Bedtime Drinks

Have you ever been so stressed, anxious, or overwhelmed that you just can’t seem to get any sleep? Have you eaten too much and are awake with a growling stomach? Or eaten too little and lay awake with heartburn and indigestion? Well, these are all factors that can determine how well you sleep. Medical practitioner, Michael Van Straten, says, “Everyone will have the occasional bad night’s sleep. Stress, anxiety, pain, indigestion, strange beds, a snoring partner, or even the weather can be to blame” (Straten 88). What Straten explains is that many factors can affect how your sleep patterns play out. They can be very small and unnoticeable, to things you wouldn't even think would disrupt your sleep. He states that many of his patients, struggle with insomnia, and that many of these emotions just make matters worse (Straten 88). Stress, anxiety, and depression are some major emotions that can affect your sleep. There are many DIY remedies and recipes that Straten has put together in his book. He reminds you that, “None of them will knock you out like a zombie or leave you feeling muddle-headed in the morning. What they will do is help you unwind, relax, get rid of anxiety, and prepare your body physically and mentally for the night ahead” (Straten 89). What he has done is found food that help our bodies relax so that they can reach a state to sleep easy. Straten has created a handful of bedtime drinks that can help you achieve this state. One of those is ‘Yoghurt Mint’. Yoghurt Mint is comprised mainly of dairy products that provide calcium for your body which is naturally relaxing for your body and stimulates the brain’s release of mood-calming tryptophan. Menthol and menthone are found in mint and are one of the best remedies for digestive issues. This being said, mint would be a great food to consume to help you sleep (Straten 101).

Yoghurt Mint Recipe:

5 fl oz yoghurt

3.5 fl oz semi-skimmed milk

3 sprigs of fresh mint, plus 2 leaves to garnish

 

Grab a small saucepan, and very gently heat the yoghurt, mint sprigs, and milk for ten minutes. Take out the 3 mint leaves, and pour into a glass, garnishing the top with 2 mint sprigs.

Personally, I know a handful of people who struggle with sleep issues like insomnia. While this drink may not be everybody's cup of tea, I highly suggest finding a drink like tea or this Yoghurt concoction to see if it helps. Straten has done a lot of trustworthy research to help people who deal with these struggles.

Do you believe that there is any objective approach to coping with sleep? Do you agree with Straten that using foods’ beneficial properties like those found in mint is a valid approach?

Do you believe that the trick to sleeping is one that is cognitive rather than tangible?

Straten, Michael Van. Low Carb Super Drinks. Great Britain: Mitchell Beazley, 2005. Print.