There’s no doubt about it, what you eat and drink does have an impact on your sleep. The good news is that you are in control, but it can be difficult to know where to make changes in your diet to improve your overall sleep or beat the occasional night of insomnia. Check out The Daily Meal’s top picks of drinks that may help you sleep easier tonight:
1. Tart Cherry Juice: Drinking 8-ounces in the morning and 2 hours before your bedtime may help you curb your insomnia. Since cherries contain melatonin, which helps regulate the sleep-wake cycle, it’s no surprise that research has confirmed its benefits.
2. Lemon Balm Tea: As a member of the mint family, this tasty tea has been helping humans sleep better and calm anxieties since the Middle Ages, according to researchers at the University of Maryland Medical Center. Make your own tea to include in your relaxing routine.
3. Pure Coconut Water: While coconut water has been making huge headlines for health and energy benefits, it also contains a significant amount of potassium and magnesium to help muscles relax and enough vitamin B to lower stress.
4. Warm Milk: This simple trick may be considered old-fashioned, but there is a reason it’s been around so long. Milk contains plenty of tryptophan, an amino acid that reportedly calms the brain and helps us fall asleep.
5. Decaffeinated Green Tea: Green tea contains the amino acid theanine, which has been shown to help reduce stress and promote high-quality snooze.
6. Celestial Seasonings “Sleepytime” Tea: This brand has been promoting its blend of lemongrass, spearmint, chamomile and linden flowers for better sleep for years. After long days, this tea has worked wonders in getting me relaxed to allow sleep to take over.
7. Harney and Sons “Yellow and Blue Tea: If you’d rather opt for a blend of chamomile and lavender, this tea is the way to go. The calming, sedative effect of lavender has been explored and is supported by researchers at the University of Michigan Medical Center.
8. A Banana Smoothie: Bananas pack a great combination of potassium and magnesium to help relax our muscles. Toss a small banana, half cup of unsweetened soymilk, and a tablespoon of almond milk into a blender to for a smoother trip to dreamland.
9. Ovaltine Classic Malt: This dried out cereal grain contains iron, magnesium, Vitamin B and phosphorous, which will help you relax before tucking it.
10. The Republic of Tea “Get Some ZZZ’s” Tea: What truly makes this tea special is that contains valerian root extract, an herb that’s been aiding insomniacs along with melatonin. It’s also a blend of passionflower, chamomile, spearmint and herbal rooibos.
Remember not to drink too many liquids before you climb into bed, those nighttime bathroom trips do hurt your sleep quality. Along with drinking great options, balance your diet with plenty of sleep-promoting foods; get plenty of natural sunlight through the day and exercise regularly to make sleep a breeze each night!
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