nutrition

Do Sleep Drinks Actually Improve Your Sleep Quality?

Hey Angels and Alphas,

Sleep quantity is something many people put a lot of importance on. But sleep quality has remained largely misunderstood throughout the health and wellness community. While establishing a nighttime routine that will promote restful sleep — or, even more specifically, going to bed at the same time every night — will indeed do wonders for your sleep quality, many people find this difficult. For this problem, people have devised a solution: sleep drinks.

Restful, restorative sleep quality drinks may help a lot of us get the rest we really need. This is because our bodies aren’t designed to function optimally in relation to our modern fast-paced lives. Perhaps that’s why various sleep drinks have hit the market, providing us with a quick fix for poor sleep quality.

But is the new sleep drink trend justified? Are they really useful for promoting sleep quality and better rest?

The rise in popularity of these drinks makes a lot of sense. Poor sleep quality is essentially an epidemic and people are desperately seeking a remedy. 

Experts agree with this – there has been a long-established connection between nutrition and sleep quality. And since people are always looking for a simple, convenient way to implement new solutions, these drinks have found a market amongst people who want to improve their sleep quality. But will these drinks actually move you closer to a good night’s sleep?

Let’s answer the question – do sleep drinks actually work?

Sleep and nutrition experts both have their doubts.

Countless of these sleep drinks contain amounts and combinations of melatonin, magnesium, L-Theanine, vitamin B6, 5-HTP, and GABA. These are all known sleep aids in nature, with melatonin being the most well-established sleep aid out there. Some of the others, like L-Theanine and 5-HTP, are way more controversial because of their potential side effects. 

But experts have noted that even melatonin might not have the desired effect if it’s consumed in this type of drink. The safest dosage of melatonin is about 300mcg, which is the amount your body naturally makes. Taken at sunset, which is when the body naturally produces melatonin, these drinks can often contain 10 times that amount. Moreover, people might not even consume them at the optimal time. This means they are less likely to produce the desired effect.

The bottom line is, while some of these drinks do contain ingredients that aid sleep quality and may theoretically be helpful for sleep, there isn’t a single magic combination that will work to improve your sleep. A sleep drink alone will never be able to correct the underlying cause of poor sleep. Instead, simple nutrition and lifestyle changes can be much better precursors of restful sleep and high energy levels.

The single best use case for sleep drinks.

If you’re someone who is interested in sleep drinks and you want to give them a try, you should treat them the same way you treat any other supplement you take. Dietary supplements must be thoroughly investigated to determine their quality and safety. When you’re choosing these products, you should look for third-party certifications and try to determine if every batch is tested for quality and safety. In addition, take into consideration any extra medications you might be taking that may affect the contents of the drink.

Do-it-yourself sleep drinks you can try today.

There is definitely something to be said about the placebo effect here. Drinking something that is supposed to induce sleep may indeed make you feel sleepier. But if you’re looking for a very cost-effective option you can try today, you can try relaxing while chugging down a hot cup of caffeine-free tea. Many teas naturally include chamomile, lavender, valerian root, and mint. These are all great ingredients for sleep quality.

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