The Best Late-Night Drink to Support Healthy Aging, According to Dietitians

Eating and drinking certain foods in the hours before bed can disrupt your sleep. But milk provides you with 13 essential nutrients and sets the stage for a good night’s sleep. It’s even better if you replace an evening cocktail or late-night snack with a glass of milk.

Milk is good for musculoskeletal health

Protecting your muscle and bone health is very important as you age. Studies have shown that the protein in milk can help prevent muscle loss in older adults.

“When it comes to a late-night health tonic, milk is the complete package. It gives your body easy-to-digest protein, bone-strengthening nutrients, and sleep-promoting compounds in one satisfying drink,” Danielle VenHuizen, MS, RD, a Seattle-based registered dietitian and owner of Food Sense Nutrition, tells Verywell. “Milk gives your body a dose of protein along with a wide range of nutrients so you can maximize repair and restoration while you sleep.”

Drinking milk before going to sleep improves your musculoskeletal health, VenHuizen said. Milk contains about eight grams of protein per cup, and the amino acids in protein help your muscles repair and grow while you sleep, she added.

A cup of milk can significantly improve your calcium intake. “I think most of us know that milk is a good source of calcium, but more than 50% of adults aged sixty and over are consistently not meeting their calcium needs.“Dru Rosales, MS, RD, a Houston-based registered dietitian and owner of MindFuel Performance, told Verywell. “Calcium is crucial for maintaining bone density as we age and preventing osteoporosis.”

Just one cup of milk helps you meet a third of your daily calcium needs, Rosales added.

It’s also good for your brain health

Milk can also help older adults get enough vitamin D and vitamin B12. “Milk is typically fortified with vitamin D for calcium absorption and contains vitamin B12, which supports nerve and brain health,” Rosales said. “These two vitamins are common deficiencies among older people.”

In general, higher consumption of dairy products has been linked to better brain health in older adults. A review article published earlier this year examined the effects of dairy consumption on cognitive function in older adults and found that higher dairy consumption is associated with moderate overall improvements in cognition.

Finally, milk can be particularly beneficial for people who have difficulty with solid foods. “For older adults who may have appetite changes or difficulty chewing or swallowing, milk can become an easily digestible form of nutrition that provides energy and nutrition to the brain,” VenHuizen said. “Fermented dairy products, such as yogurt, kefir and cheese, appear to have an even greater impact since they can influence signals from the gut to the brain involved in cognitive function.”

How to Incorporate Milk into Your Nighttime Routine

You don’t have to drink warm milk before bed to benefit from it. “Incorporating milk into your nighttime routine can be as simple as sipping six to eight ounces of milk, hot or cold, an hour or so before bed,” VenHuizen said. “You can even mix in soothing spices such as turmeric or cinnamon for added anti-inflammatory benefits, or just drink as is.”

You should try to avoid adding extra sugar, VenHuizen said, because it can negatively impact aging.

It’s also important to avoid coffee, Rosales added: “Just be careful not to get into the habit of drinking milk with coffee in the evening, as the caffeine will disrupt the sleep benefits of milk.”