4 Festive Mocktails to Invite Better Sleep

Spread the holiday cheer with a calming, nonalcoholic drink.

Holiday mocktails
Twenty20

‘Tis the season for eating, drinking, and being merry. But too much cheer can interrupt your rest: Research shows that even moderate amounts of alcohol (two drinks daily for men and one for women) can decrease your sleep quality by 24%.

“Alcohol is a sedative, but it suppresses the restorative stages of sleep,” says Dr. W. Christopher Winter, author of “The Sleep Solution: Why Your Sleep is Broken and How to Fix It.”

For a healthier — and hangover free! — holiday, try shaking things up with a virgin drink!

These sleep-boosting mocktail recipes, developed by Rebecca Clyde, RDN, of Nourish Nutrition Co. will get you in the spirit without ruining your rest.

1. Orange-Cranberry Smash
Orange-Cranberry Smash Mocktail
Photo Credit: Rebecca Clyde, RDN

Tart cranberries and citrusy orange add wintry flavor. They’re complemented by sweet coconut water, which delivers magnesium and potassium. These minerals help relax muscles.

Servings: 2
Prep Time: 5 minutes
Cook Time: 0 minutes
Total Time: 5 minutes

Ingredients

1 cup fresh cranberries
¼ cup orange juice (or 1 tablespoon orange juice concentrate)
2 cups unsweetened coconut water
2 sprigs of rosemary

Instructions

1. In a wide-mouth jar or pitcher, add cranberries and orange juice (or orange juice concentrate). Use a muddler or back of a spoon to smash cranberries.

2. Divide mixture into two glasses. Add 1 cup of coconut water to each glass. Stir until combined. Garnish with rosemary sprig, and enjoy.

2. Warm Gingerbread Milk
Warm Gingerbread Milk Mocktail
Photo Credit: Rebecca Clyde, RDN

This sweet, spiced drink captures the taste of gingerbread cookies. Creamy warm milk makes it a comforting nightcap.

Servings: 2
Prep Time: 2 minutes
Cook Time: 5 minutes
Total Time: 7 minutes

Ingredients

2 cups whole milk
½ gingerbread spice mix, plus more to taste*
½ tsp pure maple syrup, plus more to taste

Instructions

1. Heat whole milk in a small saucepan over medium-low heat. Whisk in gingerbread spice and maple syrup. If wanted, add more spice and/or syrup to taste. Cook 3 to 5 minutes, or until warm.

2. Pour gingerbread milk into two mugs or heatproof glasses. To garnish, sprinkle a little extra gingerbread spice on top.

* You can buy gingerbread spice mix from most grocery stores. Or make your own from this recipe.

3. Sparkling Chamomile-Lemon Tea
Sparkling Chamomile-Lemon Tea Mocktail
Photo Credit: Rebecca Clyde, RDN

Comforting chamomile tea is often recommended for sleep. This mocktail elevates the tea into a fizzy drink with a lemony twist.

Servings: 2
Prep Time: 2 minutes
Cook Time: 5 minutes
Total Time: 7 minutes

Ingredients

1 chamomile tea beg
¼ cup boiling water
1 teaspoon pure maple syrup
1 teaspoon lemon juice
¾ cup cold sparkling water
2 lemon slices

Instructions

1. In a heatproof pitcher or container, steep the chamomile tea bag in the boiling water for four to five minutes. Remove tea bag and discard it. Stir in maple syrup and lemon juice until combined. Add cold sparkling water.

2. Divide mixture between two glasses. Stir and garnish with lemon slices.

4. Tart Cherry Spritzer
Tart Cherry Spritzer Mocktail
Photo Credit: Rebecca Clyde, RDN

Tart cherry juice gives this drink its gorgeous crimson hue and sleepy superpower. Research shows that tart cherry juice can raise your body’s production of melatonin, a hormone that promotes slumber. It’s mixed with lime and sparkling water for a refreshingly sweet-tart sip.

Servings: 2
Prep Time: 2 minutes
Cook Time: 0 minutes
Total Time: 2 minutes

Ingredients

2 tablespoons tart cherry concentrate
2 cups cold sparkling water
2 teaspoons lime juice, plus extra for taste
2 lime wedges

Instructions

1. In each glass, pour 1 tablespoon tart cherry concentrate. Then add 1 cup sparkling water and 1 teaspoon lime juice. Stir until combined.

2. Garnish with a lime wedge, and enjoy!

READ NEXT: 6 Foods That’ll Help Make You Sleepy

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Sharon Liao is writer and editor specializing in health, fitness, and nutrition. She lives in Redondo Beach, Calif.