8 Best and Worst Drinks to Have Before Bedtime

Can’t sleep? Is your mind restlessly thinking? Do you have a sleep deficit but don’t understand why your body is so restless? Well, the reason could just be that drink you keep reconsidering before sleep- What we drink before going to bed really makes a difference. Some drinks will calm you while others cause discomfort and keep you awake.

Best Bedtime Beverages:

1. Chamomile Tea

Chamomile tea can assist some people with sleep trouble, and its antioxidant apigenin. Drinking it just before bedtime calms and boosts sleep. Among other benefits, it offers digestive comfort, anxiety and stress relief, muscle relaxation, and natural sedation. It is also caffeine-free and easy on the stomach. A 2011 study found that chamomile extract diminished anxiety and improved quality of sleep in human trials and studies, particularly for postpartum subjects and older adults.

2. Warm Milk

One way to encourage relaxation and even sleep is by drinking a glass of warm milk before bed. It contains certain compounds in milk, specifically tryptophan and melatonin, that may help you fall asleep. “Tryptophan is an amino acid found in a variety of protein-containing foods,” explains Dr Batra. Some compounds in milk, specifically tryptophan and melatonin, may help you fall asleep. Your brain releases melatonin, also known as the sleep hormone. This hormone promotes sleep and regulates your circadian rhythm, said Dr Batra.

3. Almond Milk

Almond milk is one of the best options for people who are lactose intolerant, as they are naturally free from lactose. It also contains a high magnesium content alongside chemical compounds like tryptophan and melatonin, which have sleep-inducing features.

4. Juice of Tart Cherry

Tart cherries are an extremely rich natural source of melatonin. Drinking a small glass of tart cherry juice increases sleep quality and duration. A small clinical study done with insomnia among elderly people found that drinking tart cherry juice two times a day resulted in 84 minutes more sleep and better sleep efficiency.

5. Peppermint Tea

“Peppermint tea is a caffeine-free option that helps overcome digestive issues, provides relaxation to your muscles, and promotes a good night,” said Dr Batra., ” This drink gives you a feeling of soothing”.

6. Ashwagandha Latte

The trendiest adaptogenic drink in the present age is ashwagandha, which favors the relief of stress, besides balancing cortisol levels to allow deeper sleeping when taken close to bedtime. An eight-week study with 80 participants was done in 2021 to study ashwagandha root extract on sleep quality among subjects regardless of their insomnia history. The findings indicated an impressive change in terms of sleep quality, especially for those with insomnia.

7. Golden Milk:

(Turmeric Latte) Turmeric, milk, and spices are combined in this Ayurvedic mixture to aid digestion and reduce inflammation before providing a nutritious and calming nightcap.

In a 2020 review, it was shown that patients getting ginger either orally or topically reported less pain and better knee function compared to those on a placebo.

8. Tea from Valerian Root

“An extremely strong herbal sedative, valerian root is believed to improve sleep quality and decrease the time it takes to fall asleep. It might take a couple of days of using it before seeing the effects,” explains Dr. Batra.

8 Worst Beverages to Have Before Bed

1. Coffee

Considering all the caffeine that could hinder sleep, one may assume that drinking such a beverage at that hour could upset the body clock and reduce deep sleep. So says the Sleep Foundation: It may delay the onset of sleep, thus reducing the total hours of sleep, or render it less restorative. It may also interrupt the continuity of deep sleep, or slow-wave sleep, which is critical to feeling rested and rejuvenated the following day.

2. Energy Drinks

Energy drinks are filled with caffeine and sugar, which finally brings lack of sleep or restlessness and increased heart rate. They play a major role in disturbing sleep cycles. “They are all meant to give energy and alertness, which can really make it hard to wind down and relax before bed,” Dr. Batra said.

3. Green or Black Tea

These teas are high in antioxidants, and yet they do have caffeine. If ingested late in the day, they may interfere with sleep in those who are caffeine-sensitive.

4. Alcohol

Alcohol sets off sleep derailment cycles, causing a lot of waking and poor quality sleep. In the long run, drinking may be a key contributor to a chronic sleep problem like obstructive sleep apnea.

5. Sugary Soda

“Drinking soda near bedtime could interfere with sleep because of the caffeine, sugar, and carbonation content. So, choose naturally flavored water in the evenings for long sleeping hours,” said Dr Batra.

6. Chocolate Milk

Chocolate milk just before bedtime can spoil your sleep. It may seem a comforting reward, but chocolate contains caffeine and sugar-absolutely sleep stupefiers.

7. Protein Shakes

Unless you’re doing a special midnight workout, shakes heavy on protein interfere with sleep since they induce indigestion and increase metabolic activity late in the night.

8. Spicy or Acidic Juices

Spicy or acidic juices, such as orange or tomato juice, can cause acid reflux or heartburn. It becomes worse when lying down; hence, it’s an unwelcome drink just before bedtime.

Tips for Choosing the Right Bedtime Beverage

• As with every good tip, avoid caffeine at least after 6 PM. After all, sleep has now become harder to get.
• Hydration works, but drinking too much fluid just before bed means a lot of unnecessary dashes to the toilet breaks.
• Interestingly, though, herbal teas and natural juices may just have compounds that induce sleep.
• Minimize alcohol and sugar drinks at night to obtain sound sleep.
• Have some warm milk or chamomile tea to signal bedtime by developing a nighttime ritual, aiming at relaxing drinks.

Conclusion:

The herbal concoctions in alcoholic drinks at night cause sleep problems in most people during night hours. They prevent one from enjoying a peaceful night. Good bedtime drinks include warm milk, chamomile tea, tart cherry juice, and valerian root tea, while caffeine-free beverages include some koala bear, alcohol, sugary drinks, and caffeinated tea.

Being cognizant about the kinds of drinks consumed during bedtime can help devise an effective and enjoyable end-of-day ritual that aids sleep and improves overall health, mood, and energy levels the following day.

The next time it feels like a little nightcap for sleep, it should be soothing to the body and take it off into dreamland.

FAQs: