Calming drinks that help you sleep well

Warm milky drinks and Theraputic teas have been used for thousands of years to support sleeping well.

Having one of these calming drinks to soothe your nervous system and assist digestion will help you unwind and get a good nights’ sleep.

Warm, milky drinks

Warm milk is a traditional bedtime treat. There are three reasons for this.

1. It contains the hormone melatonin and the amino acid tryptophan, which both support the wind down process that needs to happen in your body for quality sleep.
2. There is a calming association with warm milk and sleep… from the time we were infants, when we drank milk and went to sleep.
3. If your stomach is empty, milk rebalances your blood sugar levels without overloading your digestive system, so you don’t wake in the night feeling hungry.

If you are lactose intolerant or have milk allergies you can substitute cows milk with soy, almond, goat or rice milk.

I love curling up with a warm milky drink before bed, especially in the wintertime.

Simply warming milk and adding honey is one of the oldest sleep remedies around. There are many variations of this… here are two of my favourite recipes:

Nourishing Nutmeg Milk

1/3 cup of water
2/3 cup of milk (any kind)
1/2 teaspoon of nutmeg (freshly grated is more potent)
A pinch of cinnamon

Simmer everything gently for a few minutes then strain and allow to cool before adding honey to taste…

Calming Cardamon Milk

1/3 cup of water
2/3 cup of milk (any kind)
1/2 teaspoon of cardamon powder (or 4 pods cracked open)

Simmer everything gently for a few minutes then strain and allow to cool before adding honey to taste… yummm!

Therapeutic Teas

Plants with healing properties have been used to make therapeutic or medicinal tea for more than 5 thousand years. There are many plants that help put your body in a balanced state for sleep.

The great thing is that you can make these therapeutic drinks in your own kitchen. Make sure you let them steep for at least ten minutes so you get the full medicinal benefits, and remember that you can add honey or sweetener to taste.

I recommend these teas for sleep: Passionflower, Lemon balm, Chamomile, Peppermint, Rooibos (Red Tea), St Johns wart, Lavender, Dandelion leaf and Oatstraw. You can drink them as individual teas or in blends.

I know that these kinds of drinks aren’t everyone’s cup of tea, but if you’ve only tried one or two kinds, I urge you to try again. They all have a unique flavour and a good blend can make all the difference…  so shop around or mix your own.

I like blending Passionflower, Camomile and Peppermint and adding a dash of honey.

Enjoy!

Anna