That hot cup of milk your grandmother gave you before bed may have been a powerful sleep medicine after all.
While a staggering 30% of Americans suffer from chronic insomnia, (1) few realize that chronic insomnia can increase the risk of most degenerative diseases. (2)
Experts link rising stress levels and elevated cortisol (a hormone released in response to stress) to the rapidly increasing number of cases of insomnia. The problem is compounded when the lack of sleep causes more stress, which again raises cortisol levels, which further disturbs sleep patterns.
Researchers have found that when bioactive peptides in milk are taken before bed, the improvements in sleep are remarkable: (3-5)
- Promotes deeper sleep (3)
- Supports more restorative sleep (3)
- Induces relaxation at the level needed for sleep (4)
- Supports anxiety that disturbs sleep (4)
- Improves numerous stress markers (5)
Keep reading to learn how to get these benefits without the detriments of conventional milk – and learn a delicious Ayurvedic Super Sleep Recipe!
Ancient Remedy ~ Validated by Science
Grandma’s hot milk before bed was scientifically validated for the first time back in the 1930’s when milk and cornflakes were shown to deliver a better night’s sleep. In 1997, research done on newborns demonstrated that infants given milk had improved sleep beyond the benefits of nursing and being held.
The benefits of hot milk before bed was not only an Ayurvedic sleep remedy. In Europe, the benefits were widely known and well researched. Certain peptides, or proteins, in milk have been shown to activate the brain’s GABA receptors. (4)
Drugs that activate GABA receptors are known as benzodiazepines and are widely used as sedatives for stress, anxiety, and sleep. (6)
In one study, 32 healthy men were given just 150 mg of these milk proteins, and in just two weeks their sleep quality improved by 50%. (7)
In another study, over 60 women who were complaining of a host of stress-related problems, such as digestion, cardiovascular, emotional, cognitive and social disorders, were given 150 mg of the milk proteins before bed. The benefits ranged from 50 to 60 percent improvement in all of the disorders listed. (8)
The Deadly Effects of Chronic Insomnia
When the body is chronically denied sleep, stress hormones, like cortisol, steadily rise. We evolved to boost stress when being chased by a lion, tiger, or bear, which hopefully ended quickly when one found safety.
Today’s stress levels are 24/7, with little end in sight for many folks. Such chronic stress has a direct impact on sleep. According to a 2001 scientific poll, 38% of Americans received a solid 8 hours of sleep. In 2009, that number was reduced to just 28%.
Sleep is so important for good health that one landmark study linked getting 7-8 hours of regular sleep each night to a reduction in mortality from all causes. (9)
What’s worse is that people suffering from chronic insomnia were also shown to be at risk for numerous health disorders such as:
- Anxiety and depression (10)
- Cancer (10)
- Impaired cognitive function (10)
- Metabolic Syndrome (10)
- Cardiovascular disease (10)
- Diabetes (10)
- Impaired insulin action (10)
- Impaired glucose control (10)
- Increased body mass index (10)
- Elevated C-reactive protein (10)
- Elevated cortisol levels (10)
- Elevated blood pressure (10)
Ayurveda’s Super Sleep Recipe
Drinking hot milk before bed has been used for thousands of years in Ayurvedic medicine for benefits that reached well beyond sleep. Albeit much different from today’s chronic stress levels, stress was still a health issue even back then.
According to Ayurveda, chronic or excessive stress would deplete a precious substance in the body called ojas. Ojas is said to be the physiological expression of consciousness, in charge of immunity, reproduction, beauty, and the overall health and well-being of the individual.
Ojas takes 30 days to be manufactured in the body, and is the result of numerous enzymatic actions that start with the digesting of food into the body’s lymph, blood, muscle, fat, bone, nerve and reproductive tissues. Once these tissues are successfully made and deemed healthy by the body, the final product, or essence, ojas is produced.
When ojas is depleted, either from stress, lack of sleep, bad food, poor digestion, excessive activity or inactivity, the body breaks down fast. Folks with depleted ojas are exhausted, can’t sleep, have no sexual desire, have dry wrinkled skin, stiff joints and accelerated aging, and are pre-disposed to disease.
In Ayurveda, there are certain foods and herbs that are specific to building ojas, and it all starts with milk. Now, I realize milk is a controversial issue, but nonetheless, it has well-documented properties to mitigate numerous stress markers, support sleep, and build what Ayurveda calls ojas.
The major problem with today’s milk is that it is very difficult to digest. Here’s why:
- Added hormones, chemicals and antibiotics
- Unnecessary homogenization
- The wrong type of pasteurization
Most healthy grocery stores sell non-homogenized, vat pasteurized, chemical-, antibiotic-, and hormone-free milk. While raw milk may be the best, vat pasteurization is a slow and safe heating process of the milk at lower temperatures (135 degrees for 20 minutes) that doesn’t damage the milk proteins.
Many folks who consider themselves lactose intolerant can enjoy milk once again if the milk is not commercially processed and the digestion is strong.
Read more about healthy milk in my article called, Stop Eating Dairy Until You Read This Report.
Enhance the Benefits of Milk with Ojas-Building Foods and Herbs
To boost ojas and gain the predicted benefits of sleep, ojas-producing foods and herbs were cooked into the milk before bed. This is about as yummy of a drink as you will ever have:
1. Add small amounts of these to one cup of milk as you slowly bring it to a boil:
Chopped dates (1 tbsp)
Chopped almonds (2 tsp)
Coconut meat or flakes (1 tbsp)
Saffron (1/2 tsp)
Ghee (1-2 tsp)
Cardamom (1/8 tsp)
2. Add Ojas-building herbs to the milk (1/8 tsp or one 500mg capsule of each):
Shatavari (Strength of 100 Husbands, sometimes spelled Shatawari)
Ashwagandha (Strength of Ten Horses, sometimes spelled Ashwaganda)
3. Once the milk, herbs, and ojas-building foods and spices are cooked and off the flame, add 1 tsp of ojas-building raw honey.
Drink one cup of the ojas-building hot milk each night for 3 months to rebuild ojas levels and support sleep patterns.
Don’t drink milk? You may substitute a non-dairy milk such as rice or almond, warmed and with the ojas-building foods and herbs cooked in. Though you won’t get the benefits of the milk peptides, you’ll have a vehicle for the ojas-building foods and herbs, and some calming benefits from the warmth of the milk.
Before going to bed just analyze your activities of the day, so the next day your actions will be more creative. Omit your wrong.Stop your thoughts. Be sincere to yourself. Go for very nice deep sleep.
Manjunatha.H.G., well said. Once one’s mind is FREED, their negative energy dissipates. Allowing their chakras to become unblocked and generate positive flow.
You obviously dont have insomnia
Can you substitute a lactose free milk or are the peptides in the the milk sugar?
Hi Jane,
The peptides are proteins in the milk so lactose free milk should work just as well as regular.
For the additions to the milk… nuts, spices, ghee, etc.. is it one or more of those ingredients or all of those ingredients we are supposed to add?
Hi Tara,
The ojas drink is typically made with all of the ingredients listed, but you can create your own version based on what you have on hand as well.
I have hypoglisemia, do not eat anything that is sweet. How can I get my slleep? I only drink almond milk. Have gastritis.
Thank you
Hi Sol,
It is fine to use almond milk in place of dairy. Please check out the following articles and videos for more suggestions on how to get a good night’s sleep:
https://lifespa.com/sleep-solutions-for-your-body-type-sleep-deeply-wake-up-refreshed/
https://lifespa.com/webinar-dreaming-good-nights-sleep/
https://lifespa.com/top-ten-causes-sleepless-nights/
https://lifespa.com/why-you-cant-sleep-the-dark-side-of-blue-light/
Hi one site states the measurements of each ingredient to 1/4 teaspoon and another with 1 tablespoon, what is the correct quantity? Also one site has cardamom and the other does not. Lastly do we need to add the herbs Shatavari and Ashwagandha? Are these herbs beneficial to menopause? Thank you
can i use sugar in place of honey
i can not have honey
Hi Neha,
Maple syrup would be the best substitute, but you may not even need the sweetener. I would just omit the honey and see if it still tastes good to you. The dates and milk are quite sweet on their own.
It’s really a nice and useful piece of info. I am glad that
you just shared this useful info with us. Please keep us up to date like this.
Thanks for sharing.
hi
i take progesterones and oestrogenes
twice the normal dose for me
do you think that this Ojas drink could interfere with my hormones?
thank to answer
sorry my english is not yet perfect
Hello,
I’d like to try ojas building milk before bedtime and I was just wondering how long should the herbs be cooked for in milk? are there any specifications as to the length of time?
Regards
Martina
I like to bring the milk to a boil then add ojas formula and remove from heat, let steep until cool enough to enjoy
Hi Doc- Took me quite awhile to make Ojas drink but it sure was delicious. Reason it took so long was hacking into
baby coconut for meat. Do you happen to sell a pre made Ojas building
Formula in powder or pill form ?
Thanks, Namaste,
Steve
Here is the link to purchase our pre made Ojas formula…
http://store.lifespa.com/ojas.html
Thanks for reading!
Hi Dr John,
Is this ok for all the family?
Kids too?
My son is 6.
Ps thank you for your article on winter immunity the supplement program really has helped my son this year!!!
Huge gratitude from us here in the U.K. for you and all your work & research from the UK!!
Laura, thanks for your kind note. Yes, this ojas building sleep tonic is great for kids and adults.
Just wondering if the almonds, date pieces and coconut flakes are to be strained from the milk before drinking? Or can it all be blended in VitaMix?
Hi Lois, blending or mixing these nutrient-rich foods into the milk is ideal.
hi i had my galblader remover but still have complication
Hi John,
Considering the price of Saffron, a half teaspoon which I think is 1 gram would make this quite expensive. Can you substitute Turmeric or use a smaller dose of the Saffron?
Hi John…I read your blos and agrees with you but .I have a question here
I have pcos and estrogens/testerone levels are dominant and progesterone level are low..
If i take ojas drink..what quantities of ashawgandha and shatavari should I take?
Thank in advance
Preeti, thank you for your note. Taking the Ojas at one tsp or so a night will help support healthy sleep and energy throughout the day.
Be well,
Dr. John
here organic milk is not available…what to do??
Hi John,
i just wanted to know why is coconut used. What benefits does it have when using it with milk. And why cant we strain the ingredients when we have already boiled the ingredients? And wouldnt it be too heavy to drink this milk as we have used ghee, almonds already. And cant we drink this milk cold.
Sal asked on Feb. 9th if turmeric could be used instead of the costly saffron. I would also like to know this. That is the only ingredient that makes this remedy cost prohibitive for me.
Thank you!
Hi Lisa. Thanks for bringing this back into question. Saffron is the better choice because it helps with mood support, reduction in dietary cravings, as well as enhanced learning/memory support. During periods of detoxification and during regular chemical exposure to environmental pollutants, saffron may offer important support for the body’s natural immune response. You can learn more about it’s ojas building properties here: https://lifespa.com/move-saffron-to-your-medicine-cabinet/ Be well.
Wouldn’t heating the raw milk to over 117 degrees destroy the enzymes and good bacteria that help us to digest it? Also why would you pasteurize unpasteurized milk? Also, the added sugar from the dates and honey not to mention the 1 cup of milk is 24 grams of sugar that’s nearly one’s recommended daily value in one shot and not great before bed or good for those attempting to keep blood sugar levels steady. I’m down with the ghee, the herbs, spice, coco, almonds but what’s up with all the sugs and the heat? Appreciate the response!
I have tried massaging cow ghee onto the footsoles and found it to give quite a restful sleep,
S L Saraf
Hi I love the sound of this restoring drink! I’ve just made up a blend of all the ingredients you listed here, using double amounts so I could have the mixture for a few days. Am I doing it correctly in making a batch and then just putting one teaspoon of the mix in milk? Or are those amounts of ingredients listed for just one cup of milk? It’s not too clear. Wouldn’t want to overdo the amounts of the herbs used. Also would the mix then need to be stored in the fridge? Thanks!
Does the milk have to be boiled? I like to use raw goat milk. Would simply warming the milk up to body temperature suffice?
Thanks!
Hi Jacob thanks for the question. For best results try a light boil or simmer, and then remove from the heat. Be well.
Hi,
I would like to know if I can have English medicines (medicines prescribe by dermatologist zit 20mg and ultranuron (multi vitamine}) while going through Ojas course.
Try unsweetened organic coconut milk with honey preferably honey from your area, this helps my insomnia, inflammation due to allergies that keep me awake.
Thanks for the sleep inducing video. , but please inform is it cow milk or goat milk, camel etc.
Regards
My wife is 45year old .she is suffering with sleeplessness and anemia problem.she has 8 grm blood in body .
Wieght lose. Thyroid is normal.please help.