4 Smoothie Recipes that Promote Sweet Dreams

Ditch the chocolate & relax with a bedtime smoothie to help you sleep better!

Struggling with what to eat before bed at night? Last night’s rendezvous with Ben & Jerry or the greasy buffalo wings leftover from dinner may not be your bet. Face it, your sleep is going to be as messy as the food stains on your sheets if you opt for that kind of bedtime snack.

Just like unhealthy snack binges, your daily meals trigger how well you sleep each night. How does your diet stand up against sleep? Does it support it or sabotage it? The simple (but not-so-easy-to-do) answer is the healthier you eat throughout the day, the better you’ll sleep at night. But sometimes a little snack before bed can help with relaxation.

Why not try a delish bedtime smoothie – with sleep-inducing ingredients – to satisfy your cravings AND help you sleep? When you think of a smoothie, a quick, healthy breakfast choice comes to mind. Trick out your smoothie with sleep-fueled ingredients and you’ve just found a flawless bedtime snack.

• Milk. Calcium ramps up the relaxation while tryptophan helps you fall asleep. The perfect sleep combo.
• Bananas. Melatonin, serotonin and magnesium in bananas will help your muscles uncoil and help you sleep soundly.
• Honey. Used for years as a natural sleep aid, honey contributes to the release of melatonin
• Flax seed. High amounts of tryptophan and omega-3 fatty acids increase levels of the sleep-regulating serotonin.
• Almonds. A good source of magnesium, which promotes sleep and muscle relaxation.

Now let’s blend these sleep-generating ingredients with some tasty flavors.  Check out the recipes below.

Peanut Butter Banana Smoothie Recipe

Ingredients

• 2 bananas
• 2 tbsp. honey
• 1 cup milk
• ½ cup peanut butter
• 2 cup ice cubes

Showtime. Place all the ingredients into a blender. Blend for approx. 30 seconds or until smooth. Recipe via allrecipes.com

Cherry Pie Smoothie Recipe

Ingredients

• 1 cup frozen or fresh cherries
• 1/2 cup plain yogurt
• 1/2 tsp. vanilla
• 1 tsp. honey
• 1 cup almond milk
• 1/3 cup almond milk

Showtime. Place all ingredients into your blender. Blend until smooth and add more milk to thin out. Recipe via gimmesomeoven.com

Banana & Nutmeg Smoothie Recipe

Ingredients

• 1 banana
• 1.5 cup almond milk
• 1/4 tbsp. nutmeg
• 2 tbsp. honey

Showtime. Place all of the ingredients into a blender and blend until smooth. Recipe via marthastewart.com

Almond & Flax Seed Smoothie Recipe

Ingredients

• 2 tbsp. peanut or almond butter
• 1 banana
• 2 tbsp. flax seed
• 1/2 cup almond milk
• 1 tsp. honey

Showtime. Place all the ingredients in a blender and blend until smooth. Recipe via cookieandkate.com

How to hack a smoothie recipe

After cleaning the kitchen from dinner, the last thing you want is a blended mess all over the counter. During your weekly grocery trip, add all the ingredients to your shopping list or sub in the fruits you have available. When you get home, use zip-lock bags and prep the smoothies for the week and place in the freezer.

Delicious smoothies can help put you to sleep but so can following a daily sleep routine that allows your body to wake up refreshed and ready to conquer the day.

Rest well & wake up ready to go!

Better sleep gives rise to better mornings, bringing your goals into focus and dreams within reach. Hungry for more sleep info? Dig into these posts:

• 3 mason jar breakfast recipes
• Best breakfast in bed recipes
• For the love of a good breakfast recipe