Between the shifting daylight hours and a few intense work projects, we've been suffering a series of sleepless nights lately. When it's heading into the wee hours and we're wide awake, sometimes it helps us to sit down with a mug of something warm. Here are our favorites:
Sleepless Nights: Drinks to Make You Sleepy
1. Warm Milk - Maybe it's the tryptophan or maybe it's just that the beverage we drank as kids is inherently soothing. Either way, milk makes us yawn faster than anything else. We like it with a spoonful of honey.
2. Lemon, Ginger, and Honey Tea - If we're not feeling like milk, this is usually what we turn to. We drop a few lemon wedges, some sliced ginger, and a generous teaspoon of honey into a mug of hot water. Let it infuse for a few minutes and then sip slowly.
3. Herbal Tea - Chamomile, lemon balm, valerian, and passion flower teas can be very soothing after a long day, and all have been used as herbal sleep aids for centuries.
4. Miso Soup - Sometimes we want something savory instead of sweet, and plain miso soup is the perfect solution.
5. Bourbon - Our last resort! Personally, we like to sip it neat, but it also goes very well with the lemon, ginger, and honey tea we talk about above. If you're not a fan of bourbon, try brandy or a small glass of port.
With all of these beverages, we're pretty sure it's mostly the act of pausing, sitting down, and drinking something slowly that gets us into a sleepy state. We often have a little snack and read a few chapters of a good book as well.
What's your remedy for sleeplessness?
Related: Recipe: Bourbon Cough Syrup for Grownups
(Image: Flickr member shutterkate licensed under Creative Commons)
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Beverages, Health, Tips & Techniques, sleep, tea, milk, bourbon, sleep aid, miso soup, toddyRelated Links
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i'm a fan of herbal tea with a shot of whiskey or bourbon.
view thinkingwoman's profile
i like warm milk with a few strands of saffron.
view nithya at hungrydesi's profile
Oh my gosh, I love the little knitted cozy around the mug. I wish I knew where to get one!
view misplacedtexan's profile
Yay! It looks like you can find things like this on Etsy!
view misplacedtexan's profile
Don't forget a nice glass of wine! I find that a good red will sooth the savage beast and really allows for relaxation and sleep. One glass will do it.
I actually found a pretty good website that reviews wines. If you want, you can click on my name and I'll list the website there.
If you have an addictive personality, don't use wine to help you relax, as it can be habit forming!
Cheers!
view Marcy Sanchez's profile
I can't do tea because then I keep having to get up in the night, if you get my drift.
I agree with the wine suggestion, and thanks to the hubby's scotch obsession, will do that too.
But this time of year, the very best thing: apple cider. With some cinammon and clove, heated on the stove. Nothing like it.
view Forthright Fattie's profile
I love warm milk with some honey and a splash of vanilla. So cozy!
view kate78's profile
I'm all for the boozy options as well, they're the only drinks that truly make me sleepy. Tea, etc. is nice, and sitting down with it is relaxing, but it doesn't actually make me more tired than I was or help me fall asleep.
view BrooklynBaker's profile
I actually disagree with both the wine and the scotch suggestions. While both will help you fall asleep more quickly, alcohol affects the quality of your sleep and also makes you more likely to wake up in the night.
Of course, if it's 3am and you've been tossing and turning for 4 hours, you might not care about that.
view kestrel127's profile
I could fall asleep immediately after drinking a Red Bull, so I suppose I'm lucky that way. (Bad for when I'm driving long distances, though.) But my all-time favorite comfort drink is hot water with lemon and honey. The bourbon isn't always necessary, but is usually welcome! Best cold weather drink ever.
ABreadADay.com
view eprewitt's profile
my all favorite all around "feel better" drink is just fresh ginger steeped in hot water. It works whenever I'm feeling under the weather. I think having my icy hands around a mug is the best part.
view chusmabilly's profile
Green tea is my favorite. The secret is not to use boiling water. Let it cool for a couple of minutes, then add the water to the tea bag or leaves. The tea will have a much mellower flavor. Very relaxing and perfect for bedtime.
view toberead's profile
hot cocoa!!! sometimes with that bourbon...
view lsk's profile
Oh! That knitted cosy is from:
KnitStorm.etsy.com
I recognized it immediately from another blog I read.
view Ikyoto's profile