Alcohol Free Nightcap Recipes

Whether you have been alcohol free for a long time, or you are only just considering giving it a try. Having a ritualistic end of day night cap before heading off to bed can be rather therapeutic. Rituals can actually be very good for sleep. This is because they help inform our bodies that it is about time for bed, and strengthen our circadian rhythm. The great news is that you can enjoy a delicious nightcap that will help you fall asleep without the aid of alcohol. Stick around for our personal favorite alcohol free nightcap recipes.

Is alcohol really all that bad for your sleep? Read our post Alcohol + Sleep and find out for yourself.

Tart Cherry Spritzer:

Tart Cherry Juice is naturally packed full of good things that will help you to fall asleep naturally. This includes tryptophan and anthocyanins! Both of which help your body to product melatonin naturally.

By drinking tart cherry juice regularly it can help your body to fall asleep naturally without the need of a sleep aid or melatonin supplement. We recommend making a Tart Cherry Spritzer as your non-alcoholic nightcap to make with this nutrient rich juice.

Tart Cherry Spritzer Recipe

Pour equal parts Tart Cherry juice and the seltzer or tonic water of your liking. The special ingredient that makes this mocktail sing is a high quality cocktail cherry. We prefer the rich flavor of Luxardo Maraschino Cherries, but there are many great cocktail cherries out there. Just try to find some with syrup. To finish off your cocktail mix in a cherry (or two) and a bit of the syrup from the jar. Gently stir and enjoy your tart cherry spritzer. Some optional additional garnishes are a lime wedge or fresh mint.

• 1 part Tart Cherry Juice
• 1 Part Seltzer or Tonic Water
• 1/2 Teaspoon Cherry Syrup
• Luxardo Cherry Garnish

Milky Way Mocktail:

A warm glass of milk is a classic nighttime drink. Often first given to children as an aid to a restless night. Warm milk is both soothing and a good dose of tryptophan, which can help aid in your bodies natural production of melatonin. Almond milk is a great alternative as almonds are a natural source of melatonin. Making either a great option for this nonalcoholic nightcap.

Add 2 ounces of the Kin Dream Light for an added boost of flavor and sleepy ingredients like reishi mushroom, l-tryptophan, melatonin, and passion flower. All of which are natural sleep aids.

Milky Way Mocktail Recipe

Gently warm small serving of milk or almond milk. Stir in two ounces of Kin Dream Light. Lighting sprinkle the top with a pinch of cinnamon and nutmeg. Sip quietly while snuggled under your favorite blanket for best results.

• 1 mug of Milk or Almond milk
• A pinch of nutmeg & cinnamon
• 2oz Kin Dream Light

Valerian Hot Toddy:

Valerian may sound like something out of Star Trek but it is actually a tea that does wonders for your sleep. Making it an ideal addition to a hot toddy mocktail to drink before bed.

After you drink a full cup of this you will be ready to drift off to sleep. Especially nice to drink during the colder months.

We picked our top 8 night time teas and put them in a list on our Best Tea For Sleep – Top 8 Bedtime Teas page. Click the link to check them out.

Valerian Hot Toddy Recipe:

Steep your valerian tea as instructed for best results. We recommend adding your fresh ginger and cinnamon stick to steep with your tea for added flavor. Then mix in honey and lemon juice to taste. Top with a round slice of lemon and enjoy.

• 1 cup warm water
• valerian tea
• 2 teaspoons honey
• 2 lemon juice
• slice fresh ginger
• cinnamon stick
• lemon round garnish

Sparkling CBD Rose Lemonade:

This is for all of our flower lovers out there. This sleepy time lemonade is delicately rose flavored with the added sleepy boost of CBD Oil. Be sure to find a CBD Oil that is intended to be added to drinks.

Be mindful that some may have added flavors like mint. This may throw off or add to the flavor of your mocktail. CBD is wonderful for relaxation and most are made without any THC to avoid any unwanted high. For some great CBD oil options, check out PureRelief.com.

Sparkling CBD Rose Lemonade Recipe

One of the easiest mocktails on our list of alcohol free nightcaps. Simply pour yourself a glass of Fentiman’s Rose Lemonade with some ice. Mix in your preferred dose of CBD, mix and enjoy! Garnish with a strawberry in a champagne flute for added classy vibes.

• 1 glass Fentiman’s Rose Lemonade
• Preferred dose of CBD oil
• Cut strawberry for garnish

Lavender Collins Mocktail

Why not take your mocktail game to the next level with some gorgeous aromatics like Lavender?

Not only is this mocktail delicious, the lavender is a go to aromatic for calming and encouraging peaceful sleep.

Lavender Collins Mocktail Recipe

A Collins is a rather simple cocktail to turn into a fun mocktail. The Lavender syrup adds a relaxing aromatic.

Take a lavender simple syrup and mix in a glass with club soda and a squeeze of lemon.  Add a sprig of lavender and slice of lemon to garnish.

• Lavender Syrup
• Squeeze of Lemon
• Club Soda
• Lemon Slice & Lavender For Garnish

Reishi Hot Chocolate

This recipe uses a special mix from Four Sigmatic. It is a hot cocoa mix that features the relaxing powers of rieshi mushrooms and organic cocoa. This magic mushroom helps you to relax so you can get to sleep naturally. The mix is caffeine free ever with the cocoa in it. Making it a great option for a nightcap. Four Sigmatic suggests mixing with warm water. While we wanted to make it just a little extra rich and creamy.

Reishi Hot Chocolate Recipe:

Gently warm oat milk to the perfect sipping temperature. Mix in the Reishi Cocoa Mix from Four Sigmatic and stir. Sip and enjoy! It is as simple as that. While we prefer oat milk, this will also work well with dairy or any non-dairy milk you prefer.

• Reishi Cocoa Mix from Four Sigmatic
• Oat Milk

Drinks To Avoid at Night

There are a few things to keep in mind when picking your alcohol free nightcap. Avoid stimulants like caffeine. Even coffee and tea that claim to be “decaf” still have a low level of caffeine. Also try to avoid anything too high in sugar. This will spike your blood sugar and could make it difficult to get to sleep later.

While there are a lot of great alcohol free nightcaps, there are some common drinks we suggest avoiding before bed. Anything that is highly caffeinated or extra high in sugar. Caffeine can stay active in your system for over 6 hours. Which can make it difficult to fall asleep and stay asleep throughout the night if you drink it in the evenings.

Then of course there is alcohol. While it may feel like it induces sleep, it actually lowers overall sleep quality. Which can make you feel tired and groggy in the morning.

• Alcoholic Beverages
• Hot chocolate – caffeine and sugar
• Decaf Green Tea
• Drinks high in sugar
• Decaf Black Tea
• Soda
• Decaf Coffee

Want to know more about where caffeine may be hiding? Check out our page Caffeine Free: The Benefits of Quitting Caffeine to learn more. 

Alcohol Free Nightcaps:

We hope you love these nightcaps as much as we do and we hope the tips help you avoid any accidental sleepless nights. If you want to see more original recipes like these, tell us! Go to our Contact Us page and tell us what you would like to hear. We want to help you and yours get the best sleep of their lives.

We selected some of our all time favorite mess free Breakfast in Bed recipes for our readers. Check them out on our Breakfast in Bed page to have the cleanest breakfast in bed experience of your life.