It's a marvelous night for a moon milk...
Many of us had a mother or grandmother who showed us that the Sandman could be persuaded to visit by slow-sipping warm milk whenever sleep eluded us. It was a valuable lesson, imparted with as much insight as love. But somewhere along the road to maturity, many of us abandoned this simple wisdom in favor of a nightcap (or three) of scotch or some other spirit to induce drowsiness. However, the effect usually has the exact opposite of what we hope to achieve and is sometimes topped off with morning grogginess or headache. Our maternal matrons understood that warm milk, infused with certain herbs and spices, was the best path to putting stress on hold and ease into healthful sleep.

Grandma didn't invent moon milk, as this nighttime herbal infusion is affectionately called. Not to be confused with moonmilk (note the spelling), a limestone crystalline precipitate found in caves that served as the medium for prehistoric finger paintings, the botanical-laced beverage has been recommended by Ayurvedic practitioners to counter stress, anxiety and excess pitta (heat) in the body for thousands of years. As you might expect, moon milk is traditionally enjoyed at bedtime. When formulated with ingredients that offer antioxidant, anti-inflammatory and adaptogenic qualities, the potential benefits of these latte-like drinks may go well beyond addressing sleep issues.

All of us experience four-to-six sleep cycles every night, each lasting an average of 90 minutes. We spend about 25% of the time in each cycle in REM (rapid eye movement sleep). As we progress through NREM (non-rapid eye movement) sleep, blood pressure, heart rate, respiration, metabolism and brain wave activity slow down. There are three stages of NREM, with Stage 3 NREM being the most vital to good health. This is the stage we refer to as "deep sleep" and is when growth hormone is released to initiate bone, muscle and tissue repair, immune function, serum glucose metabolism, cognitive performance and memory recall. Now you can see why that boozy nightcap is a bad idea — alcohol raises blood pressure and heart rate while suppressing the central nervous system and inhibiting Stage 3 NREM.

On a global scale, as much as 30% of the adult population suffers from chronic or frequent insomnia, with stress and anxiety being the most common contributing factors. Of course, other issues can lead to sleep disturbances, such as diabetes, heart rhythm irregularities, sleep apnea, menopause, etc. Perhaps this is why chronic insomnia is experienced more often in older adults, especially women. However, sleep health is something to be taken seriously at any age — if nothing else because, in the words of actress and writer JoJo Jensen, "without enough sleep, we all become tall two-year-olds."

This timeless 1990s romantic comedy classic may tug at our heartstrings, but it also offers insight into one of the best ways to combat restless sleep: get out of bed. As the main characters illustrate, they find solace in each other's restlessness (and in an apple-peeling exercise) via a late-night radio talk show despite never meeting until the last scene in the movie. It may seem counterintuitive, but getting up and moving around, perhaps reading or watching an oldie-but-goodie sitcom for a few minutes, is a much more effective way to trigger sleep than staring at the ceiling from bed. Listening to guided meditation is another excellent way to relax and slow down your metabolism and overactive brain. But please…resist reaching for your cell phone and avoid the news, whatever you do.

The cause of restless or evasive sleep is different for everyone. Most often, though, lack of sleep can be attributed to racing thoughts, frequent tossing and turning to get comfortable (if you tend to get hot, try sticking one bare foot out from the covers), frustration over not being able to fall asleep and difficulty getting back to sleep after waking during the night.

Drinking warm milk before retiring for the night has real physical and psychological effects. First, it’s soothing and helps us prepare for sleep, especially when it becomes a regular ritual. It is also possible that the practice evokes pleasant childhood memories that calm us. But milk also contains an amino acid called tryptophan, which the body uses to produce serotonin, a neurotransmitter that is, in turn, converted to melatonin. Also known as the sleep hormone, melatonin is needed to regulate circadian rhythm and establish a healthy pattern of sleep cycles.

Moon milk is created with the addition of herbs and spices and can be as simple or as complex as you wish. Aside from the sleep-inducing character of warm milk itself, let’s have a look at other potential moon milk ingredients and how they can help you get a good night’s rest.

This southeast Asian native in the pea family is noted for its vibrant blue flower petals that readily impart color to hot liquids. That glorious color is owing to the presence of anthocyanins, p-Coumaric acid, kaempferol, quercetin and other flavonoids known to fight oxidative stress associated with anxiety and chronic stress. These antioxidant compounds also appear to increase the production of acetylcholine in the brain, which is involved in cognitive function and memory.

This sweet spice is rich in polyphenol antioxidants, in particular an aromatic compound called cinnamaldehyde that gives cinnamon its distinctive aroma and flavor. A systematic review of more than 1,145 studies shows that cinnamon polyphenols reduce inflammation and oxidative stress in humans. Scientists have also observed anti-anxiety and sleep-promoting properties of cinnamaldehyde in sleep-deprived animal subjects.

Ah, sweet lavender. The workhorse of sleep-promoting herbs! One of the best-studied and most-loved herbs, this Mediterranean native is known for helping to reduce anxiety and promote a sense of well-being and relaxation. Just inhaling its seductive aroma is calming, but an oral dose of the flowers steeped in milk delivers a lovely assortment of antioxidant anthocyanins and phytosterols as well. The herb is also rich in volatile oils, one of which, linalool, acts on the aminobutyric acid receptors of the central nervous system to produce a mild sedative effect.

Another powerhouse of anti-inflammatory chemicals, this member of the ginger family is thought to play a role in lowering stress and anxiety, both of which are associated with low serum levels of antioxidants. Combined with warm milk, the flavor of cardamom is safely intoxicating while helping to enhance digestion and regulate metabolism.

In Ayurveda, ashwagandha is considered an adaptogenic herb, meaning that it helps the body to recover from physical or emotional stress. In India, this evergreen member of the nightshade family is commonly recommended to address anxiety, and research has shown that it may improve sleep quality. Scientists suspect that this action is due to triethylene glycol, an organic compound present in the leaves.

Revered for centuries in China as a shen rejuvenator, reishi mushroom is traditionally called upon to restore balance in the body, mind and spirit. In addition to offering antioxidant, anti-inflammatory and adaptogenic properties, research indicates that reishi increases non-REM time and total sleep time in animal models using the serotonin pathway.

A woody, climbing vine native to northern China and Korea, Schizandra produces red berries locally referred to as five-flavor fruit because they invoke all five flavor sensations on the tongue: sweet, sour, salty, bitter and pungent. In addition to lending flavor and color to hot beverages, the fruits also provide a generous dose of anti-inflammatory and antioxidant tannins collectively known as schizandrins. For centuries, Schizandra has been used in China, Korea and in Japan to ease anxiety and improve sleep quality. In modern pharmacology, it is understood that these effects are due to schizandrins increasing the expression of γ-aminobutyric acid (GABA) in a manner similar to that of linalool found in lavender.