Nutritional composition comprising probiotics and improving sleep patterns

2:

• The method of claim 1 wherein the humans or animals are selected from the group consisting of infants, young animals and young children.

3:

• The method of claim 1, wherein the humans or animals suffer from poor quality sleep and/or insomnia.

4:

• The method of claim 1, wherein the composition induces a mature sleep pattern or reduces the number of episodes of wakefulness in the humans or animals.

5:

• The method of claim 1, wherein the daily dose of probiotic bacteria is from 103 to 1012 colony forming units (cfu).

6:

• The method of claim 1, wherein the composition comprises from 103 to 1012 colony forming units (cfu) of probiotic bacteria per g of composition.

7:

• The method of claim 1, wherein the composition is a supplement and the probiotic bacterial strain is present in an amount of from 103 to 1012 cfu per unit dose.

8:

• 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 soup, a pet food, a liquid suspension, a powder, a tablet, a gum, a candy, a nutritional composition, and a nutritional supplement.

9:

• The method of claim 1, wherein the composition induces a more mature sleep pattern.

10:

• The method of claim 1, wherein the composition comprises carbohydrates, and the carbohydrates comprise rice carbohydrates.

11:

• The method of claim 1, wherein the composition is a starter infant formula or a follow-up infant formula.

12:

• A method for improving sleep quality or sleep patterns in humans or animals in need of same comprising administering a therapeutically-effective amount of a composition comprising a probiotic bacterial strain that is Bifidobacterium longum NCC3001.

13:

• The method of claim 12, wherein the humans or animals are selected from the group consisting of infants, young animals and young children.

14:

• The method of claim 12, wherein the humans or animals suffer from poor quality sleep and/or insomnia.

15:

• The method of claim 12, wherein the composition induces a mature sleep pattern or reduces the number of episodes of wakefulness in the humans or animals.

16:

• The method of claim 12, wherein the daily dose of probiotic bacteria is from 103 to 1012 colony forming units (cfu).

17:

• The method of claim 12, wherein the composition comprises from 103 to 1012 colony forming units (cfu) of probiotic bacteria per g of composition.

18:

• The method of claim 14, wherein the poor quality sleep and/or insomnia is stress-induced.

19:

• The method of claim 12, wherein the composition is a supplement and the probiotic bacterial strain is present in an amount of from 103 to 1012 cfu per unit dose.

20:

• The method of claim 12, 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 soup, a pet food, a liquid suspension, a powder, a tablet, a gum, a candy, a nutritional composition, and a nutritional supplement.

21:

• The method of claim 12, wherein the composition induces a more mature sleep pattern.

22:

• The method of claim 12, wherein the composition comprises carbohydrates, and the carbohydrates comprise rice carbohydrates.

23:

• The method of claim 12, wherein the composition is a starter infant formula or a follow-up infant formula.