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Some drinks may help people fall asleep. Herbal teas, some kinds of milk and cherry juice may all help people fall asleep more easily.
In this article, we discuss 10 drinks and beverages to help people sleep.
If you’re curious to learn more evidence-based information about the fascinating world of sleep, visit our dedicated hub.
People drink chamomile tea to treat insomnia because of its calming effects.
Researchers believe that its effect on sleep comes from its flavonoid content. Apigenin is a flavonoid that binds to benzodiazepine receptors in the brain, which has a sedative effect.
A few people may experience allergic reactions to chamomile. Nevertheless, the Food and Drug Administration (FDA) placed chamomile in the generally recognized as safe list.
Valerian is an herb that people can find in health food stores. Sleep aids and sedatives may contain valerian. People can purchase them over the counter (OTC) in tablet form or as a tea.
Researchers have not confirmed whether valerian is effective and safe for treating insomnia, and some studies show conflicting results.
One study demonstrated that valerian decreased the time to fall asleep, or sleep latency, improved sleep quality, and decreased nighttime awakenings.
Other studies did not demonstrate clinically significant results. Researchers also did not study the effect of valerian tea in these studies.
Some people drink lemon balm tea to help them sleep. People can find lemon balm in natural food stores as a sleep aid. Like valerian, it may not be effective every time.
One study demonstrated that 80 participants with chronic stable angina supplemented with lemon leaf had reduced total sleep disturbance when researchers compared them with placebo.
Still, more evidence is necessary to confirm that lemon balm tea helps people sleep.
Some people drink lavender tea because it is calming and soothing.
A study from Taiwan tested the theory that lavender tea can improve sleep quality. The researchers showed that the participants who drank lavender tea perceived less fatigue. The mechanisms explaining this effect are unclear.
Learn more about lavender here.
People report using passionflower tea to help them sleep, but research on this herbal tea is limited.
Researchers in Mexico designed a study to test the effect of passionflower on sleep. Their results show that rats they injected with passionflower extract had a statistically significant increase in total sleep time.
Again, further investigations in humans are necessary to confirm the safety and efficacy of passionflower tea for improving sleep.
Researchers have tested magnolia bark tea on sleep in menopausal females. Magnolia bark extract contains substances that interact with the GABA system in the brain that helps people sleep.
In a randomized trial, 89 menopausal females took magnolia bark extract and magnesium or a placebo. Among those who took magnolia bark extract, insomnia was significantly reduced.
Drinking magnolia bark extract may be safe, but researchers need to continue studying its effect in larger and more diverse populations.
Although green tea has caffeine, some substances found in green tea may help people sleep because they act on the GABA system in the brain
To study these effects, researchers gave middle-aged adults low caffeine green tea to consume before sleeping. The results of the study demonstrate that drinking low caffeine green tea may help improve sleep.
The exact mechanism of how green tea affects sleep is still unclear.
It is important to choose decaffeinated green tea, as standard green tea has caffeine, which can inhibit sleep.
In an older 2010 study, researchers associated a tart cherry juice blend with a statistically significant improvement in sleep.
The study participants showed a reduction in the severity of insomnia when the researchers calculated the minutes awake after sleep onset.
Other parameters, such as sleep latency, total sleep time, and sleep efficiency, were unchanged when the researchers compared them with a placebo.
Another small 2018 study with just eight participants showed that cherry juice increased sleep time and sleep efficiency.
The researchers suggest that cherry juice increases the availability of tryptophan in the body, which leads to better sleep.
Cherries contain melatonin and other anti-inflammatory substances that may explain their effect on sleep.
Further research is necessary to confirm these findings.
Milk contains an amino acid called tryptophan. Tryptophan converts into substances that can aid in sleep, including serotonin and melatonin.
Studies comparing the effect of drinking milk before bedtime to improve sleep are lacking.
Unless a person is lactose intolerant or has a milk allergy, they may wish to try drinking warm milk before bed.
Almond milk may also have a high content of tryptophan and melatonin. Also, almonds contain magnesium.
Some research has demonstrated that magnesium, together with magnolia bark extract, is beneficial for maintaining the normal sleep-wake cycle in humans. The magnesium found in almonds may ensure better sleep quality.
More investigations are necessary to confirm that the magnesium found in almonds can help people fall asleep.
Some drinks may help people sleep, but others can act as stimulants and keep people awake. These may include:
- coffee
- caffeinated teas (green tea, black tea)
- sugary drinks
Researchers have associated short sleep with a greater intake of sugared, caffeinated drinks.
Researchers are unsure whether a lack of sleep causes an increase in sugar consumption or whether eating more sugar causes poor sleep.
Urologists suggest that children avoid drinking fluids 1 or 2 hours before going to bed. Drinking right before bedtime may cause people to wake up in the middle of sleep to urinate.
People sometimes use drinks to help them fall asleep. Chamomile and valerian are popular teas that people drink before bed, but other substances may also help. These might include almond milk and cherry juice.
Although some drinks contain tryptophan or melatonin, which are known to improve sleep, researchers are unclear how other drinks help people fall asleep. Further evidence is necessary to confirm whether these drinks are effective and safe to improve sleep.
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