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While green smoothies can help you wake up and get energized for the day, they can also help you sleep. This bedtime smoothie is full of soothing ingredients that will help prepare your body for a great night sleep.
Gone are the days of tossing and turning, trying to fall asleep. Now I’ve got some great foods that help you sleep like lavender sleep tea and this light bedtime smoothie as well as tips on how to sleep well.
Sleep is integral to good health. It supports healthy brain function which makes you more alert and focused during the day, is linked to emotional well-being, and boosts your immune system to keep any yucky germs at bay.
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Unfortunately, nearly 35% of Americans suffer from symptoms of insomnia. It’s time we take advantage of the natural foods and drinks that support better sleep. Eating a healthy, varied diet and getting a good night’s sleep can help you enjoy the best life possible.
Ingredients in My Bedtime Smoothie
This recipe is full of foods that help you sleep. Here’s how each one can work for you when sipped in a deep sleep smoothie:
- Rolled oats: Oats contain melatonin which can assist sleep.
- Spinach: leafy greens like spinach contain high amounts of magnesium, along with a whole host of other ingredients.
- Chamomile tea: This soothing tea contains antioxidants that promote sleep.
- Tart cherry juice: This type of cherry juice specifically contains melatonin and can help improve sleep quality and deepness of sleep.
- Banana: The magnesium in bananas can help relax your muscles for sleep.
- Almond butter: Almonds also contain magnesium as well has healthy fat, which can help you feel full all night long.
Bedtime Smoothie Recipe
I created a smoothie recipe with specific foods that help you sleep—both falling asleep and staying asleep. Yes, it’s legit! Here’s how I’m blending it:
- Blend the rolled oats until finely ground. Making this oat flour first will help it blend into the other ingredients better and leave you with a less gritty smoothie.
- Add the remaining ingredients to the blender. Puree until smooth. Stop the blender and scrape down the sides if needed to make sure all those leafy chunks get well blended.
Start sipping this smoothie about an hour before you’re ready to go to bed. Drink it at a slow and steady pace (no chugging).
Healthy Habits to Sleep Well
Along with drinking a soothing beverage before bedtime, here are a few more tricks I found help lead me to slumberland more quickly and deeply:
- A good, quality pillow: Whether it’s a buckwheat pillow or a memory foam pillow, find one that correctly supports your neck and upper back. This keeps your spine in alignment while sleeping. I’ve tried several and both of these brands are the best out there.
- Sleep with earplugs: I started using earplugs back in college dealing with noisy roommates and neighbors. I can also account for the fact that they drown out my husband’s occasional snoring.
- Limit caffeine after 2pm: Switching to decaf coffee or even better, beverages without caffeine lead to better sleep.
- Heating/Cooling mattress pad: The chiliPad is a hydro-powered mattress pad with a thermal regulating control unit. It allows me to set the mattress temperature to keep me cool all night. I set the temperature for 69° F and it will circulate water at that temperature to keep me cool.
Now what works for me, may not work for you. I’d love to hear your personal experience with foods and sleeping tricks that work for you.
Sleep Smoothie FAQs
I recommend drinking a smoothie 1 hour before bed time, sipping instead of gulping. Use ingredients that are low in sugar, contain magnesium and melatonin and are not caffeinated. My bedtime smoothie is a great place to start when trying to get better sleep.
My bedtime smoothie blends rolled oats, spinach, chamomile tea, tart cherry juice, banana and almond butter for a light beverage that will put you to sleep quickly and deeply. I chose ingredients with magnesium and melatonin so they could work together to relax your body and promote sleepiness.
Yes! Bananas contain magnesium which can help calm restless muscles so your body can focus on sleep. Blend with other calming ingredients (nothing with too much sugar or any caffeine) to set your sleep up for success.
More Beverages to Help You Sleep
Because sleep is so important and because I love using real, whole food to help my body first, I’ve created a few beverages with ingredients that promote healthy sleep.
Whether you’ve found this bedtime smoothie for weight loss or because you have a hard time experiencing deep sleep, let’s find the right bedtime beverage for you:
- Lavender sleep tea: A light a soothing tea that calms my body quickly.
- Spiced almond milk: Part of my night routine to regulate blood sugar and help me feel full throughout the night.
- Pink moon milk: This drink is as gorgeous as it is soothing.
- Turmeric golden milk latte: Full of anti-inflammatory ingredients for your body to feel its best.
What helps you get a good night’s rest? After rating this recipe, leave a comment with your bedtime routine so we can help everyone sleep better.
Bedtime Smoothie
Ingredients
- ¼ cup rolled oats uncooked old-fashioned
- 1 cup spinach fresh
- ½ cup chamomile tea brewed and cooled
- ½ cup tart cherry juice
- 1 banana fresh or frozen
- 1 tbsp almond butter
Instructions
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Place uncooked oats in blender. Blend until finely ground.
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Add spinach, chamomile tea, cherry juice, bananas, and almond butter to the blender. Puree until smooth.
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Pour into a glass or mug and enjoy.
Notes
- If unsweetened tart red cherry juice can’t be found, substitute with extra chamomile tea or water. Or use 1 cup frozen or fresh tart red cherries plus a little water.
- For a really soothing nighttime drink, this smoothie can also be served warmed up.
- Swap rolled oats with oat flour if available.
- Swap almond butter with the nut or seed butter of your choice.
Nutrition
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