In the womb of the night we reset, recover and repair. Unfortunately, electric lights, technology and piped entertainment keep us from going gently into that dark night, from listening to its rich silence, and enjoying its deep stillness. We pay for that with sleep deficiencies.

Help is available with Moon Milk, a warm bedtime tonic made with sweet, sleep-enhancing ingredients – delicious on its own, or boosted with the addition of adaptogenic herbs.

Read my piece on Spirituality & Health for a full list of sleep-enhancing foods.

MOON MILK
Serves 1-2

If food is mother nature’s love, then Moon Milk is her liquid lullaby.

Ingredients
2 cups almond milk
2 handfuls dried and pitted cherries
1-2 medjool dates
1/8 teaspoon fresh grated nutmeg

Option 1: rose water and cardamom
Option 2: chamomile and lavender buds
Option 3: flax seeds and coconut oil
Herbal add-ins: brahmi, ashwagandha, or triphala

Instructions
Put everything in a blender and blend until well liquified. Pour into a saucepan and warm on the stove. Rinse the blender jug with about a cup of water and pour this into the saucepan with the tonic. Heat until it just reaches a gentle simmer. Pour the tonic into your mug and enjoy warm.

Option 1: Add a spoonful of rose water and 2 pinches cardamom while warming.
Option 2: Stir in a cup of hot chamomile tea with lavender buds once warmed.
Option 3: Grind a teaspoon of flax seeds before adding the rest of the ingredients in the blender. Stir a knob of coconut oil into the pot while warming.
Option 4: Add a scant teaspoon of powdered herbal adaptogen to the tonic as it warms. Whisk and blend well.

If insomnia is a chronic problem, talk to a trusted friend or adviser. Sleep is essential medicine. When it is elusive it can be a sign that something precious needs our most loving attention.

Wishing you a sweet slumber in the healing womb of the mother.