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For many of us, falling into a deep slumber doesn’t exactly happen the moment our heads hit the pillow. On the contrary, it can be a frustrating (several-hour) ordeal of tossing and turning until you finally catch some Zs. Sigh.
If you ever find yourself scouring the internet for the best home remedies for sleep, we’re here to point you in the right direction. We recently spoke with a sleep expert who shared that one of the best drinks for sleep is tart cherry juice: It’s a natural source of melatonin and tryptophan, two sleepytime superheroes known to help promote the quality of your shuteye.
And while you can certainly drink cherry juice straight up, I’ve found that it’s a bit (ahem) tart for my palate and tastes way better mixed with something creamy to balance out the flavor. Meet Clover Sonoma’s organic pink moon milk, which is made with ultra-calming ingredients like milk, cherry, and hibiscus to promote relaxation with every sip. Plus, it tastes like heaven in a cup and is perfect for making iced or hot lattes—like this rose tart cherry moon milk recipe—when you’re in the mood to unwind.
Clover Sonoma Organic Cherry Moon Milk — $6.00
Why drinking tart cherry moon milk before bedtime can boost your sleep quality
“Moon milk is an elixir that combines warm milk with spices and/or herbs to provide a warming and calming effect on the mind,” Laura Croyt, a clinical Ayurvedic practitioner at Den Mother in Venice, California, previously shared with Well+Good. Although you can make moon milk from scratch, our go-to lately has been Clover Sonoma’s collection of organic moon milks, which come in flavors like turmeric ginger, blueberry lavender, and cherry berry hibiscus.
Aside from how tasty the cherry berry hibiscus moon milk is, know that it’s also packed with health-boosting, rest-inducing benefits. The milk is a great source of calcium (25 percent of your recommended daily value per cup!), magnesium, and tryptophan, which are great for inducing a sense of calm. Meanwhile, the cherry juice also helps support a good night’s rest (hi, melatonin) and is loaded with antioxidants. There’s also hibiscus, which is packed with polyphenols known to support the cardiovascular system, protect against free radicals, and help lower inflammation. Finally, this drink has a whopping nine grams of protein per cup.
I tried making a sleep-boosting tart cherry moon milk latte at home
Though the pink moon milk tastes great on its own, I’ve found that adding a few extra ingredients and whirling it into a homemade iced (or hot) latte is pretty much as good as it gets when it comes to cozy before-bed beverages. (And in the spirit of making self-care a top priority this year, I’ve been focusing on reducing my anxiety and stress levels whenever possible…and watching creamy pink milk froth is, quite honestly, about as chill as it gets.)
For this tart cherry moon milk recipe, I made it two ways: One hot and one cold. For the iced variation, I enlisted the help of my favorite handheld milk frother to get that barista-style frothy cold foam effect. However, if you don’t have one of these gadgets on hand, you can always toss your ingredients in a mason jar filled with ice and shake away for similar results. Meanwhile, for the hot version, I use an electric milk frother that warms up my milk while frothing it to perfection.
Though it’s nearly impossible to choose a favorite, I usually gravitate towards the iced version if I’m sipping it throughout the day for its stress-reducing effects. But if my goal is to just cozy up on the couch with a creamy concoction, the hot version hits the spot before bed—especially on a cold winter day.
Rose tart cherry moon milk recipe
Yields 1 serving
Ingredients1/4 cup Clover Sonoma pink moon milk1 Tsp beetroot powder, plus more for garnishing (optional)1/4 cup dairy-free whipping cream1 Tsp honey1 Tsp dried rose petals for garnishing (optional)
Iced latte:1. In a small cup, combine the moon milk and beetroot powder, and whisk until combined. Add ice.
2. In a separate cup, add the whipping cream and honey, and whisk until frothy.
3. Add the cold whipping cream foam over the moon milk mixture. Garnish with a sprinkle of beetroot powder and dried rose petals. Serve and enjoy.
Hot latte:1. In an electric milk frother, combine the moon milk and beetroot powder, turn the machine on hot, and froth the milk mixture until warm and creamy.
2. In the clean electric milk frother on either the cold or hot setting, add the whipping cream and honey, and whisk until frothy.
3. Garnish with a sprinkle of beetroot powder and dried rose petals. Serve and enjoy.
This de-stressing raspberry mocktail is perfect for a zero-alc happy hour:
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