Tart Cherry Moon Milk Recipe for Relaxation and Better Sleep (2024)

FAQs

How do you drink tart cherry for sleep? ›

Timing: Most people say it's best to drink tart cherry juice about 30 minutes to an hour before bedtime. That's when your body's melatonin production is naturally rising. Start Small: Begin with a small glass of tart cherry juice. Some people find that even a half-cup works well.

"The combination of ingredients in moon milk has a synergistically calming effect on the nervous system, thereby relaxing the body." That could potentially promote sleep.

Ideally sipped daily before bedtime, moon milk contains a blend of adaptogens and spices to help inspire a blissful night's rest. Adaptogens are herbs and plants that have been used for centuries in Ayurvedic medicine, one of the oldest holistic healing systems in the world.

There is no set amount of cherries you need to eat to induce sleep. One study found that people who ate a handful of tart cherries before bed fell asleep faster and slept more soundly than those who didn't eat the fruit. In fact, two cups of tart cherry juice is better than a traditional melatonin supplement.

Many sleep experts recommend consuming tart cherry juice twice a day – once in the morning and again in the evening. In the evening, aim to drink tart cherry juice about an hour to two hours before bedtime. This allows ample time for the melatonin found in the juice to kick in and begin to induce that sleepy feeling.

Tart Cherry Juice Warnings

If you have diabetes or another condition that affects blood sugar, you should speak to your doctor before adding tart cherry juice to your diet. Sorbitol, a natural sugar alcohol found in tart cherry juice, can also cause belly pain and diarrhea for some people.

Almond Milk

The National Sleep Foundation noted that almonds also contain tryptophan, so the increased intake of this nutrient can have a significant impact on your sleepiness level.

Turmeric is a boon for all your sleep woes as it reduces oxidative stress, anxiety, depression and boosts the mood. These combined effects help to regulate the sleep cycle. Recipe: Warm 1 cup milk, 1 tsp ground turmeric, ½ tsp cinnamon, ½ piece grated ginger and 1 tsp honey in a saucepan.

The melatonin average concentration was 6.98 pg/mL in the cows' milk, 4.71 pg/mL in the BTM, and 5.62 pg/mL in the UHT milk. In the night milk, the melatonin concentration averaged 14.87 pg/mL, whereas it was 6.98 pg/mL in the total daily milk.

The moon also carries with it the association of milk. The Egyptian hieroglyph, mena, means both “moon” and “breast.” Warmed and spiced milk sipped in the evenings to aid sleep goes by the name “moon milk” to many.

Does ashwagandha improve sleep? ›

Overall, the studies found that ashwagandha extract had a small but significant effect on improving sleep compared with placebo. The benefits were more prominent when the dose was 600 mg/day and when the treatment duration was at least 8 weeks. Benefits were also more prominent in participants with insomnia.

Soy milk, just like dairy milk, is rich in tryptophan. Research has shown that soy milk can induce a natural sedative effect by improving the body's Melatonin levels. Drinking soy milk comes with a unique advantage in that it can reduce the time you need to get sleep.

Experts agree that tart cherry juice could be worth trying as a natural sleep aid — but only after checking with your doctor. If you do try drinking tart cherry juice, select a brand that doesn't have added sugar, Taub-Dix advises. Cleveland Clinic also suggested trying Montmorency cherries in particular.

Cherries can be included in the diet for all stages of kidney disease. Cherries contain only trace amounts of sodium and are low in phosphorus. Sweet cherries are high in potassium (>200 mg in 3.5 ounces, which is almost one-half cup), while sour cherries are considered a low potassium food (<200 mg in 3.5 ounces).

Those with kidney disease, liver disease, heart disease, or kidney stones should also consult their doctors. Other people who should exercise caution include those with bleeding disorders, rheumatoid arthritis, diabetes, or any immune system disorder.

Tart cherry juice is similar in color to cranberry juice with a pucker-inducing sourness. Some producers cut the tartness of the juice by blending it with apple juice, but purists just drink it straight.

For a single glass of cherry juice, we recommend a mix of 7 parts water to 1 part concentrate. That's 2 tablespoons (1 ounce) of concentrate for an 8 ounce glass of juice. Another easy recipe is to mix 1/2 cup of cherry juice concentrate with 3 1/2 cups of water. This makes 1 quart of juice.

One packet is a perfect serving size of concentrate; either add to 7 ounces of water or other drink or simply drink straight from the packet. Montmorency Tart Cherry Juice Concentrate: Direct from the grower to your glass.

One putative sleep-promoting pathway for tart cherries is their relatively high content of melatonin,⁸ a substance with sleep-regulating properties. Another potential pathway is via anti-inflammatory agents in that a number of inflammatory cytokines are intricately related to the modulation of sleep.