The Cozy Bedtime Drink That Gives Me a Better Night’s Sleep

Maybe it doesn’t surprise you to hear that about one–third of adults aren’t getting the recommended amount of sleep (at least seven hours). Or maybe it does, but only because you expected that number to be higher. The truth of how low this number actually is didn’t surprise me one bit — until recently, I was one of them.

I would consistently sleep around six hours a night and, although I felt sluggish during the day, I was still accomplishing all the tasks on my to-do list. I just figured sleeping less was part of adulthood. (It’s not, by the way.) But after two-ish years, I decided to give those sleepless nights a rest.

That meant taking my sleep hygiene more seriously. I made a few changes, including setting aside time to wind down in the evening and minimizing my nightly screen time. I also replaced my requisite glass of wine (which, coincidentally, can also disrupt sleep) with this soothing berry- and lavender-flavored milk.

I discovered Clover Sonoma’s moon milk just over a month ago, and it’s quickly become a mainstay in my — and my husband’s — nightly ritual. The lavender-hued milk tastes slightly sweet with a hint of honey, blueberry, and lavender. It’s made with ingredients that naturally promote relaxation, like lavender oil, but mostly I find it to be an incredibly cozy drink when warmed and sipped straight from a mug.

Once our daughter falls asleep around 7:30 p.m., we change into our pajamas and sink into the couch to catch up and watch reality TV while sipping mugs of the warm milk. After our episode is over and our mugs are empty, we turn off the TV and spend the rest of the night relaxing (without screens!) and washing up before crawling into bed at 10.

Since changing my pre-bedtime routine, I’ve been sleeping between seven and eight hours every night. Who knows how much of that is thanks to the milk, but I’ll gladly drink to that.

Buy: Clover Sonoma Blue Moon Blueberry Lavender Milk, $5.99 for 1 quart at Amazon

What are your favorite pre-bedtime drinks? Tell us about it in the comments.

This post originally ran on Kitchn. See it there: The Cozy Drink You’ll Want to Sip Before Bed Every Night (No, It’s Not Tea).