The Drink Nutritionists Recommend Before Bed
Getting a restful night's sleep isn't just refreshing, it has a profound impact on your health and well-being. The problem is, the CDC asserts that more than one-third of American adults are not getting enough sleep, putting them at risk for a variety of serious health issues. Medical News Today explains that sleep is just as important as diet and exercise because it not only rejuvenates the body and brain, but sleep also improves productivity, concentration, and athletic performance, boosts the immune system, and reduces the risk of weight gain, heart disease, depression, and inflammation. That's quite a list of benefits; clearly, getting rest reaps awards.
What can you do to ensure you're catching some quality z's? According to Food Network, it's all about beverages — nighttime sipping versus noshing. This is especially true for warm herbal tea. Registered dietitian Jessie Furman explained to Food Network: "Warm herbal tea is my first choice towards easing into my bedtime routine while delivering gentle flavor."
Enhance your bedtime routine with a steaming cup of chamomile, lavender, or rooibos/red bush tea and you'll be setting the stage for a peaceful night's rest. Healthline agrees and suggests additional tea varieties, such as valerian, lemon balm, passionflower, and magnolia bark. Greatist states that peppermint, lemongrass, kava, and decaf green tea are also great choices.
For a restful night, beverages are your friend
The American Academy of Sleep Medicine recommends at least seven hours of sleep per night to avoid the risks associated with chronic sleep deprivation. And while herbal teas have been used as sleep aids for thousands of years (via Molecular Medicine Report), there are other liquid options to secure some slumber.
Namely, warm milk. If your mom gave you warm milk as a kid, you're no stranger to its calming, satiating effect. And while there's no scientific evidence supporting milk's ability to ensure sleep, the calming ritual and nostalgia of drinking the warm beverage before bed just may suffice (via Sleep Advisor).
Intermountain Healthcare adds that malted milk, a blend of barley malt, wheat flour, and milk powder (via HuffPost), is a great option because it contains vitamin B, zinc, iron, phosphorous, and magnesium — a unique vitamin and mineral blend that helps your body relax.
Cow's milk isn't the only sleep-inducer, almond milk might do the trick too. The Daily Meal explains that almonds are rich in magnesium, a mineral essential for good-quality sleep. And Times of India recommends coconut milk, also rich in magnesium, plus potassium and B vitamins, which help relax the body and reduce stress levels.