By Bijal Panchal | Lifehack
A good night’s sleep is essential for your health. But our current lifestyles are not really designed to encourage healthy sleep habits. There’s the constant hustle, stress, late-night work on projects, and unhealthy food and drinking habits. All of these combine to give you consistently poor quality of sleep, 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 the cause of 5% of all cases of obesity in adults.[1] It is also a leading cause of depression and anxiety among adults and teenagers alike.
So how do you avoid all this? How do you make sure you get a good night's sleep every night?
Well, the first step is obviously falling asleep and we’ve found just the right thing to help you with that — Tea.
The simple act of boiling 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 induces sleep. And even though there is no definitive evidence of the effectiveness of teas, there are a lot of personal accounts where people have found herbal teas to be helpful in falling asleep.
What say you test out that theory for yourself? Here are 7 recipes of the best tea for sleep:
1. The Valerian Tea
This tea is mostly used since ancient times as a sleeping aid. It is a well-known remedy for insomnia. This tea works by restorative the brain cells to produce more of gamma-aminobutyric acid (GABA), a chemical which is responsible for soothing nerves and relieving 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 make. Put a teaspoon of valerian root into an infusion tool like a heat seal tea bag. Put the valerian into an empty container and then pour in boiling water and leave the mixture covered for 15 minutes to steep. After the quarter an hour uncover and then pour the mixture into a cup but make sure you pass it through a strainer.”[2]
Directions
Place a valerian tea bag or a tea infuser containing about one tablespoon of loose tea leaves in a teacup. You can also simply place loose tea leaves at the bottom of a cup.
- Heat water to 90-95º Celsius or 194-205º Fahrenheit. If you don’t have a temperature-controlled teapot, bring water to a boil and then let sit for a minute to reduce the temperature just slightly.
- Pour eight ounces of water over the tea bag, infuser, or tea leaves.
- Let tea leaves steep for as long as desired. Some drinkers prefer a lighter tea, so a two-minute steep is sufficient. A 3-5 minute steep will brew a stronger cup of tea that provides more intense effects
- Remove the tea bag or infuser or strain loose leaves from the cup before drinking
2. Cuddle Time Tea
This is the perfect mixture for bedtime and anti-stress beverage as the name of it suggests. You can add milk/honey as well. This tea is from Plum Deluxe. They also have a very cool club to help you save on tea.
Benefits of Cuddle Time Tea
- Reduces stress
- Relaxes mind and body
- Helps with anxiety and insomnia
Ingredients Required
- Chamomile, Rooibos tea
- Peppermint leaves
- Vanilla essence
- No caffeine
Directions
- Use 1 1/2 tsp per 16oz cup.
- Steep with boiling water for 3-5 minutes.
3. The Cinnamon Sleep Tonic
This sounds like absolute heaven. Cinnamon is high in cinnamaldehyde, which is what is responsible for most of the health benefits that come from 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 the Cinnamon Sleep Toni
- May cut the risk of heart disease
- Can improve insulin sensitivity
- Lower blood sugar levels and have a powerful anti-diabetic effect
- May have beneficial effects on Neuro-degenerative diseases
- May protect against cancer
- Help fight bacterial and fungal infections, and may help fight the HIV virus
Ingredients
- 3 cinnamon sticks
- 1 tablespoon allspice berries
- 1 tablespoon cloves
- 1/2 teaspoon peppercorns (optional)
- 15 bay leaves
- 2 piece of fresh ginger, cut into large pieces
- 10 cups of filtered water
Directions
- Combine all the ingredients together in a large saucepan.
- Bring to a boil.
- Reduce heat, and allow them to steep for 2-3 hours.
4. The Chamomile Herbal Tea
It is the most famous herbal teas in the world. There are 2 varieties in this tea i.e German and English varieties. German chamomile is believed to be particularly useful in fighting sleeplessness. It has daisy-like flowers that are used to make tea and herbal supplements. This herbal tea helps you to calm and relieve anxiety and stress.
Benefits of the Chamomile Herbal Tea
- Induces sleep
- Treats migraines
- Boosts immunity
- Reduces stress
Ingredients
- Two cups of clean drinking water
- Two tablespoons of dry chamomile or 2 sachets of chamomile
- 1/4 teaspoons of turmeric
- Ginger and cinnamon
- One tablespoon of natural honey and a couple of teaspoons of coconut oil.
Directions/How to prepare it
“To prepare the tea, you need to boil the water, add the chamomile and let it steep for a few minutes. You should then add in 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 established in Arcata, California, in 1985 with a mission to be an outlet for beautifully vibrant, high-quality herbs and tea blends, along with a variety of tinctures, extracts, essential oils, supplements, and natural body care products.
Benefits of Moonrise Herbal Tea Blend
- Chamomile flowers provide soothing relief for the nervous system
- The lemon balm gives us balance
- Valerian root + hop flowers have the power to relax and induce a deep, restful sleep
- Passionflower brings a sense of calm
- Skullcap relieves sleeplessness related to an anxious mind
Ingredients
- 2 parts chamomile flowers
- 2 parts lemon balm
- 2 parts skullcap
- 1 part passionflower
- 1/2 part lavender flowers
- 1/4 part hop flowers
- 1/4 part valerian root
Directions
- Measure the parts of each of the herbs listed and mix them in a large bowl until well combined.
- Grab your single-serving tea carafe (this is my absolute favorite way to make loose leaf tea), tea infusers, and/or teapots…and brew a cup! (Note: I get all of my loose-leaf tea-making supplies online from Mountain Rose Herbs.)
- This herbal tea blend will keep stored in a cool, dark place for approximately 6 months.
- This tea is mild enough to use nightly. Take a cup 30 minutes before bed.
