A good night’s sleep is essential to your health. But our current lifestyle is not really designed to encourage healthy sleep. Constantly rushing, stress, working on projects at night, unhealthy food and drink. All of this adds up to consistently poor sleep quality, and even difficulty falling asleep in the first place.
Research shows that about 60 million Americans suffer from insomnia. And this lack of sleep is responsible for 5% of all cases of obesity in adults. [1] It is also a leading cause of depression and anxiety in both adults and adolescents.
So how do you avoid all this? How do you get good sleep every night?
Well, the first step is obviously falling asleep, and we have found something that will help you with this – Tea.
The simple act of simmering certain herbs or flowers in hot water for their calming effects has been around for centuries. Ingredients like chamomile, lavender, and valerian are said to have sedative properties that help the body relax and induce sleep. And while there is no hard evidence to support the effectiveness of teas, there are many anecdotal reports of people finding that herbal teas help them fall asleep.
What do you think if you test this theory on yourself? Here are 7 recipes for the best tea for sleep:
1. Valerian tea
This tea has been used primarily since ancient times as a sleep aid. It is a well-known remedy for insomnia. This tea regenerates brain cells by producing more gamma-aminobutyric acid (GABA), a chemical that calms nerves and relieves anxiety.
Benefits of Valerian Tea
- Treats insomnia and sleep problems
- Treats anxiety and depression
- Treats hyperactivity
- Makes you mentally sharp
- Treats headaches and migraines
Ingredients and recipe
“It’s very easy to do. Place a teaspoon of valerian root in an infusion device, such as a heat-sealable tea bag. Place the valerian in an empty container, then pour boiling water over it and leave the mixture, covered, for 15 minutes to steep. After a quarter of an hour, open the lid and then pour the mixture into a cup, but make sure you pass it through a sieve.”
Preparation
Place a valerian tea bag or a teapot containing about one tablespoon of loose tea leaves into a cup. You can also simply place loose tea leaves in the bottom of the cup.
- Heat the water to 90-95º Celsius or 194-205º Fahrenheit. If you don’t have a kettle with adjustable temperature, bring the water to a boil and then let it sit for a minute to reduce the temperature slightly.
- Pour eight ounces of water into a tea bag, teapot, or tea leaves.
- Allow the tea leaves to steep for as long as needed. Some drinkers prefer a lighter tea, so a two-minute steep is sufficient. Steeping for 3-5 minutes will result in a stronger cup of tea, which will provide a more intense effect.
- Remove the tea bag or teapot, or strain individual leaves from the cup before drinking.
2. Tea for hugs
This is a perfect blend for sleep and anti-stress drink, as the name suggests. You can add milk/honey. This tea is from Plum Deluxe. They also have a really cool club that will help you save on tea.
Benefits of Hug Time Tea
- Reduces stress
- Relaxes the mind and body
- Helps with anxiety and insomnia
Ingredients required
- Chamomile, rooibos tea
- Peppermint leaves
- Vanilla essence
- Decaffeinated
Preparation
- Use 1 1/2 teaspoons per 16 ounce cup.
- Pour boiling water over it for 3-5 minutes.
3. Cinnamon Sleep Tonic
This sounds like absolute heaven. Cinnamon is rich in cinnamaldehyde, which is responsible for most of the health benefits of cinnamon. Cinnamon can also help you fall asleep at night. It will also take care of your body’s digestion and help you achieve restful sleep.
Benefits of Cinnamon Sleep Toni
- May reduce the risk of heart disease
- May improve insulin sensitivity
- They reduce blood sugar levels and have a powerful antidiabetic effect.
- May have beneficial effects on neurodegenerative diseases
- May protect against cancer
- Helps fight bacterial and fungal infections and may help fight the HIV virus
Ingredients
- 3 cinnamon sticks
- 1 tablespoon of spicy berries
- 1 tablespoon cloves
- 1/2 teaspoon peppercorns (optional)
- 15 bay leaves
- 2 pieces fresh ginger, cut into large pieces
- 10 glasses of filtered water
Preparation
- Mix all ingredients together in a large saucepan.
- Bring to a boil.
- Reduce heat and let them simmer for 2-3 hours.
4. Herbal tea with chamomile
These are the most famous herbal teas in the world. There are 2 varieties of this tea, i.e. German and English. German chamomile is considered especially useful for insomnia. It has flowers similar to chamomile, which are used to make tea and herbal supplements. This herbal tea helps to calm down and relieve anxiety and stress.
Benefits of Chamomile Herbal Tea
- Induces sleep
- Treats migraines
- Increases immunity
- Reduces stress
Ingredients
- Two cups of clean drinking water
- Two tablespoons of dry chamomile or 2 bags of chamomile
- 1/4 teaspoon turmeric
- Ginger and cinnamon
- One tablespoon of natural honey and a couple of teaspoons of coconut oil.
How to cook it
“To make the tea, you boil the water, add the chamomile and let it steep for a few minutes. Then you add the rest of the ingredients and then strain the mixture into a mug. If it’s cold, you can reheat it and also add more honey to sweeten it.”
5. Moonrise Herbal Tea Blend
Moonrise Herbs was founded in Arcata, California in 1985 with the goal of selling beautiful, high-quality herbs and tea blends, as well as a variety of tinctures, extracts, essential oils, nutritional supplements and natural body care products.
Benefits of Moonrise Herbal Tea Blend
- Chamomile flowers have a calming effect on the nervous system.
- Lemon balm gives us balance
- Valerian root + hop flowers relax and induce deep, restful sleep.
- Passion flower brings a sense of calm
- The skullcap relieves insomnia associated with an anxious mind
Ingredients
- 2 parts chamomile flowers
- 2 parts lemon balm
- 2 parts skullcap
- 1 part passion flower
- 1/2 part lavender flowers
- 1/4 part hop flowers
- 1/4 part valerian root
Preparation
- Measure out parts of each of the herbs listed and mix in a large bowl until well combined.
- Grab your single-serve tea carafe (this is my absolute favorite way to brew loose leaf tea), teapots and/or kettles… and brew a cup! (Note: I purchase all of my loose leaf tea brewing supplies online from Mountain Rose Herbs.)
- This herbal tea blend will keep in a cool, dark place for about 6 months.
- This tea is gentle enough to use at night. Take a cup 30 minutes before bed.
6. Lemon Balm Tea
This looks like a formula/recipe for lip balm, but it is not. This is one of the most powerful teas for people suffering from insomnia. This tea also helps reduce stress, upset stomach, anxiety, improve sleep, and can help heal cold sores faster. Melissa tea is a standard herb for insomnia, and when combined with other herbs like chamomile and valerian, it can give you the best sleep-inducing properties.
Benefits of Lemon Balm Tea
- Improves sleep
- Relieves stress and anxiety
- Improves cognition and mood
- Strengthens memory and problem solving skills
- Relieves muscle pain
Ingredients
- 4 cups of boiling water
- 20 fresh leaves or 1 tablespoon dried lemon balm
Preparation
- Bring the water to a boil.
- Add the leaves to the pan.
- Pour boiling water over.
- Cover with a lid and let it steep.
- If possible, let the tea steep overnight (or at least 30 minutes).
7. Wonderful lavender tea
The smell of lavender is very unpleasant, but its healing properties are amazing. Just one cup of lavender tea can soothe your body, your brain, and help you sleep. It can also be used as a chest wash to help relieve the effects of bronchitis, asthma, and colds. It can also help reduce bloating and help with other respiratory problems. Lavender works great for both children and adults, and it is much safer than over-the-counter medications. It can help reduce fever, heal wounds, cuts, and bruises.
Benefits of Lavender Tea
- Improves sleep
- Improves heart health
- Prevents inflammation
- Heals anxiety
Ingredients
- 3 tablespoons fresh lavender flowers or 1 1/2 tablespoons dried lavender flowers
- 2 cups of boiling water
- Honey and lemon optional
Preparation
- Put flowers in the teapot
- Add boiling water
- Let it brew for 4 to 5 minutes.
- Pour into cups, strain if necessary to remove flower buds.
- Serve lavender flower tea with honey and lemon wedges.
It is not easy to fall asleep due to the busy life we lead today. I hope that with these 7 herbal tea recipes you can sleep better and relieve stress.