FOUR BEDTIME DRINKS TO HELP YOU SLEEP

Summer Evening Bedtime Drinks That Help You Sleep

There’s a bunch of talk about cooling drinks to sip around the pool during the summer, but hardly do you hear about refreshing and calming drinks to sip before bedtime. The Daily Meal is a website that is designed around healthy eating and the drinks below have been featured in the past as cooling drinks crafted right around sleep. 

Tart Cherry Juice

Whole Foods 365, Trader Joe’s store brand, R.W. Knudsen and Ocean Spray all offer 100%, Not-From-Concentrate Tart Cherry Juice that poured in a nice cocktail glass over a couple of cubes of ice and a crushed mint leaf provide a great summer just-before-sleep treat.

A study published in the Journal of Medicinal Food back in June 2010 found that consuming two 8-ounce servings of tart cherry juice during the day – once in the morning and once about two hours before bedtime – resulted in a significant decrease of insomnia. 

Thanks to the melatonin in the cherries and a set of Down Etc sheets, it should be a very good night’s sleep. 

Pure Coconut Water

While some sources promote coconut water as an energy-boosting drink, thanks to its potassium and magnesium, pure coconut water also helps muscles relax at the end of a very busy summer day.

Coconut water also contains a small amount of B vitamins which help to lower stress. 

O.N.E. Coconut Water, Vita Coco and Naked Coconut Water are ranked as some of the best brands.  Again, these brands are carried at most Whole Foods, Trader Joe's and the natural food sections of many grocery stores.

We suggest pouring the Pure Coconut Water in a glass over a couple ice cubes with a twist of lime or lemon and sipping away to a great soundtrack of some Rodger and Hammerstein music from South Pacific.

Banana Smoothie 

Even if you are housed in the city far from a scenic ocean-front view, this drink is sure to bring up some pleasant dreams. 

For a great bedtime quasi-dessert delight, blend one small banana with a tablespoon of almond butter and a half-cup of unsweetened soy milk.  For a slightly thicker build, you can also blend in some unsweetened yogurt.  

Like coconut water, bananas also contain an ample portion of potassium and magnesium that help muscles relax and dreams to foster. 

Lemon Balm Tea

Lemon balm is a perennial herb from the mint family. The leaves, which have a mild lemon aroma, are used as a base ingredient in a number of different medicines.

Many people have found that lemon balm can provide a calming effect. Lemon Balm Tea can help reduce anxiety, relieve stress, decrease restlessness and improve sleep.

Near bedtime, take a moment and steep some lemon balm leaves in boiling water to make your own brew of relaxation tea.  Great for summer relaxation and sleep, it's totally up to you if you wish to drink it hot or cold.  

Updated Links August 2, 2022