Insomnia is a condition that almost everyone has experienced. Insomnia has many different causes and can leave many unwanted consequences. Let’s explore with Ocany what to drink for insomnia and effective drinks to cure insomnia right away.
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ToggleMain causes of insomnia
Some main causes that lead to insomnia can be mentioned as:
- Pressure, stress in life, mental health disorders: When encountering psychological problems such as heavy work pressure, breaking up with one’s spouse after a period of marriage, psychological trauma due to a sudden unexpected event (losing a job, a loved one passing away, etc.), it can disrupt your sleep and lead to insomnia.
- Unhealthy eating habits: Eating too much in the evening can often increase the risk of acid reflux into the esophagus causing symptoms such as heartburn, hot flashes, discomfort leading to insomnia.
- Unhealthy habits such as using electronic devices for many hours before bedtime, irregular sleep schedules, excessive napping, etc. can all be the cause of poor sleep quality, making you more prone to insomnia.
- Changing time zones when traveling, studying abroad or working in a different country with a different time zone can disrupt your body’s biological clock, leading to insomnia.
- Medication use: Some medications used to treat conditions such as asthma, hypertension, allergies, etc. can increase your risk of insomnia. Therefore, one of the ways to treat insomnia is to use medication according to your doctor’s instructions.
- Medical conditions: Insomnia can stem from various underlying medical conditions such as asthma, gastroesophageal reflux disease, cancer, diabetes, chronic pain, etc.
- Some sleep disorders such as sleep apnea, restless leg syndrome, etc. can also make it difficult for you to fall asleep, stay asleep, and get quality sleep.
- Stimulant use: Using stimulants such as alcohol, tea, coffee, or caffeine-containing drinks can easily cause insomnia. Moreover, nicotine in cigarettes can also be a factor that causes insomnia.
- Age: Advanced age is often a factor that affects your daily sleep quality. The elderly often sleep shorter and are more prone to waking up suddenly during sleep.
- Insufficient physical activity: being physically inactive can make you feel tired, sluggish, and want to sleep more during the day, which can lead to difficulty sleeping at night.
How does insomnia affect health?
A good night’s sleep plays a crucial role in everyone’s health, providing our bodies with the much-needed rest after a long day of non-stop activity. In addition, a deep and restful sleep can also give us the energy we need to start a new day of work or study efficiently and full of vitality.
The average sleep time per night for a person is about 7-8 hours or ranges from 9-12 hours/day. Whether such sleep is of good quality or not depends on many factors such as getting enough sleep, sleeping deeply, and especially waking up refreshed and energized.
This is because sleep time is also the time for the brain to rest and recover. Getting enough sleep will make the mind healthy and increasingly alert. However, if you fall into a state of insomnia, not getting enough sleep, not sleeping well, it often causes feelings of fatigue, tiredness, and drowsiness… In addition, it is easy to make patients become irritable, stressed and always in a sleepy state, unable to concentrate much on work, and experience a decrease in the quality of life. Let’s continue to explore the next section to know what effective drinks to consume for insomnia.
What to drink for insomnia? 19 effective drinks to treat insomnia
Here are some suggested drinks to treat insomnia that you can try. Most of them can be easily made at home with fairly simple ingredients and methods.
Hot Cocoa or Hot Chocolate
Usually, drinking a cup of hot chocolate before bedtime will help relax your mind and body, making it easier for you to fall asleep. You can enjoy this beverage with milk or cream to enhance its flavor.
In addition to hot chocolate, cocoa is also a delicious drink made from roasted cocoa beans, hot water, and a little sugar. When experiencing insomnia, drinking a cup of hot cocoa every day is a simple and effective treatment method that helps you not to worry about what to drink to sleep.
Chamomile tea
Chamomile tea is also a way to help you relax, soothe your nerves and stomach, and increase the feeling of gentle relaxation for your entire body. At the same time, chamomile tea gives you a good night’s sleep. You should drink a cup of unsweetened chamomile tea an hour before bedtime.
Peppermint tea
Peppermint tea is another effective drink for treating insomnia. Peppermint tea brewed with a splash of lemon juice is very beneficial for the body after a long day of work. This type of tea is known to soothe the stomach, reduce feelings of nausea, tension, and anxiety.
Warm milk
Warm milk is also a perfect choice to help treat insomnia. The amino acid tryptophan in milk helps your body produce the necessary hormones that have a calming and relaxing effect on the nervous system. Milk is also typically rich in calcium and protein. Therefore, a cup of warm milk is also one of the best drinks before you go to bed.
Almond milk
The hazelnut is a fruit that is rich in magnesium, an essential mineral for deep sleep. According to scientific research, low levels of magnesium in the body can cause insomnia. Experts often recommend drinking a glass of warm hazelnut milk after a light dinner to improve sleep quality. Therefore, hazelnut milk is a good choice for those looking for a safe and effective sleep aid.
Honey
Orexin is a neurotransmitter in the brain that usually disrupts human sleep. Drinking a glass of honey milk one hour before bedtime can reduce orexin production, making you feel naturally drowsy. At the same time, this type of beverage also helps balance blood sugar levels throughout the night, resulting in longer and deeper sleep.
Ginger tea
Ginger tea is a versatile beverage that has many benefits, including promoting digestive health and aiding sleep. This is because ginger contains cineole, which helps alleviate stress, treat headaches, and make your mood more pleasant. Drinking hot ginger tea often helps improve digestive health, protect the stomach lining, and provide a better night’s sleep for you.
Tea made from the roots of the Valerian plant
The two important components found in the roots of the Valerian plant are valerenic acid and some valepotriates derivatives that can help support an increase in the level of gamma-aminobutyric acid (GABA – an important acid that helps maintain brain activity and sleep), thereby potentially helping to reduce tension, anxiety, and stimulation that can make patients more easily fall asleep.
Lotus leaf tea
Nuciferin and nelumbin are usually the two important components found in lotus leaves that help support the stability of the body’s functions. As a result, the body will easily enter a state of rest, helping to soothe and improve sleep.
Saffron tea
Saffron tea is known as a noble herbal tea with crocin and safranal components that have excellent antioxidant effects, helping to reduce nerve tension and creating conditions for melatonin to regulate sleep, so that you can sleep well and deeply.
Cassia tora tea
Scientific studies have found many chemical components with excellent antioxidant properties in Cassia tora, such as alkaloids, saponins, and flavonoids. These compounds will have the effect of eliminating free radicals and protecting the brain. Cassia tora tea will be a safe choice for those who do not know what to drink to treat insomnia.
These components in Cassia tora, after invading and directly affecting the central nervous system, will have the effect of relaxing, relieving tension, and helping patients fall asleep easily and peacefully. Using Cassia tora as a tea at night is a very good way to treat insomnia at home.
Licorice tea
In addition to licorice, licorice root is also one of the traditional Chinese medicines that has the effect of calming and inducing sleep. If you are unsure of what to drink for insomnia, you can try licorice tea. Compared to other herbal teas on the market, licorice tea often has a characteristic mild sweetness, making it easier to drink.
To treat insomnia at home, you can use licorice tea as follows: Add a few slices of dried licorice root to the teapot, add 250ml of boiling water, and then steep for about 5-7 minutes to make the tea.
Using licorice tea like this every day will help you sleep better. However, people with low blood pressure should not use licorice tea to treat insomnia.
Pennywort tea
Scientific studies have found many chemicals with excellent antioxidant properties in pennywort, such as alkaloids, saponins, and flavonoids. These substances have the effect of eliminating free radicals and protecting the brain. Pennywort tea is a safe choice for those who do not know what to drink for insomnia.
After penetrating and directly affecting the central nervous system, these components in pennywort will help relax, relieve stress, and make patients easily fall asleep in a gentle way. Using pennywort tea as a home remedy for insomnia is very effective.
Lemon balm tea
Lemon balm, also known as lemon mint, is a plant of the mint family. However, they have a relatively similar appearance to mint, and have a pleasant fragrance similar to a combination of lemongrass and lemon.
With a mild sedative effect, lemon balm tea often helps improve and enhance the quality of sleep quite effectively, and patients often feel that they sleep well and deeply. In addition, the leaves of this lemon balm plant are especially useful in reducing the condition of night crying in young children.
The lavender tea is one of the teas and beverages that can improve the sleep quality of people with insomnia. If you’re wondering what to drink for sleeplessness, lavender tea is an effective choice. Many people who use this tea also report a reduction in fatigue, although the mechanism behind these effects is still not clear.
Ashwagandha tea
Ashwagandha is a famous plant with high medicinal properties, sometimes called Indian ginseng or “winter cherry.” Extracts from the roots, fruits, and leaves of ashwagandha can be used to treat conditions such as stress, anxiety, and inflammation.
In studies of normal individuals, ashwagandha has shown potential in helping our bodies to relax and rest, as well as improving sleep quality overall. You can buy ashwagandha tea bags at most grocery stores or online marketplaces.
Valerian tea
Besides the fact that lack of sleep and excessive drinking can cause many problems, there are many types of tea that can help you address this issue. Valerian is an herb that supports sleep and is excellent for calming. In addition, some studies have shown that valerian can also shorten the time it takes for you to fall asleep. This not only improves the quality of your sleep, but also reduces nighttime wakefulness.
Grape juice
If you don’t want to drink tea but still want to find out what to drink for sleeplessness, grape juice is worth a try. Grapes are often rich in melatonin, so they can help patients sleep well and easily go into deep sleep at night.
In addition, the nutritional content of grapes is often high, with quercetin often having the effect of preventing nerve degeneration and containing many other antioxidants that can help protect overall health.
Not only grapes but also grape seeds are beneficial to health, especially for people with high blood pressure or cardiovascular disease. However, people with gastric ulcers or diabetes should not use this fruit.
Herbal tea
In addition, herbal tea can be a simple, gentle but suitable supplement for bedtime habits. Many types of herbal tea are used as natural remedies to promote relaxation and better sleep.
Black bean water
Black bean water usually has a pleasant aroma and a naturally sweet taste, which helps reduce tension, weakness, fatigue, and supports improving body shape and even helps enhance sleep quality. The vitamins, minerals, and amino acids in black beans help restore central nervous system cells that are damaged or problematic, thereby helping prevent and treat headaches, dizziness, and tension.
In addition, the components in roasted black bean water also contain good antioxidant properties for the body and health. It helps improve memory, treat anemia due to iron deficiency, and reduce the risk of nerve degeneration.
Above are 19 beverage suggestions to help you no longer wonder what to drink to sleep. Hopefully, it will be useful to readers and help you have deeper and more restful sleep.
John Alen was born in 1971 and is a doctor in the healthcare and psychology fields with many years of experience. He is currently working at easyhealthylive.com, a leading health and psychology blog. Having studied at Y1 National Medical University named after IM Sechenov, John Alen is using his knowledge and experience to help improve the physical and mental health of people in the United States.