Candlelight milk and honey: An immediate remedy for 4am anxiety

It’s nearly 4am when I begin to hear them – the barking of distant dogs and the lonely rumble of early morning engines braving the beginning of a still-dark day. Sleep has eluded me entirely, my mind trapped in a body strung out with tension, muscles spasming their protest to a day not well lived.

I know better than this. If I haven’t begun unwinding by 9pm – setting aside the day’s deadlines, bank statements, and expectations (mostly self-imposed) – sleep will play hard to get. Yet here I am again, relearning what I already know in these quiet hours before dawn.

The sleepcasts and wind-down meditations have failed me tonight. After the sixth 40-minute recording, I accept what my restlessness is telling me: the harder you chase sleep, the more those counting sheep scatter.

There’s only one remedy left: tissue salts and honey milk, prepared by candlelight. Not because of loadshedding*, but because anything done by candlelight at this hour feels like an act of gentle mercy rather than desperation.

For those unfamiliar with tissue salts, I’ll defer to Margaret Roberts’ expertise. What matters is their quiet reliability. Numbers 6 and 8 are particularly miraculous – No. 6 for the overthinking mind, No. 8 for muscles holding onto the day’s tension.

Photo by Hans Vivek on Unsplash

Recipe | Candlelit Milk & Honey for Anxiety

 1. Light a candle – its warm glow makes solitude feel more like solace.

 2. Warm plant milk on the stove (I prefer soy for its fullness – useful when your stomach reminds you you’re hours from breakfast).

 3. Crush 4-6 each of tissue salts 2, 4, 6 & 8 in a mortar and pestle until powdered.

 4. Add to hot milk with a teaspoon each of honey and cinnamon.

 5. Stir well and sip slowly – preferably while reading a good book, but not a great one.

 6. Set an alarm for 9 am if your routine allows – enough sleep to function, not so much that tomorrow’s rhythm is lost.

Remember that gentle unwinding routine I mentioned? Meet yourself there tomorrow. You deserve that kindness.

That’s the grace of tomorrows – they offer another chance.

Oh, and don’t forget to blow out the candle.