It might seem counter-intuitive, but the people who work the hardest and have the busiest lives are often those who struggle the most to fall asleep at night. You might assume these active individuals fall straight into dreamland once their head hits the pillow – exhausted from a full day of meetings, gym sessions and socialising. Yet, instead, they struggle to switch their brains off and find it really difficult to relax.

If you’re one of these busy bees who just can’t stop buzzing, hot chocolate may be your solution. The sweet beverage has proven a successful antidote for insomnia, and there’s even some scientific evidence to back this up.

Sip, relax, snooze

Hot chocolate, made by combining cocoa powder with heated milk (none of that fake, ‘just add water’ stuff!),may actually send a signal to your body that it’s time to sleep. Some believe that tryptophan, an amino acid contained in milk that later turns into serotonin, is what helps you feel sleepy. Others suggest that a glass of warm, milk-based hot chocolate may have psychological effects, reminding people of their childhood and encouraging them to relax.

Other benefits

In addition to helping you catch some much-needed ‘Z’s, hot chocolate may also improve your health in other ways. A June 2013 article in the Daily Mail revealed how cocoa powder may actually prevent diabetes, and an August 2013 article in the Huffington Post suggested that hot chocolate may help keep the brain healthy as you age. Cocoa also contains three times the amount of antioxidants as green tea.

After reviewing the various health benefits of hot chocolate, it’s easy to see why the beverage was first popularised as a medicinal drink. A sleep aid, a mood lifter and – most importantly – just plain delicious, hot chocolate is a sweet snack worth treating yourself to.