The ritual of drinking a warm beverage to relax before bedtime has been all the rage since pretty much forever. The Ayurvedic version of that nighttime ritual typically uses milk but the wellness community has upgraded that idea by using non-dairy milk alternatives combined with healing herbs and spices to create a delicious, calming and super powered drink called moon milk.

The main thing about moon milk that piqued my curiosity is the addition of adaptogens (yes, for those of you paying attention, I am a little obsessed). Adaptogens come from various plants and have been shown to help your body “adapt” to every day stressors by helping to balance hormones (including the ever present hormone cortisol), and boosting the immune system. Adaptogens like ashwaganda and resihi in particular can be very calming. 

I was intrigued by moon milk mostly because I'm always looking to hack my insomnia, and a warm beverage with extra super powers seemed like a safe bet. I use a recipe that I found in Bon Appétit that's full of even more good stuff like turmeric (very anti-inflammatory), nutmeg (a sleep inducer) and honey (can help limit the early morning release of the stress hormones cortisol and adrenaline). I’ve also seen other sleep inducing things used in moon milk like tart cherry juice which is full of naturally occurring melatonin.