A good night's sleep is essential for your health. But our current lifestyle is not really designed to encourage healthy sleep. Constant rush, stress, night work on projects, unhealthy food and drink. All of this adds up to give you a consistently poor quality of sleep, even difficulty falling asleep in the first place.
Studies show that about 60 million Americans suffer from insomnia. And this lack of sleep is responsible for 5% of all adult obesity. [1]It is also a major cause of depression and anxiety in both adults and adolescents.
So how do you avoid all this? How to 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 boiling certain herbs or flowers in hot water for their soothing effects has been around for centuries. Ingredients such as chamomile, lavender, and valerian are said to have sedative properties that help the body relax and induce sleep. And while there is no conclusive evidence for the effectiveness of teas, there are many personal reports in which people have found that herbal teas help them fall asleep.
What would you say if you tested this theory on yourself? Here are 7 recipes for the best tea for sleep:
1. Valerian tea
This tea has been mainly used since ancient times as a sleep aid. It is a well-known remedy for insomnia. This tea repairs 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 a brewing tool 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 infuse. 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 teapot containing about one tablespoon of loose tea leaves into a cup. You can also just put 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 temperature-controlled kettle, bring the water to a boil and then let it sit for a minute to bring the temperature down a bit.
- Pour eight ounces of water into a tea bag, teapot, or tea leaves.
- Let the tea leaves steep for as long as needed. Some drinkers prefer a lighter tea, so a two-minute brew is sufficient. Steeping for 3-5 minutes will make a stronger cup of tea for a more intense effect.
- Remove the tea bag or teapot, or strain individual leaves from a cup before drinking.
2. Hug tea
It's the perfect blend for sleep and an anti-stress drink, as the name suggests. You can add milk/honey. This tea is from Plum Deluxe. They also have a very cool club to 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
- Cafein free
Preparation
- Use 1 1/2 teaspoons per 16 oz. cup.
- Pour in boiling water for 3-5 minutes.
3. Cinnamon Sleep Tonic
It 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 lower blood sugar levels and have a powerful anti-diabetic 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 spiced berries
- 1 tablespoon cloves
- 1/2 teaspoon peppercorns (optional)
- 15 laurel leaves
- 2 pieces fresh ginger, cut into large pieces
- 10 glasses of filtered water
Preparation
- Mix all ingredients together in a large saucepan.
- Boil.
- Reduce the heat and let them brew for 2-3 hours.
4. Chamomile herbal tea
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 said to be especially helpful for insomnia. It has daisy-like flowers that are used to make tea and herbal supplements. This herbal tea helps to calm down and relieve anxiety and stress.
Benefits of herbal chamomile tea
- induces sleep
- Treats migraine
- Increases immunity
- Reduces stress
Ingredients
- Two cups of clean drinking water
- 2 tablespoons dried chamomile or XNUMX sachets 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 tea, you need to boil water, add chamomile and let it brew for a few minutes. You should then add the rest of the ingredients and then strain the mixture into a mug. If it is 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 to sell 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
- Skullcap relieves insomnia associated with an anxious mind
Ingredients
- 2 parts chamomile flowers
- 2 parts lemon mint
- 2 parts skullcap
- 1 part passionflower
- 1/2 part lavender flowers
- 1/4 of hop flowers
- 1/4 part valerian root
Preparation
- Measure the parts of each of the listed herbs and mix in a large bowl until well combined.
- Grab your single serving carafe (my favorite way to brew loose tea), teapots and/or teapots… and brew a cup! (Note: I buy all my loose 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 mild enough to be used at night. Take a cup 30 minutes before bedtime.
6. Lemon Balm Tea
It looks like a lip balm formula/recipe, but it really isn't. It is one of the most powerful teas for people suffering from insomnia. This tea also helps reduce stress, indigestion, anxiety, improve sleep, and may help heal cold sores faster. Melissa tea is a standard herb for insomnia, and when combined with other herbs such as 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 cup of boiling water
- 20 fresh leaves or 1 tablespoon dried lemon balm
Preparation
- Bring the water to a boil.
- Add leaves to the pot.
- Pour boiling water over.
- Cover with a lid to infuse.
- If possible, let the tea steep overnight (or at least 30 minutes).
7. Lovely lavender tea
The smell of lavender is very unpleasant, but its healing properties are amazing. Just one cup of lavender tea can ease your body, brain, and help you fall asleep. It can also be used as a breast wash to 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 kids and adults, and is much safer than over-the-counter ones. It can help reduce fever and 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 cup of boiling water
- Honey and lemon optional
Preparation
- Put the flowers in the teapot
- Add boiling water
- Leave for 4 to 5 minutes.
- Pour into cups, strain if necessary to remove flower buds.
- Serve lavender flower tea with honey and lemon slices.
Falling asleep is not easy due to the busy lives we lead today. I hope these 7 herbal tea recipes will help you sleep better and relieve stress.