeine-free ProLoco Más in that case. 


Drinking a protein shake before bed isn't just going to help you sleep though, there are 3 other key health markers that will improve from adopting this bedtime routine.

#1 Builds & Preserves Muscle

When we exercise, our muscles breakdown through a process known as muscle protein breakdown (MPB). They require amino acids, the building blocks of protein to stimulate what's called Muscle Protein Synthesis and rebuild. Consuming protein before bed primes our muscles with the fuel they need to build and repair as we rest.

#2 Increases Energy Output

The more lean muscle the body has, the more energy output it's typically capable of. A 2016 study showed that consuming a protein shake before bed improves skeletal muscle adaptive response which is an indicator of endurance and strength. When the body is primed with sufficient amino acids to stimulate muscle protein synthesis, it improves energy output.

#3 Helps with Weight Loss

Drinking a protein shake before bed activates the metabolism, helping the body burn more calories during sleep. It also controls hunger by suppressing the hunger hormone ghrelin and promoting the satiety hormone leptin. Just be sure to consume fewer calories than you burn overall & that the addition of a protein shake does not put you over your limit.

How to Choose a Protein Shake

Besides avoiding protein drinks with sugar, stimulants and other unhealthy ingredients, the most important thing is to find one you enjoy! Developing this new bedtime habit will be a lot easier if you look forward to consuming your protein drink each night.


There are a lot of people out there who like the convenience of protein shakes, but can't stomach the typical milky choco/vanilla shakes or are just tired of them and looking for a change. That's why we created ProLoco Más. ProLoco is a protein drink that's refreshing and tastes kinda like a sports drink! It's also got hydrating electrolytes and 100% daily value of B vitamins in each serving so it covers more bases than a typical protein shake too! If you're ready to dive into quality sleep and take advantage of all the other health benefits of a pre-bed protein drink, consider ProLoco Más!