Introduction
It’s midnight but you’re still wide awake, unable to get some shut-eye, with a busy schedule ahead, and you want to drink before bed. You head down to the kitchen in search of a beverage to help you sleep. Will you go with the ever-so-popular warm milk, or something calming like chamomile tea? There are tons of beverages out there that have been said to help with such situations, but which of them actually work?
Let’s take a look at some of the best and worst beverages to consume right before sleep, and the ones the experts are still on the fence about.
Professionals make a crucial point that any sort of beverage in excess before sleep will be detrimental to your quality of sleep. The consumption of too much liquid will inevitably end up with the need to urinate, disrupting your sleep cycle. This is particularly pertinent for those that are on medication that may increase urination, those who are older, and even those with sensitive bladders. Hence, it is advised to regulate your liquid intake before sleep to avoid having to wake up in the middle of the night just to use the toilet. After all, the best form of sleep you can get is an uninterrupted one.
The Best Beverages For Sleep
Water
The best of the best that you can get is, without a doubt, water. It is the healthiest beverage you can consume, with zero calories and zero added impurities. Water does not have any negative effects on your sleep, except when taken in excess.
A study conducted suggests that dehydration may result in poorer sleep. Hence, water may help with this as it is an excellent resource in preventing dehydration and improves sleep to a certain degree. However, more in-depth research is needed before we can surely say that dehydration is a factor in causing poor sleep.
Chamomile Tea
Chamomile tea is the age-old classic when it comes to soothing drinks. The secret in chamomile tea lies within its chemical composition, more specifically, the flavonoids. Apigenin, a flavonoid, is a sedative that induces sleepiness and calmness when it binds to the receptors in the brain. In moderation, chamomile tea induces a natural state of relaxation and sedation, aiding one in getting a good night’s rest. If you need to catch up on some beauty sleep, check out one of the strongest chamomile teas available here!
Sour Cherry Juice
Sour cherry juice brings about heaps of benefits when consumed in moderation, one of which, is improved sleep quality. Tart cherry juice has been extensively researched, and it has been found to contain sleep-inducing effects. This comes as a result of it being rich in melatonin, a hormone that we release naturally during nighttime to induce sleepiness. Experts even recommend consuming the actual fruit itself as the sugar content in the juice might induce urination.
The Worst Beverages To Drink Before Bed
Alcohol
Being able to hit the hay early and easily wake up with only half of a good night’s sleep seems counterintuitive. Having quality sleep is just as important! Indeed, alcohol has drowsy effects often putting people in a deep sleep much quicker, but this effect only lasts for a while. The initial stages of sleep are important, but so are the other stages that follow, most prominently the Rapid Eye Movement (REM) stage. REM sleep is where dreams occur and are one of the most important stages of sleep as it is the period where the body restores its energy. Failure to get adequate REM sleep would result in daytime drowsiness, fatigue, and lack of concentration. Alcohol is a substance that reduces this rapid eye movement by a significant amount and would ultimately lead to a poor night’s rest.
Coffee
Coffee is one of the most common beverages that people drink at night, especially those wanting to pull an all-nighter. However, to no one’s surprise, coffee is one of the largest culprits for bad sleep. Caffeine is a substance that counteracts tiredness, keeping us more awake, but its effects may last longer than you may expect, and plays a big role in preventing you from getting adequate and quality sleep. Not only that, coffee is a laxative as well as a diuretic, inducing more late-night wake-up calls to the bathroom.
Black Or Green Tea
Just like coffee, black and green tea also contains traces of caffeine and diuretics. It is advised that drinks such as these are to be avoided before sleep. Even a little caffeine goes a long way!
Soda
The combination of caffeine and sugar is detrimental to a good night’s sleep. Even without caffeine, carbonation can cause problems with sleep. It is highly recommended that you limit your consumption of sugary drinks, especially those with caffeine content.
Beverages That May Help You Sleep
Magnesium-Infused Beverage Mixes
Magnesium is said to aid in sleep due to its calming properties. These magnesium-infused drinks help supplement the body with magnesium, allowing for a good night’s rest. However, the amount of magnesium required to see a pronounced effect on sleep far exceeds the amount in these types of drinks, hence it is highly debatable if these drinks do work.
Warm Milk
Warm milk is a popular beverage consumed before sleep, alongside the likes of chamomile tea, due to its supposed calming effect that aids with sleep. However, there is a lack of science to back this claim. It is argued that warm milk acts as a placebo, a comforting drink, that puts people in the right state of mind for a good night’s sleep. Even with a lack of scientific evidence, there isn’t any harm in getting a glass right before bed if it helps you, as long as it is in moderation of course.
CBD-Infused Drinks
There is a lack of scientific evidence as to whether CBD beverages affect sleep in any way. If you have not tried CBD-infused drinks before, we highly recommend that you stay away from them as different people experience different reactions.
Enhanced Water
Enhanced water claims to help improve sleep quality as it contains traces of L-theanine and magnesium, compounds that aid in relaxing the body. However, there is a lack of research on the combination of these two chemicals and their effects on the body, as well as on sleep.
Conclusion
Now that you know more about the beverages to be avoided and those recommended to be consumed before calling it a night, be sure to adapt accordingly. However, as mentioned previously, too much liquid is not advisable. Moderation is as important as the choice of beverage itself when it comes to getting a good night’s sleep.
