Is your mind constantly racing? Is it even worse after you lay down? Yeah, me too!
That has been my life since I could remember. I recently started a new bedtime routine and it has completely changed my racing thoughts and sleeping pattern. I start by implementing some “sleep hygiene” or good sleep habits start before we even go to bed.
Sleep hygiene can look completely different for all of us and different things might help some more than others. According to the Centre for Clinical Interventions we need regular sleep in order to train our body to sleep well. We need to sleep when we are sleepy. If we haven’t fallen asleep after laying for 20 minutes or more, get up and do something calming or boring until you feel sleepy. Avoid caffeine & nicotine for at least 4-6 hours before going to bed. Avoid alcohol, people believe that alcohol is relaxing but it actually interrupts the quality of sleep. Do not use your bed to watch television, eat, read, work on your laptop, pay bills or other things, this will aid your body to associate bed with sleep. Exercise will help with good sleep. According to the CDC sleep recommendations, we need 7 or more hours of sleep. I can’t sleep past 8 hours that’s my max, body wakes me up and if I continue to try to sleep my body hurts and wants me to get out of bed.
Okay now that we got some of those covered let’s move on to what changes I’ve made that have totally changed my racing thoughts and anxiety.
I started a new little addition to my bedtime routine by making Cherry Almond Moon Milk. Have you heard of moon milk? It’s super easy to make and the process of making it and sipping the warm steamed drink is super relaxing.
Moon Milk’s origins are centuries-old and was used as a remedy for sleeplessness. It’s a warm mug of milk with herbs and/or spices. I make mine with steamed almond milk, honey, and tart cherry juice (hello Melatonin). You can try it with different milks if you prefer others. Using whole milk is the traditional way of making it for the sleep-inducing components found in dairy.
HOW TO:
Simply heat the milk in a small saucepan, after a couple minutes add the cherry tart juice and whisk it. You will see the milk start to create a thick cream on top and once it boils you can remove it from the heat. I add the honey and a splash of vanilla extract after I remove it from the heat. I also used a handheld frother to get the frothy finish in the picture, it looks more appetizing and it’s fun to sip on the froth. I sprinkle it with cinnamon and nutmeg. You can purchase all the ingredients at your local grocery store or Amazon. Although there are a lot of different recipes for Moon Milk I didn’t want something super complex that would require too much attention, this is a simple, relaxing, and easy task that helps decompress and begin the sleep routine.
Moon Milk
Almond Cherry
Let me know if you try it, it has definitely helped me sleep better and be more relaxed before I even get to bed. The Calm App is the second addition to my sleep routine and it has worked amazingly. I haven’t been able to finish a single story, I fall asleep before I even get to the middle of the story.
