Apple Cider Vinegar and Honey for Sleep: A Fact or A Myth?

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People have been using apple cider vinegar and honey to improve their health for hundreds of years.

Honey has many uses. It can be utilized as a sweetener, a hair conditioner, or a skin scrub, just to name a few. Apple cider vinegar is a natural remedy that can help or clean just about anything. It can be used as a fabric softener, skin cleanser, aid for weight loss, and preventing diabetes.

It is no surprise that a lot of people recommend apple cider vinegar and honey for sleep. How is this possible? There are actually several reasons.

Keep reading to find out exactly how both honey and apple cider vinegar can improve the quality of sleep you get every night.

Apple Cider Vinegar and Sleep

Let’s face it, apple cider vinegar doesn’t sound very appetizing. In fact, it is pretty gross. One would need a really good reason to use apple cider vinegar for a sleep aid.

Based on research, there are more than enough good reasons to try and it truly does help with the quality of sleep you get. ACV has been known to even out your sleep patterns. It helps you to fall asleep faster and stay asleep for longer hours.

The following list explains exactly how and why apple cider vinegar is so potent and effective in improving your sleep.

Benefits of Apple Cider Vinegar Before Bed

apple cider drinks

1. Rich Source of Vitamins and Minerals

Apple cider vinegar is rich in vitamins and minerals which promote relaxation and relief from insomnia.

Potassium and vitamin B are natural relaxants contained in apple cider vinegar which help you sleep better and faster. Apple cider vinegar is also great for insomnia because of the magnesium it contains. Increasing magnesium intake often minimizes insomnia symptoms.

2. Nasal Congestion Relief

The same minerals listed above also help in relieving nasal congestion by reducing or eliminating mucus build up.

When excess mucus builds up, it can impede breathing and increase snoring which interrupts not only your sleep but others, too. Apple cider vinegar promotes better breathing which leads to more restful sleep overall.

3. Natural Breath Freshener

Say goodbye to morning breath when you drink apple cider vinegar before bed because it kills bacteria with a vengeance. This may not directly help you sleep better but it will surely make waking up in the morning easier, and better-smelling for anyone you may have in your bed.

4. Keeps Your Glucose Down

Apple cider vinegar helps control blood sugar levels preventing restlessness while asleep. When your blood sugar levels drop, your body releases a hormone called cortisol causing you to wake up. Apple cider vinegar at night will help prevent such occurrence.

Additionally, it will allow you to enter deep sleep which is essential for you to feel refreshed the following day. Keeping your glucose at a normal level is also essential for weight loss.

5. It’s a Sleep Aid

When taken after meals, ACV aids in breaking down protein into amino acids.

One of which is tryptophan. This amino acid is responsible for the production of serotonin and melatonin, hormones that regulate a person’s sleep-wake cycle. By increasing tryptophan levels in your body, your melatonin will likewise follow. This will make you feel drowsy and ready for bed.

6. Enhances the Body’s pH Level

With regular intake of ACV, you could find yourself using the bathroom less at night due to improved pH levels. Your body controls a high acid level through frequent urination. Pee less at night, sleep better and longer.

Honey and Sleep

Honey is considered by many to be a sleep superfood because it helps promote sleep. It has been credited with improving the overall quality of sleep and it works really well in combination with apple cider vinegar. Let’s explore why this is true and what makes honey so powerful when it comes to improving the quality of your sleep.

Benefits of Taking Honey Before Bed

1. Induces Sleep

Honey triggers the release of the sleep hormone, melatonin. This kick-starts the sleep process naturally and helps you fall asleep. Your body stays awake until melatonin is released into your system.

2. Normalizes Blood Sugar Level

Similar to apple cider vinegar, honey effectively regulates blood sugar levels and helps to even out glucose or glycogen levels by improving liver function. When your glucose level is well-balanced, your body can release glucagon steadily. This translates to deeper sleep and less wakefulness.

3. Regulates Sleep-Wake Cycle

When you first ingest honey, your insulin level will rise slightly allowing tryptophan to enter your brain easier, and at an increased rate. Tryptophan makes you sleepy and helps you fall asleep fast. You may be familiar with this sensation if you have ever eaten a lot of turkey meat which has high levels of tryptophan.

4. Rich in Vitamins that Promote Better Sleep

Honey also contains vitamins and minerals like potassium, calcium, B complex vitamins, and magnesium which promote deep relaxation and better sleep. Supplementing these vitamins in a pill form is also an option that could help boost the effects.

Choose High-Quality Apple Cider Vinegar & Honey

When it comes to getting good sleep, it’s okay to spend more than you usually would. Sleep plays a vital role in overall health, wellness, and productivity. Don’t skimp on sleep-related products. This, of course, includes the apple cider vinegar and honey you use before bed.

Buy raw unpasteurized organic honey to get the best results. If you suffer from seasonal allergies, you may also want to consider buying local honey. It has been attributed to relieving some of the symptoms.

Always use pure apple cider vinegar that still contains the “mother” inside the bottle (check out the label). The culture that prompts the change from apple cider to vinegar is known as the “mother”. Keeping the mother in the jar increases healthy bacteria which, in turn, provide more benefit to you.

A Simple Sleep Tonic Recipe

Drinking apple cider vinegar and honey straight can often be harsh for your stomach. Many people prefer to dilute the mixture for easier digestion.

Try this recipe at home:

  • 2 tbsp apple cider vinegar
  • 1 tbsp honey (increase to counteract apple cider vinegar flavor)
  • 8 oz warm water

Heat water, stir in apple cider vinegar and honey (to taste preference), and enjoy the drink!

When it comes to using apple cider vinegar and honey for sleep, always remember that it is all right to make your sleep tonic without honey. If you run out of honey, or you are a vegan and don’t eat honey, try the apple cider vinegar tonic alone. The apple cider vinegar will still promote better and deeper sleep.

Apple Cider Vinegar Before Bed vs in the Morning

The debate continues as to whether it is better to drink apple cider vinegar first thing in the morning, or about 30 minutes to 1 hour before bed. The truth is, it is going to help with your overall wellness no matter when you decide to take it. However, we prefer taking it before bed for a couple of different reasons.

Why drink apple cider vinegar at night?

First, because the stomach simply can’t handle the harsh and abrasive nature of apple cider vinegar early in the morning. Furthermore, people aren’t usually hungry when they wake up and drinking something acidic can be less than appealing.

Second, apple cider vinegar can make you feel a bit sleepy when you take it, so it seems counterintuitive to drink it in the morning. Feel free to try both though, and decide what works best for your individual needs.

Other Health Benefits

young woman stretching up in bed

Aside from helping with sleep, having apple cider vinegar in the house can also be useful for heavy cleaning projects and can be applied on any surface. Apple cider vinegar also improves health and wellness in many other ways. In case you still aren’t convinced, let’s briefly go over some of its other benefits.

  • Aids in weight loss because you stay full longer, and it boosts fat metabolization
  • Enhances skin clarity due to anti-microbial and anti-inflammatory properties
  • Soothes a sore throat or irritated passageway
  • For better digestion and possible food poisoning relief
  • Increases teeth and bone strength
  • Anti-inflammatory properties help reduce joint pain and arthritis symptoms
  • Detoxing properties help clean out mucus and relieve allergy symptoms
  • A natural antiseptic that soothes bug bites when used topically
  • Relief from sunburn when added to a cool bath
  • Makes hair shinier and reduces dandruff when used as a rinse
  • Regulates blood pressure and lowers cholesterol
  • Helps stabilize diabetes

Your Ultimate Reward

As we mentioned earlier, apple cider vinegar is a cure-all when consumed. Its positive effects can be experienced when you are awake or asleep, throughout your sleep cycles, and first thing in the morning. Honey is also a superfood that benefits your overall wellness in many ways.

When combined, these two produce a potent sleep-inducing tonic. Apple cider vinegar and honey for sleep is a time-proven health tip that has been passed down from many generations.

Now that you have learned all of these, you have the necessary tools to start improving your sleep. Go to the store, pick up the ingredients you need, and start feeling more rested as soon as tomorrow!

Additional Resources

Emily Alexander
Emily Alexander

Emily Melynn Alexander was born on the east coast of the USA but has called Colorado home since 2000. She has a degree in English and Political Science from Metropolitan State University of Denver. She enjoys sleeping in locations all around the world.

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