“A lot of people underestimate rest, especially sleeping and recovery time”. If you wish to stay healthy, it is highly important to consider the length of sleep and rest. The good quality sleep will help you get up afresh to engage in daily tasks.
10 Reasons Why Sleep Is Important
A good night’s sleep is highly important for overall health in the humans. It is something that is as essential as consuming healthy foods. It is important like the regular workout session. Unfortunately, the number of hours of sleep has reduced these days. As compared to the previous generation, the present generation is sleeping less. Most of us these days are awake for longer hours at the night. Here are the top 10 reasons why sleep is important for every human:
- Poor sleep can increase your body weight
- If you are a good sleeper, you will consume lesser calories
- With a good sleep at the night, you will achieve better concentration and productivity the next day at work
- You can see an improvement in the athletic performance with good sleep
- You will be at a greater risk of stroke and heart attack if you sleep lesser continuously
- Poor quality sleep will increase your odds of type 2 diabetes. The reason is that it affects glucose metabolism
- People, who sleep lesser, are at higher risk of depression
- With good quality sleep, you can improve the immune function
- Poor quality of sleep will increase the chances of inflammation in your body
- There will be an ill-effect on your social interactions with poor quality sleep. The reason is that it will affect the emotions to a great extent.
So, with these things understood, it is important that you should look for ways to achieve a good sleep. Here, natural sleep aid drinks will help with achieving your goal.
1. Banana Milkshake
Bananas are rich in magnesium and potassium. Both these nutrients are excellent muscle relaxants. So, a banana milkshake is an excellent sleep aid drink that you can prepare at home.
Process
- Take a banana and cut it into slices. Just add it to your mixer jar
- Now, add honey, if you do not want to add sugar. Just whip it
- Finally, add some milk to the mixer and beat it once
- You can also add cardamom powder to enhance the flavor
- Consume it before going to bed
Alternative
- If you are not comfortable with milk. You can make the banana shake using cold water.
How Does It Help?
In addition to being rich in magnesium and potassium, bananas also contain the amino acid called L-Tryptophan. It gets converted to 5-HTP in the brain, which, in turn, becomes serotonin. It is a relaxing neurotransmitter to induce good sleep.
2. Have You Heard About Golden Milk?
Golden milk is known for its digestive and anti-inflammatory properties. As it will help with absorption of essential nutrients, it will promote restful sleep.
Ingredients
- Non-dairy milk
- Coconut oil
- Ground ginger
- Ground black pepper
- Turmeric
- Cinnamon
How To Prepare?
- Just bring the non-dairy milk to boil
- Add the other ingredients to the boiling milk
- Let them sit for some time
- Filter the ingredients and consume the milk that has a golden yellow color
Alternative Method
If you do not want to add other ingredients, just add a spoon of turmeric to a warm cup of milk and can consume it before going to bed.
How Does It Work?
Curcumin is an active ingredient in turmeric. This ingredient is also known for its anti-inflammatory properties. Chronic inflammation can lead to disturbed sleep. But, the anti-inflammatory property of golden milk will relax the inflammation. In turn, you will get a good night sleep.
3. Cherry and Vanilla Juice
From the recent studies, it was found that drinking one cup of cherry juice once in the morning and once in the night will help you get an additional hour of sleep.
Ingredients
- A cup of cherry fruits
- A few drops of vanilla extract (optional)
- A cup of water
How To Prepare?
- Just wash and remove the stem from cherries.
- Place the cherries in a food processor or blender and add about 1/4th cup of water for one cup of cherry
- Blend them and make sure that the cherries are loose
- Filter and remove the skins and take the juice alone in a glass
- Add few drops of vanilla extract to the juice and take it before going to bed
Alternative Method
If you plan to store the cherry juice for use in the following days, you will see that it becomes dark in color. To avoid this color change, you can add some lime extract to the cherry juice before storage.
How Does It Work?
Here, it is better to opt for sour cherries. The reason is that as compared to normal cherries they are rich in melatonin content. It is the hormone that helps in regulating the sleep-wake cycles. So, you can keep the sleep schedule on track by taking this sleep aid drink on a regular basis.
4. Take Coconut Water
You might be thinking that coconut water is an energizing drink. But, it will be surprising for you to know that it is a sleep aid drink. You can take coconut water before going to bed every night.
How Does It Work?
As coconut water is rich in magnesium, it will induce a good sleep. Further, it will also help with rehydrating your body.
5. Saffron Sleep Tonic
You might have heard that saffron is an excellent ayurvedic remedy for carrying moms. But, do you know that it will help to handle sleep disturbances?
How To Make Saffron Sleep Tonic?
Ingredients
- You will need a cup of warm milk
- You will need saffron
- Subtly sliced almonds
How To Make?
- Just add a few saffron flowers to the warm milk
- Also, add subtly sliced almonds to the milk
Alternative
Alternatively, you can add cardamom powder as well to make the milk even tastier. If you are conscious about body weight, you can avoid adding sliced almonds.
How Does It Work?
Saffron is effective in bringing down depression and anxiety. In turn, it will help you effectively get rid of sleeplessness caused by stress.
6. Fresh Chamomile and Lavender Tea
The good thing about this remedy is that it brings together two remedies that are known for their relaxing properties.
Ingredients
- Lavender buds – One tablespoon
- Chamomile buds – One tablespoon
- Hot water – 8 ounces
- Honey or water to taste (optional)
How To Make?
- First, bring the water to boil
- Add, the lavender and chamomile buds to the hot water
- Allow it to steep for some time. The longer you steep, better will be the flavor
- Now, add honey and/or milk to taste
How Does It Work?
Chamomile will help in calming down your central nervous system so that you will get a relaxing sleep. Lavender is generally known for its ability to unwind and relax. It is also known to induce drowsiness. So, this combo is an excellent sleep aid without any doubt.
Read More On How To Stop Snoring
7. Lemon Balm Tea
Lemon Balm is a member of the mint family. It is especially known for the sweet and sour taste. It is effective as a sleep aid.
Ingredients
- Lemon Balm Leaves
- Water
How To Prepare?
- Bring the water to boil
- Once, the water starts to boil, add the lemon balm leaves
- Let it steep for some time
- You can add honey to the tea for taste
How Does It Work?
Lemon balm is known to promote sleep by reducing anxiety and stress. So, it is an excellent sleep aid drink to take every night.
8. Decaffeinated Green Tea
Green tea is gaining popularity as an effective weight loss remedy. But, you might be surprised to know that it is an effective sleep aid as well. However, you should be careful about selecting decaffeinated green tea leaves.
Ingredients
- You will need decaffeinated green tea leaves – A spoon
- Freshwater – A Cup
How To Make?
- Just bring the water to boil and add the decaffeinated green tea leaves to it
- Steep the leaves in the boiling water for a few minutes
- Strain out the leaves and take the tea before going to bed
How Does It Work?
Green tea is rich in the amino acid known as theanine. It is effective in bringing down the stress levels. So, it will help with sleeplessness caused by stress. It does not mean that you should not take green tea in the morning. You can take green tea with caffeine in the morning, which reduces the effect of theanine to help you stay active.
9. Cinnamon and Honey Drink
Cinnamon will prepare your body for a restful sleep ahead, while honey initiates key sleep responses in the body.
Ingredients
- Milk or almond milk – 8 ounces
- Pure cinnamon Powder – 1/4th tablespoon
- Organic unfiltered raw honey – 1 tablespoon
- Freshly grated nutmeg – 1/4th tablespoon (optional)
How To Make?
- Bring the milk to boil on a low heat
- Once, it reaches the scalding point remove from heat
- Add the rest of ingredients
- Consume it an hour before bedtime
How Does This Remedy Work?
Cinnamon in addition to preparing your body for a deep sleep will also help in regulating sugar spikes. In some individuals, some sudden sugar hike wakes them up in the nights. Also, cinnamon will help with improving blood circulation. So, it is an effective remedy if you face cold feet and hands at night. Honey is effective in activating sleep hormones. Also, its richness in magnesium is an added benefit.
10. How About Using Warm Milk As A Sleep Aid Drink?
Do you remember your mom giving a warm glass of milk every night before going to bed when you were a child? Yes, we live in a society, where a psychological connection has been created between sleep and warm milk. As our brains believe that warm milk will bring us good sleep, it works.
Is There Any Scientific Reason?
As milk contains just a small amount of tryptophan, it might help to induce a good sleep. Further, not just milk, but any other warm beverages have a naturally soothing quality. So, it relaxes your body and mind. Further, as you are psychologically inclined to milk, it works in letting you sleep.
11. ACV and Honey Sleep Aid Remedy
Do you look to make a sleep aid tonic that carries a sleepy potential? Then, you can consider this combination. Mix a spoon of ACV and honey each and drink before going to bed. They will work as a sleep aid elixir to induce a very good sleep.
How Does It Work?
Honey, as you know, is rich in magnesium. So, it will induce good sleep. When it comes to ACV, it will promote the release of tryptophan. Further, it will also stabilize the glucose levels to prevent sleep disturbance caused by a dip in the glucose levels. Further, it will reduce the night-time trips to the bathroom by promoting good pH level in your blood. Further, it is rich in B-Complex vitamins, potassium and even it contains magnesium in little quantity. All these nutrients will improve the quality of your sleep.
12. Malted Milk
Nowadays, you will find many malts in the market. You can add these malt powders to the milk before going to bed for a good sleep. You can get malt powder from a reputed brand and should add this powder to a warm glass of milk to get malted milk.
How Does It Work?
Malted milk is nothing, but essentially germinated cereal grain that has been dried out. Here, the malt extract is the important ingredient. The reason for this drink to work is that it is rich in phosphorous, magnesium, zinc, iron and Vitamin B. It will also help with relaxing your body. In turn, it will help with winding up your mind as well.
If you do not like plain milk, it is an excellent idea to improve flavor and taste to the milk.
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