Festive Warm Milk Recipes To Help You Fall Asleep (the holidays can be stressful!)
For as long as many of us can remember, warm milk has been a solution for helping children and adults alike fall asleep. There is a slim amount of scientific evidence that warm milk actually does help you fall asleep. The compound in milk that is highlighted as the sleep inducer is tryptophan – yes the same amino acid that is found in turkey.
However, in both cases, the amount of tryptophan commonly present in milk and turkey is too small to have any real effect on making you sleepy. Having said that, if you do find warm milk helpful to fall asleep there is no reason not to believe that the placebo effect isn’t at work.
Here is my own experience: Very occasionally, when I’m wide awake and having difficulty falling asleep (like I’ve been staring at the ceiling for an hour or more), I will take a Sleep-Eze. Within 10 minutes of taking one I fall asleep.
The thing is, there is no way that enough time has passed for the Sleep-Eze to have been effective, so my mind has done all the work on its own. And, even though I know this, I still take them occasionally and they still work to help me fall asleep.* I read in Matthew Walker’s Why We Sleep that placebos can actually help you fall asleep even when you know they’re placebos so I felt better knowing I wasn’t the only one.
Back to the warm milk….
I’ve created a dairy version and vegan version of these drinks. As I am not a dietitian, I ran the recipes by Krista Cumming, who is a registered nutritionist and all-round sleep improver specialist for menopausal women and got the thumbs up approval. (You can read my interview with her here). Enjoy and sweet dreams!
If you want to take relaxation to the next level, you can add 1/2 teaspoon of ashwaganda powder to these recipes. Ashwaganda is an herb that can help with overall stress management if taken on a regular basis. But note that it can lower blood pressure so make sure you check to see if it you can use it if you're taking blood pressure or other medications.
One last suggestion: if you suffer from night sweats - aim to drink your hot beverage at least an hour before bed. drinking it too closely to bedtime can bring on night sweats (and make you get up in the middle of the night).
Eggnog Warm Milk:
- 6 oz 2% organic milk (2% will give it a better mouth feel and taste richer, but if you don’t have it 1% will work too) or non-dairy milk
- ¼ tsp rum extract
- ½ tbsp cream (optional), ghee, coconut oil or raw cocoa butter
- 1 – 3 tsp organic maple syrup or raw honey (sweeten to taste)
- Dash nutmeg, cinnamon and cardamom or eggnog spice (President’s Choice makes one)
Heat milk to a simmer, cream or other fat, and spices. Let simmer for 5 minutes.
Remove from heat, add maple syrup or honey if using, and rum extract. Whisk for froth (optional), pour into mug sprinkle with a dash of nutmeg and enjoy.
Candy cane warm milk:
- 6 oz 1% or 2% organic milk or non-dairy milk
- ¼ tsp peppermint extract
- ½ tbsp cream (optional), ghee, coconut oil or raw cocoa butter
- 1 – 3 tsp organic maple syrup or raw honey (sweeten to taste)
- garnish with a dusting of cocoa powder (preferably organic)
Heat milk to a simmer, add cream or other fat, and spices. Let simmer for 5 minutes.
Remove from heat, add maple syrup or honey if using, and peppermint extract. Whisk for froth (optional), pour into mug sprinkle with a dash of nutmeg and enjoy.
Chocolate peppermint warm milk:
- 6 oz 1% or 2% organic milk or non-dairy milk
- 1/2 tpsp cocoa powder*
- ¼ tsp peppermint extract
- ½ tbsp cream (optional), ghee, coconut oil or raw cocoa butter
- 1 – 3 tsp organic maple syrup or raw honey (sweeten to taste)
- garnish with a dusting of cocoa powder (preferably organic)
*1/2 tpsp of cocoa has 30 mg of caffeine (vs. 90 mg of caffeine in the same amount of coffee), so this option is not recommended if you have a caffeine sensitivity.
Heat milk to a simmer, add the cocoa powder, cream or other fat, and spices. Let simmer for 5 minutes.
Remove from heat, add maple syrup or honey if using, and peppermint extract. Whisk for froth (optional), pour into mug sprinkle with a dash of cocoa powder to dust and enjoy.
You might also like:
Mocktails for Tea Totalers and Alcohol Interolant People
A Grumpy Menopausal Woman's Guide to A Non-Alcoholic New Year's Eve
*I know there is a ton of evidence out there that you should not take sleeping pills, even over the counter ones, but sometimes we are in situations where we need to sleep – even if it’s not perfect.
