Does Warm Milk Help You Sleep?

We discuss the reasons, break down the benefits of drinking warm milk before bed, and suggest what you can add to it.
By
Romeo Vitelli
Romeo Vitelli
Expert Writer
Received his doctorate in Psychology in 1987, spent fifteen years as a staff psychologist in Millbrook Correctional Centre. In 2003 went into full-time private practice. read more
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Reviewed By
Medical Advisory Team
Medical Advisory Team
Includes well-known professionals, who together provide decades of sleep medicine experience that enables Talk About Sleep to fulfill its mission of creating access to high- read more
Last updated: August 16, 2023
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After a tiring day of work, you need a good night’s sleep. Sleeping is essential to our well-being Trusted Source Get Enough Sleep - MyHealthfinder | health.gov Getting enough sleep helps keep your mind and body healthy. Most adults need 7 to 8 hours of sleep each night. Share this resource to help people get enough sleep. health.gov , which makes it extremely vital for the human body to function on a regular basis. A night of proper sleep not only helps you stay healthy, but it also enables you to perform better. However, for some people sleep might not come as easy. This is why a lot of people try to find ways to help them sleep better. So, does warm milk help you sleep better? This article will answer all your related queries and tell you much more!

It’s recommended for adults to sleep at least 8 hours per night. There are many people in the world who struggle with sleeping, which results in them not receiving the recommended hours of sleep.

This problem, however, is not incurable. In fact, many home remedies have helped people sleep better. One such remedy is drinking warm milk before going to bed. Let’s get into the details, shall we!

Milk Nutrition Facts

Milk is known to have several nutritional benefits Trusted Source Milk 101: Nutrition Facts and Health Effects This is a detailed article about milk. What it is, what it contains, along with detailed information on nutrition and health effects. www.healthline.com . This beverage is packed with nutrients that are extremely beneficial for your body. Milk is a great source of protein and calcium. Milk is also known to have two nutrients that help with sleep. These are:

  1. L-Tryptophan: This particular nutrient helps with the production of serotonin and melatonin in your body. Consuming L-Tryptophan increases the production of these hormones known for their stress-relieving effects. This means that after a few minutes, your body will feel more relaxed and stress-free. This will eventually translate to better sleep.
  2. Melatonin: Melatonin is a hormone that is known to improve sleep. Milk contains an ample amount of this hormone that helps with sleep regulation. As soon as you drink milk, this hormone is released into your brain. The hormone allows you to sleep easily and soundly. This helps regulate your circadian rhythm. You can track your sleep with sleep trackers and ensure that you are meeting your required sleep hours.

Therefore, drinking milk on a regular basis has numerous benefits for your body as well as your sleep.

Health Benefits of Drinking Milk Before Bed

If you too struggle with sleeping properly, then you should definitely look into drinking milk before bed. Whatever beverage you have before bedtime can affect your sleep, which is why it’s important to drink something that will help you sleep better. As mentioned above, milk has several nutritional benefits for your health.

Hot, Warm, or Cold?

There has been little or no research on what milk temperature is best suited to help induce sleep. However, people who regularly drink milk to help with sleep claim that drinking it warm helps more.

Warm beverages such as tea or milk, are usually known to relieve stress and can help manage anxiety. Drinking beverages at a mild temperature can calm down the nervous system. This can stimulate the release of melatonin, which can help induce sleep.

While most people are known to prefer warm milk, the results can differ from individual to individual. Some people sleep well with hot milk and some with cold. That being said, having a consistent ritual before bed, such as that of drinking milk, can help improve sleep quality. You can even get a white noise machine to help with sleep.

What Is the Psychology of Drinking Warm Milk Before Bed?

Apart from the nutritional benefits of warm milk, it can also have a psychological effect on your sleep cycle. Most people have associated drinking milk with their childhood memories. No matter what your background is, most kids have drunk milk in their early years. Drinking warm milk can bring back those memories. This can result in a placebo effect where feelings of nostalgia result in a positive association between warm milk and good sleep.

Drinking warm milk can help people relax, put on their sleep masks, and doze off for a good number of hours.

Are There Any Side Effects?

There are no known negative side effects associated with warm milk. However, people may avoid it for several different reasons. For example, people who are lactose intolerant and have dairy allergies are unable to drink milk at all. They can get gassy and bloated if they consume milk which can affect their sleep schedule as well. Such people can opt for alternate options that are non-dairy or they can consume other food items that can induce sleep.

They can drink herbal teas or add chicken, sunflower seed, peanuts, cinnamon, soybeans, and other ingredients to their diets. All these items contain the essential amino acid L-tryptophan, which can help improve sleep.

There are also concerns about gaining weight after drinking milk. That is not true. In fact, drinking a glass of milk every day can help you stay fit. After an intense workout, a warm cup of milk can help relax your muscles and prevent any soreness. Drinking milk can also increase your metabolic rate while you rest. This means more calories can be burnt off even when you’re resting.

Other concerns include snoring. Many people believe that drinking a warm cup of milk can result in heavy snoring. But there is no research to support that claim. There are researches that are pointing towards the benefit of milk in terms of not producing any mucus while you sleep.

What Can You Add to Milk?

If you don’t like the taste of pure milk on its own, you can add a number of ingredients to make it taste the way you like it.

You can add things like chocolate syrup, honey, maple syrup, cocoa powder, stevia, and so many other ingredients. This way you can not only enjoy the health benefits that are found in milk but also drinking such drinks can be delicious as they are packed with flavor.

Turmeric Milk

Does Warm Milk Help You Sleep?
If you ever find your sleep affected by inflammation in your stomach, then turmeric milk should be your go-to drink before bedtime. Packed with antioxidants, this drink is bound to improve your sleep quality. Not only will it help you relax, but you can suppress inflammation as well. To make this, you will need:

Ingredients

  • 2 cups of milk
  • 5 teaspoon turmeric powder
  • Half teaspoon cinnamon
  • Peeled ginger
  • 1 tablespoon honey

Method

  1. To prepare the milk, warm it in a saucepan
  2. Add in the turmeric powder
  3. Add cinnamon and honey
  4. Then, add a slice of peeled ginger (make sure the ginger is fresh)
  5. Mix everything together and drink!

Matcha

Does Warm Milk Help You Sleep?
Although there may be caffeine present in matcha, the quantity is far lesser than tea and coffee. The caffeine is also balanced out by L-theanine. Overall, matcha is great for sleeping as it reduces anxiety, raises serotonin and dopamine levels.

Matcha milk is also simple and easy to make. All you need to do is mix matcha powder with warm milk and there you have it! One glass of matcha before bed can have you sleeping for hours!

Strawberry

Does Warm Milk Help You Sleep?
Packed with antioxidants and essential vitamins, strawberries make a great addition to warm milk. Strawberries contain vitamin B6 which can help stimulate melatonin production. Melatonin helps improve sleep quality. To make strawberry milk, you will need:

Ingredients:

  • 4 strawberries
  • Honey (to taste)
  • A few drops of vanilla extract
  • Salt
  • 2 cups of milk

Method:

  1. Firstly, make a puree. To do this, take a blender and add in the strawberries, honey, vanilla, and a pinch of salt
  2. Blend the ingredients together until they are well combined
  3. Next, add the puree to warm milk and mix thoroughly
  4. Enjoy before you go off to bed!

Lavender

Does Warm Milk Help You Sleep?
Lavender is not just great for aromatherapy; it can also be consumed to help promote sleep. Mixing lavender with warm milk can act as a mild sedative to help you sleep better. It also relaxes your body and gets rid of all the unnecessary tensions.

To make the lavender milk, you will need:

Ingredients:

  • 2 cups milk
  • 1 tablespoon honey
  • ½ teaspoon vanilla extract
  • 1 tablespoon lavender

Method:

  1. Take a saucepan and add your milk to it
  2. While the milk is simmering, add in the lavender, vanilla, and honey
  3. Mix well before you strain and serve

You can find some more tips in the video below.

Final Thoughts

Milk, whether you drink it warm or cold, on its own or with condiments, is known to be beneficial to your health in many different ways. But does warm milk help you sleep better? The simple answer is yes, it can.

Milk contains nutrients that can help you relax and make you feel sleepy before you go to bed. You can prepare warm milk in a number of ways as well. So the next time you are unable to sleep, get yourself a warm cup of milk and sleep tight!

References

1.
Get Enough Sleep - MyHealthfinder | health.gov
Getting enough sleep helps keep your mind and body healthy. Most adults need 7 to 8 hours of sleep each night. Share this resource to help people get enough sleep.
2.
Milk 101: Nutrition Facts and Health Effects
This is a detailed article about milk. What it is, what it contains, along with detailed information on nutrition and health effects.
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