OptimumSleep Last Updated: What do you do when you are not able to get any sleep? Some people count sheep. Some make mental calculations of their financial situation (for some that’s a surefire way to stay awake with worry!).
And there are some who get up to eat something and others who start browsing on their smartphones…
But do you know what smart people do when they are not able to get any sleep? They get up, go to the kitchen - not to eat anything - but to prepare a healthy beverage that can help them sleep well.
I’m going to share the secrets of these beverages with you so that you can try them yourself and get a sound sleep every night instead of trying unhealthy tactics like browsing on your phone (which is well and truly not a good way to get to sleep) or eating snacks.
So, Let’s go over some of the most effective beverages for inducing a deep sleep:
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The Best Beverages You Can Drink to Get a Sound Sleep
1. Good Old Milk
I can still remember how my mother used to forcibly make me drink milk after dinner. However much I may have resisted, I could never escape that glass of milk!
Even today, most wise moms make their kids drink milk after dinner - and this good habit serves two purposes:
Firstly, it provides calcium that is highly needed for the health of the bones and teeth.
The second purpose is it can help you sleep well.
Research studies have indicated that milk contains tryptophan, an amino acid that can stimulate the secretion of a sleep-inducing hormone, melatonin.
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Additionally, it can also produce an anxiolytic effect, meaning it can help you avoid stressful and anxious thoughts, thus creating a sense of relaxation needed to get a sound sleep.
So, even if you are a grown adult, don’t forget your good old habit of drinking a glass of milk, preferably warm, at night.
It’s simple, it’s traditional, and it will help you enjoy a refreshing sleep every night.
2. Almond Milk
Yes, milk again - though not the dairy kind.
Almonds are popular among health enthusiasts for their rich protein content. However, the sedative and tranquilizing properties of almonds are not known to many.
Almond milk can be a perfect bedtime beverage for you to overcome the complex maze of stressful thoughts in order to sleep well.
Almond milk, like cow’s milk, is a natural source of tryptophan, which is what your body needs to send you off to a dream world of undisturbed sleep.
And that’s not all. Almond milk provides another benefit in the form of its ability to enhance serotonin levels.
It stimulates the secretion of this hormone in your nervous system. Higher serotonin levels create a state of relaxation within your mind as well as in your muscles.
So if cow’s milk is not your thing, consider drinking a glass of almond milk before bedtime to get a sound sleep.
3. Valerian Tea
If the primary cause of your insomnia is severe anxiety or depression, you need a strong anxiolytic push to be able to sleep well.
And this anxiolytic push can be obtained via Valerian Tea prepared from the herbal extract of its roots.
This herb has been revered for centuries for its natural sedative effect. It can ease negative thoughts in the mind thus relieving the anxiety and stress that prevent you from getting any sleep.
Additionally, the sedative effect of Valerian Tea acts as an effective natural aid to prevent insomnia linked to muscle and joint pains.
It reduces the aches and pains in different parts of the body, allowing you to get a refreshing sleep without any discomfort.
4. Soy Milk, an Effective Sleep Formula
Soy milk, just like dairy milk, is rich in tryptophan. Research has shown that soy milk can induce a natural sedative effect by improving the body’s Melatonin levels.
Drinking soy milk comes with a unique advantage in that it can reduce the time you need to get sleep.
That means if you spend an unusually long time in bed before you can actually fall asleep, you can try this beverage.
Just help yourself to a glass of soy milk each night before bed to enter a deep sleep much earlier and enjoy an undisturbed sleep of 8 hours. Above all, drinking soy milk is safe even for kids.
5. Decaffeinated Green Tea
The moment we think of green tea, what comes first in our mind is a slim figure of a person who has managed to lose oodles of weight.
But the benefits of green tea are not limited to just allowing you to lose weight. It can also act as the perfect beverage for when getting sleep has become a major issue for you.
And it is the decaffeinated version of Green Tea that you need to drink before bedtime to enjoy this benefit - remember, caffeine is NOT your friend if sleep is on the cards!
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Green tea also contains an amino acid called theanine that has the potential to reduce mental stress and anxiety, and promote restful sleep.
6. The Warmth of Chamomile Tea
When a good night’s sleep has been evading you, you need to give your sleep-inducing hormones a boost by drinking a cup of chamomile tea before bedtime.
The sedative and tranquilizing effects of chamomile tea have been proven during research studies. The sedative effects can be attributed to the presence of a flavonoid compound called apigenin found in chamomile.
A warm beverage prepared by brewing the chamomile leaves or powder in boiling water can do a lot of good on those sleepless nights.
Simply strain the liquid and drink it while it’s still warm. It can produce an instant calming effect on your mind and body and help you get a sound sleep.
7. Coconut Water
This might be a surprise for you. Because most of us, in spite of being aware of the immense health benefits of coconut water, wouldn’t even consider as a nightcap when it’s time to sleep.
The diuretic powers of coconut water are so strong that it can force you to get up from sleep every now and then to visit the bathroom.
This is probably what you and most others would think of if ever considering drinking coconut water at night. And that’s where the surprise lies.
First of all, you are not to drink it before bedtime!
The secret here is to drink a glass of coconut water at least 5 hours before your planned bedtime. This will trigger a chain of events that can help you sleep well by the time you actually hit the bed.
To begin with, the potassium present in coconut water will cause relaxation of the muscles. Then, the magnesium present in it will promote the secretion of sleep-friendly hormones and also prevent stress, which is a common cause of sleeplessness.
Moreover, the rich amount of vitamin B in coconut water will add to the sleep-inducing effect by relieving anxiety.
All these beneficial properties of coconut water can be enjoyed without having to get up for frequent bathroom trips by drinking it long before bedtime.
8. Cherry Juice: A Red Signal
Cherry juice can provide a red signal for the hormones that create wakefulness, thus inducing sleep.
Drinking cherry juice can result in a remarkable increase in the levels of melatonin, and this hormone, in turn, has the ability to make sure nothing comes between you and your sleep.
This red juice also acts as a natural sedative and promotes a sound sleep.
By acting as an anxiolytic and a sedative, it can prevent anxiety and help you sleep well. However, since this juice can make you drowsy and decrease the level of alertness, you should avoid having it during the daytime.
Simply drink the cherry juice before bedtime to sleep well so that you can get up feeling fresh, energetic, and free of anxiety.
Conclusion
Sleep is not something that can be taken for granted. If you are not able to get a sound sleep of at least 8 hours at night, you are putting yourself at a greater risk of a range of disorders including hypertension, diabetes, depression, and cancer.
Now, you have a chance to avoid these consequences of insomnia. And what’s great about it is it won’t take you a lot of effort to get a sound sleep when you drink the beverages given here.
Most of these beverages are readily available like say, milk. You just need to warm it, pour it in a glass and drink it.
Even the other options are simple to prepare. Just choose the best beverage for you among these based on what you think is keeping you from getting sleep.
Drink your glass of sleep-inducing beverage after dinner or before bedtime every evening and lie down on your soft mattress to feel the sense of relaxation that will soon lead you to a state of deep sleep.
