The old wives tale of milk can help induce sleep is true.  Dairy products have a considerable amount of tryptophan which is an amino acid that your body converts to melatonin and serotonin.  Experts believe that melatonin and serotonin help induce sleep.  Milk contains about 112 milligrams of tryptophan per eight-ounce glass.  It is also believed that the warmth of the beverage helps relax and calm you.

SleepBetterTips.com has a recipe that sweetens warm milk that has both adults and kids raving over it’s delicious taste.  The children in my family love this as a comforting drink.  Try it out and let us know what you think!

WARM MILK RECIPE

Ingredients:

• 1 cup milk
• 1 teaspoon vanilla extract
• 2 tablespoons honey
• 1/4 teaspoon ground nutmeg

Directions:

• Mix the milk, vanilla and sugar in a large coffee cup.
• Warm the milk mixture in the microwave on high power for 1 minute and 30 seconds.
• Remove the cup from the microwave and stir in the nutmeg.  Serve immediately.

If the thought of just drinking warm milk grosses you out, you’re not alone.  Here are some other ways to get eat dairy:

1.  A steamy bowl of oatmeal with milk

2.  Yogurt and granola

3.  Yogurt and fruit (like fresh cut strawberries or blueberries)