What you pour into your glass at night may seem like a small choice, but those calories can add up. No bedtime drink magically causes weight loss while you sleep. However, choosing unsweetened or lower-calorie beverages instead of soda, sweetened tea, alcohol or calorie-heavy nighttime drinks can support weight reduction by reducing overall calorie and added-sugar intake. So, which bedtime drinks make the most sense for weight loss?
Can Bedtime Drinks Really Help You Lose Weight?
The biggest benefit may come from what these drinks replace. The Centers for Disease Control and Prevention notes that water contains no calories and that replacing sugary drinks with water can reduce calorie intake. A review of 78 randomized trials also found that changing beverage choices may produce modest changes in body weight, although much of the evidence was rated as low certainty.
Most research on the drinks below examines the beverages or their ingredients generally rather than specifically testing whether drinking them before bed affects weight. In other words, drinks before bed to lose weight should be viewed as one small part of an overall eating, activity and sleep routine rather than a shortcut.
15 Bedtime Drinks for Weight Loss to Try
Here are 15 options that can fit naturally into a balanced routine.
1. Plain, Sparkling or Infused Water
Water remains the simplest option because it contains no calories. The CDC recommends water, sparkling water and unsweetened flavored water as lower-calorie choices and suggests adding lemon, lime or cucumber for flavor.
Mint can also be added without sugar. The advantage of lemon water, cucumber water or mint water comes from making calorie-free water more appealing, not from any special fat-burning property.
2. Chamomile Tea
Unsweetened chamomile tea is naturally caffeine-free and adds virtually no calories to an evening routine. A 2024 systematic review and meta-analysis found that chamomile improved some measures of sleep, particularly waking during the night and ease of falling asleep.
However, it did not consistently improve sleep duration or efficiency. Its potential value at night is therefore tied more closely to sleep than to weight loss itself.
3. Peppermint Tea
Plain peppermint tea offers a flavorful, caffeine-free alternative to sweetened nighttime beverages. Research suggests peppermint oil may help with some digestive problems, but studies specifically examining peppermint tea are limited. For weight management, its clearest advantage is that an unsweetened cup adds few calories.
4. Ginger Tea
Fresh ginger steeped in hot water can provide plenty of flavor without added sugar. A small randomized trial involving people with functional dyspepsia found that ginger accelerated stomach emptying. That finding does not establish ginger tea as a weight-loss treatment. As an evening beverage, it can simply provide an unsweetened alternative to higher-calorie drinks.
5. Rooibos Tea
Rooibos is naturally caffeine-free, making it a practical nighttime alternative to regular black or green tea. A 2023 review of human studies found some promising metabolic findings but emphasized the small number of participants and limited human evidence. Served plain, rooibos remains a low-calorie option without relying on unproven weight-loss claims.
6. Hibiscus Tea
Unsweetened hibiscus tea can be served hot or cold and provides a tart flavor without the added calories of many bottled drinks. Hibiscus has been studied for several cardiometabolic outcomes.
In 2025, data from 26 randomized controlled trials found improvements in measures including blood pressure, cholesterol and fasting blood glucose. Those findings do not establish hibiscus tea as a bedtime fat burner, but unsweetened hibiscus can still fit into a lower-calorie evening routine.
7. Lemon Balm Tea
Lemon balm tea is another caffeine-free option that may suit a wind-down routine. The stronger evidence relates to anxiety rather than weight loss or cortisol. A review found that lemon balm may reduce anxiety symptoms, although researchers cautioned that the available studies were small and varied considerably.
8. Decaffeinated Green Tea
Green tea has more weight-related research behind it than most drinks on this list. A 2024 systematic review found that green tea produced a small reduction in body weight, but the certainty of the evidence was low to very low.
Choosing decaffeinated green tea at night can reduce caffeine exposure. However, studies have not established that drinking decaf green tea specifically before bed produces weight loss.
9. Decaffeinated Black Tea
Decaf black tea works best here as a low-calorie replacement rather than a metabolism booster. The same 2024 beverage review did not find a significant weight-loss effect for black tea. Going decaf at night may still make sense because the National Heart, Lung, and Blood Institute advises avoiding caffeine close to bedtime.
10. Warm Unsweetened Milk
Milk is not calorie-free, so portion size matters, but a modest serving provides protein and nutrients without needing added sugar. A 2025 review and meta-analysis of clinical trials found that milk and dairy consumption may improve self-reported sleep quality.
However, researchers said more high-quality human studies are needed. Choosing plain milk instead of a sweetened cocoa or dessert drink can also reduce added sugar.
11. Unsweetened Kefir
Kefir is a fermented milk drink containing live microorganisms, making it different from ordinary milk. A review of randomized trials found potential benefits for some health measures but concluded that higher-quality human research is still needed.
A later meta-analysis of six randomized controlled trials involving 314 participants found improvements in fasting insulin and insulin resistance but no significant reduction in body weight. Choose an unsweetened variety and keep the portion modest because kefir still contains calories.
12. Unsweetened Soy Milk
Unsweetened soy milk provides plant-based protein and can be useful for people who do not drink dairy milk. A review of randomized controlled trials found no significant overall reductions in body weight, waist circumference or fat mass from soy. Its practical advantage here is as an unsweetened, nutrient-containing alternative to a high-sugar drink rather than as a direct weight-loss aid.
13. Diluted Tart Cherry Juice
Tart cherry juice is one of the more interesting bedtime choices because tart cherries naturally contain compounds associated with melatonin production.
A systematic review found that some studies reported improvements in sleep duration, efficiency or sleep onset, while others did not. Researchers concluded that the evidence remains limited and inconsistent.
Because tart cherry juice contains natural sugar and calories, a small serving diluted with water makes more sense in a weight-management routine than a large glass.
14. Unsweetened Turmeric Milk
Turmeric milk combines milk or an unsweetened fortified milk alternative with turmeric, usually served warm.
Research on curcumin, the major active compound in turmeric, has found small changes in body weight in supplementation studies. A 2023 umbrella review found modest reductions in weight, BMI and waist circumference, but concentrated curcumin supplements used in clinical trials are not equivalent to adding a pinch of turmeric to milk.
Keep the drink unsweetened if calorie control is the goal.
15. Low-Sodium Vegetable Juice
Low-sodium vegetable juice can provide nutrients without the large amounts of added sugar found in many sweetened drinks.
One randomized controlled trial involved adults with metabolic syndrome, a cluster of health risk factors that can include high blood pressure, elevated blood sugar and excess abdominal fat. Participants following calorie targets and the DASH, or Dietary Approaches to Stop Hypertension, eating plan lost more weight when they also drank low-sodium vegetable juice than those who followed the same diet plan without the juice.
The study did not test vegetable juice specifically at bedtime, so timing should not be credited for the result. A modest portion is also important because vegetable juice contains calories and can still contain considerable sodium depending on the brand.
What Should You Avoid Drinking Before Bed?
Sugary sodas, fruit drinks, sweetened teas, energy drinks and heavily flavored coffees can add substantial calories without providing much fullness. The CDC recommends replacing sugary drinks with water and other unsweetened options to help reduce added sugar and calorie intake.
Caffeine and alcohol can also work against a healthy nighttime routine. The National Heart, Lung, and Blood Institute advises avoiding both close to bedtime, noting that caffeine can interfere with sleep for hours.
More is not necessarily better, even with calorie-free drinks. The institute also advises limiting fluids close to bedtime if nighttime bathroom trips are disrupting sleep.
The Best Bedtime Drink Is the One That Improves Your Routine
No single beverage on this list will cause weight loss by itself. The biggest advantage of bedtime drinks for weight loss comes when they replace beverages with more calories or added sugar.
Water and unsweetened teas remain the simplest options, while drinks such as milk, kefir, soy milk, tart cherry juice and vegetable juice require more attention to portion size because they contain calories.
Sleep-friendly choices may provide an additional benefit to an evening routine, but lasting weight management still depends on the broader picture: eating patterns, physical activity, sleep and overall calorie intake.
People with medical conditions or those taking medications should also consider checking with a health care professional before regularly adding herbal drinks or concentrated ingredients to their routines. In other words, what you leave out of the glass may matter just as much as what you put in it.
