For whatever reason you can’t sleep, you may be wondering how you can make yourself sleepy. Well, let me tell you a little about teas. Teas are an absolutely wonderful sleep aid, not to mention, they are all natural.
You wouldn’t believe how different types of tea help me to relax at night and wind down. Once my head hits the pillows, I am in dream land. Check out my list that may help you pick the best tea for sleep and relaxation.
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#1 Cuddle Time Tea
As the name suggests, this is a perfect blend for bedtime or for an anti-stress beverage. Add milk/honey as well as a nice piece of shortbread as needed. This tea is from Plum Deluxe. They also have a very cool club to help you save on tea.
Ingredients
- Chamomile
- Rooibos Tea
- Peppermint Leaves
- Vanilla Essence
- Love
- Gratitude.
- No Caffeine.
Directions
- Use 1 1/2 tsp per 16oz cup.
- Steep with boiling water for 3-5 minutes.
#2 Don’t Like Valerian Tea? Try Herbal Bedtime Tea Instead
From Frugally Sustainable
Herbs such as Chamomile flowers, Oatstraw, Valerian, and Passionflower have wonderful effects on sleeping habits.
All of those different herbs plus a few others have been combined into one herbal tea that is sure to help you fall asleep much faster and stay asleep.
Herbal teas have been used for centuries and are one of the safest sleep aid remedies.
You may be interested in: 23 Plants In Your Bedroom For Better Sleep
Ingredients
Parts are measured by volume not weight.
- 3 parts chamomile flowers
- 2 parts lemon balm
- 1 part catnip
- 1 part oatstraw
- 1 part passionflower
- 1/4 part hop flowers
- 1/4 part valerian root
Directions
- Measure the parts of each of the herbs listed and mix in a large bowl until well combined.
- Grab your tea accessories, tea infusers, and/or tea pots…and brew a cup!
- 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.
#3 One Of My Favorites: Chamomile, Turmeric Tea
I absolutely love Chamomile tea. After drinking it, I feel restful and calm. It is the perfect way to wind down from a stressful day at work.
Chamomile is beneficial for you because overall, it can enhance human health. It has antioxidant properties and antimicrobial properties. Not only that, but there is also a possibility that it helps reduce inflammation and lower cholesterol.
If you suffer from diabetes, high cholesterol, or just want to lower your cancer risk, drinking Chamomile tea would be a good start.
Ingredients
- 2 cups drinking water
- 2 tbsp dried chamomile in a tea bag or 2 chamomile tea sachets (organic if possible)
- 1-3 tsp cold-pressed coconut oil
- 1 1/2 cup unsweetened plant milk of choice
- 1/2 tsp ground turmeric
- 1/4 tsp ground ginger
- 1/4 tsp ground cinnamon
- (a pinch of black pepper, optional)
- 1 tbsp raw honey (Manuka honey if possible) or more to taste
Directions
- Bring water to a boil in a sauce pan.
- Turn off the heat, then add chamomile and let steep for 3-5 minutes.
- Discard the chamomile.
- Now stir in milk, coconut oil, turmeric, ginger, cinnamon, (black pepper) and honey.
- Taste and add more honey, coconut oil or spices if you prefer.
- Re-heat on low heat if needed. Enjoy!
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#4 Lemon Balm Tea: For Sleep, Not Lips
From Fresh Bites Daily
Honestly, this sounds like a recipe for a lip balm, but it’s not. It is actually a very powerful tea for insomniacs.
This tea helps to reduce stress, indigestion, anxiety, enhance sleep, and can help heal cold sores faster. Ah ha! I knew it had something to do with lips!
Lemon balm is a standard herb for insomnia and when it is combined with other herbs such as Chamomile and Valerian, it can give off better sleep inducing properties.
Ingredients
- 4 cups boiling water
- 20 fresh leaves or 1 tablespoon of dried lemon balm
Directions
- Bring water to a boil
- Add leaves to a saucepan.
- Pour over boiling water.
- Cover with a lid to steep.
- Allow your tea to steep overnight if possible (or for at least thirty minutes).
#5 Keep Your Banana Peels For Natural Banana Tea
From Homestead & Survival
Another strange sounding tea to help with insomnia, banana tea. Banana infused tea is a wonderful remedy for those who have trouble falling asleep and staying asleep, like me.
Banana peels are rich in potassium and magnesium. Essentially, drinking this tea would be the same thing as taking a magnesium supplement and it’s probably cheaper.
By drinking this tea, you are helping your blood vessels relax as well as your muscles. This will help you fall asleep quicker and stay asleep longer.
Ingredients
- 1 raw banana
- 1 small pot of water
- sprinkle of cinnamon (optional)
Directions
- Boil water.
- Cut off both ends of banana and place in water.
- Boil for about 10 minutes.
- Pour water through colander and into mug.
- Drink one hour before bed.
#6 Lovely Lavender Tea
From Everything Lavender
I absolutely do not like the smell of lavender, but its medicinal properties are fantastic, so I kind of just suck it up and deal with it.
Just one cup of lavender tea can help to ease your body, mind, and help you fall asleep. It can also be used as a wash on the chest to help ease the effects of bronchitis, asthma and colds.It can also help reduce cough and help with other respiratory issues.
Lavender works great for both children and adults and is much safer than over the counter medications. It can help reduce fevers, heal wounds, cuts, and sores.
Ingredients
- 3 Tablespoons fresh Lavender flowers or 1 1/2 Tablespoons dried Lavender flower
- 2 cups boiling water
- Honey and lemon if desired
Directions
- Put the flowers in a teapot
- Add boiling water
- Steep for 4 to 5 minutes.
- Pour into cups straining if necessary to remove the flower buds.
- Serve Lavender flower tea with honey and sliced lemon.
#7 Ginger and Turmeric Tea
From Eileenz Fuentes
I can’t say enough how much I love ginger. ginger ale, gingersnap cookies, and ginger in general.
Healing turmeric and ginger tea is the next big thing when it comes to your health. Turmeric has anti-inflammatory plus anti-cancer properties and ginger is anti-viral and has antibiotic agents.
Mix ginger & turmeric with honey and lemons and you have yourself a wonderful tea that can be used as a sleep remedy. Why honey and lemons? Well, honey is a sleep remedy and lemons are great for detox.
Ingredients
- water, 4 cups
- 2-inch piece of fresh ginger root
- ½ lemon
- ½ teaspoon turmeric powder
- Optional: honey (preferably local or raw)
Directions
- Peel the ginger root and cut it into thin slices.
- Bring the water to a boil in a saucepan. Once it is boiling, add the ginger, turmeric, juiced lemon.
- Cover and reduce to a simmer for 15 minutes, whisking occasionally.
- Strain the tea.
- Add honey to taste.
#8 Sleep and Dream Tea
From Mountain Rose Blog
If you want to drink a sweet and soothing tea as part of your bedtime ritual, try this sleepy dreamland tea. With this potent mixture of ingredients, you’ll be in dreamland in no time.
Composed of spearmint, chamomile, St. John’s wort, nettle leaf, rosebuds, and dried orange or lemon peel, this tea is the perfect sleep remedy.
The reason for this is because all of these herbs combined have different agents to help with insomnia, muscle aches, stomach aches, tension, stress, and so much more.
Ingredients
- 2 Tbsp organic Spearmint
- 1 Tbsp organic Chamomile
- 1 Tbsp organic St. John’s Wort
- 1 Tbsp organic Nettle Leaf
- 1 Tbsp organic Rosebuds
- 1 Tbsp organic dried Orange or Lemon Peel
Directions
- Use all dried herbs for this tea
- Boil the water on the stove
- Put the herb mix into a large infuser
- Pour the water into the pot
- Let it steep for 4-5 minutes
#9 Have An Overtired Child? Try This Sleepy Tea Mixture
From Nourished Kitchen
During my travels, I have encountered many overtired children and let me tell you something, it isn’t a pretty sight. When my family members children get overtired, I can’t help but wonder what can be done about it, mostly because I’m sick of listening to the screaming.
One thing that can help an overtired child is an herbal tea mixture consisting of lemon balm, rose, lavender, peppermint, fennel, and licorice. This sounds delicious, I think I want to make a cup now.
Lemon balm is a calming sedative, rose and lavender support sleep and induce good dreams, peppermint, fennel, and licorice have soothing flavors and aid in digestion support and help with upset stomachs. You can include other herbs as well, but these are the ones that I think are the best for kids.
Ingredients
- 1 tablespoon dried lemon balm
- 2 teaspoons dried peppermint
- 1 teaspoon fennel seeds
- 1 teaspoon dried rose petals
- 1 teaspoon dried lavender flowers
- 2 slices dried licorice root
- honey (as needed)
- heavy cream or milk (as needed)
Directions
- Place a kettle of filtered water onto the stove and bring to a boil.
- While the water comes to a boil, place herbs and spices into a mortar and crush with a pestle until roughly combined.
- Transfer to a teapot, pour boiling water over the herbs and steep for three to five minutes.
- Strain and serve with honey and cream, as you like it.
#10 Sleep Sweetly With This Sweet Sleep Tea
From The Herbal Spoon
The recipe for this tea isn’t as complicated as the title. Throw together some lavender buds, chamomile flowers, dried orange peel, rose petals, honey, milk and voila!
So, why use those specific ingredients? Lavender and chamomile are known for their relaxation properties. Orange adds a hint of zing and flavor, and the rose petals, well, they just complete the beautiful floral arrangement.
If you make this part of your bedtime routine, you may find yourself sleeping easier and more peacefully.
Ingredients
- 1/4 cup Lavender buds
- 1/2 cup Chamomile flowers
- 1/4 cup Dried orange peel
- 2 Tbsp Rose petals
- Honey
- Milk
Directions
- Mix all herbs gently together and store in a glass jar.
- To brew, heat water to boiling and pour over herbs.
- Use 2 tsps. of the herbs per 8 oz water.
- Steep for 3-5 minutes.
- Strain out the herbs and stir in honey and milk to taste.
#11 The Ultimate Herbal Tea Blend For Sleep
From Little Home Steaders
If you are looking for a tea that is going to taste good and help you sleep at the same time, this is the tea for you. The ultimate herbal tea blend combines natural herbs for optimal relaxation.
The ingredients of this tea consist of lemon balm, lavender, chamomile, and passion flower. We now know what the lemon balm, chamomile, and lavender do, but what about the passion flower?
The passion flower is great for insomnia that may be related to everyday stressors such as overworking. Boy, I think I need this tea in my life.
Ingredients
- 1 oz dried lemon balm (for flavor and its calming properties)
- 1 oz dried lavender (used especially for the calming, sleep-inducing properties achieved through inhaling its scent/essential oils)
- 1 oz dried chamomile (especially good for insomnia combined with irritability)
- 1 oz dried passion flower (especially good for insomnia related to stress/overwork)
Directions
- Combine all the herbs in a large bowl and store in an airtight, dry container – preferably away from direct sunlight.
- When ready to use, steep 1 tbsp of the mixture for 10-15 minutes in a cup of boiling water.
- Drink it while it is hot/warm and inhale the vapors as you drink to get the maximum benefit of this tea blend.
#12 The Cinnamon Sleep Tonic
I gotta say, this sounds absolutely heavenly. I love cinnamon and so does most of the world’s population. This could be why people are using it in teas now, but why exactly other than the fact that it tastes and smells so good?
Cinnamon is high in cinnamaldehyde, which is what is responsible for most of the health benefits that come from cinnamon. Cinnamon also has antioxidants, anti-inflammatory properties, may cut the risk of heart disease, can improve an Insulin sensitivity, lowers blood sugar levels, has a powerful anti-diabetic effect, may have beneficial effects on Neuro-degenerative diseases, may protect against cancer, helps fight bacterial and fungal infections, and may help fight the HIV virus.
Ingredients
- 3 cinnamon sticks
- 1 tablespoon all-spice berries
- 1 tablespoon cloves
- 1/2 teaspoon peppercorns (optional)
- 15 bay leaves
- 2″ piece of fresh ginger, cut into large pieces
- 10 cups 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.
#13 Have Sweet Dreams With This Sweet Dream Tea
From Mommy Potamus
We all want sweet dreams, not nightmares. So, why not help have some sweet dreams with the sweet dream tea. So, what makes it so sweet you may ask?
The herbs in the chamomile & licorice blend version of this tea include Catnip, chamomile flowers, lavender blossoms, and licorice root.
The chamomile, lavender and catnip have calming qualities that will help relax you before you close your eyes. The sedative effects of chamomile are caused from a flavonoid called apigenin. This is why when you drink chamomile tea, you end up sleepy. Mixed with all of the other ingredients, this tea makes for a sweet and relaxing treat to help you fall deep into dream land.
Ingredients
- 1 teaspoon Chamomile & Catnip Blend or Passion Flower & Lavender Blend
- Gelatin 1 tbsp/cup
- Honey to taste
- Pinch of salt
- 1 cup water
Directions
- Boil water and pour it into your mug.
- Add 1 teaspoon of your tea blend to a tea ball and place it in the mug.
- Allow to steep for 5-7 minutes, then add the other ingredients and enjoy.
#14 Azul Tea
Anyone with arthritis or joint pain will tell you that it makes it near impossible to sleep when the pain starts to act up. Thankfully Pal Azul tea is a natural remedy to help aid with inflammation and joint health.
Azul tea also has many benefits including easing kidney disorders, infections and even kidney stones, not to mention the affects it has on your joints and arthritis.
Where To Find Tea Supplies
Most of the tea ingredients and accessories can be found on Amazon by clicking below.
#15 Valerian Root Tea
Image from Nootriment
If you have never tried Valerian root tea for a sleep aid, you definitely should. It acts as a mild sedative activated by phytochemicals that tell the brain it is time for sleep.
Is it safe? Absolutely! You can prepare it in a number of different ways, each with a different outcome. It can be beneficial for those who suffer from anxiety, have ADHD, mood problems, memory issues, insomnia, and can also help with pain relief.
Ingredients
- A kettle, preferably a stainless steel one
- A teapot with a mug
- An infusion tool such as a heat seal tea bag, a tea ball or a cheesecloth attached to a string
- One teaspoon of Valerian root, which is approximately 2 grams
Directions
- Fill your teapot with hot tap water
- Fill the infusion device with Valerian root, unless you want to use loose-leaf Valerian (go to step 4)
- Heat about 8 oz of filtered water in the kettle to boiling
- Empty the teapot and add Valerian root to that container. Pour the water in the kettle over the root and cover well.
- Allow to sit (steep) for about 15 minutes.
- Uncover and remove whatever type of infusion device you used. If you used loose-leaf Valerian tea, pour into a mug by passing through a strainer.
- Voila! That is how to make Valerian tea. Enjoy the benefits.
Recipe from Durable Health
You may want to check out: Best Bedtime Tea
To Wrap Things Up
I really hope that you enjoyed these 13 herbal tea recipes. Herbal substitutes are very important to me because it just seems like more and more prescriptions are being written to those who only need a cup of chamomile tea to help them fall asleep.
I must admit, falling asleep isn’t easy for someone like me who has a stressful lifestyle. At night, when I come home, I enjoy my herbal tea and the effects it has on my mind and body.
If you have any comments, feel free to let me know what you have to say. If you enjoyed reading the article as much as I enjoyed writing it, share it with everyone you know. They will thank you once they find themselves sleeping better because of herbal tea.