Bedtime Teas

when i can’t sleep i have a white tea (shou mei is my personal fave) with honey.

when i was a kid, my mom made a hot milk with anise. I still love it today, so that is worth a try, even though it’s not a tea :)

for years I used lavender, mint or chamomile blend tisanes, trying to get ones with skullcap. Lately, I have been using unflavored matcha, and I helps much more.
Hot Milk with honey, sometimes adding in the masala spices used to add to a black base for chai is also a fave.(non tea)

I tried one last night (Goodnight by Tealux) that seemed to work pretty well. Rooibos and lavender and blueberries among the ingredients. Otherwise I’d look for things with valerian root if you’re not taking medications that would be interfered with. Chamomile and lavender are also good choices. Even better, a tea that just makes you want to sit and chill, preferably non-caffeinated. If you can wind down and just meditate on your tea, it could get your brain in a state to fall asleep more easily.

For bedtime, I usually drink white tea, either Silver Needle or Shou Mei (as Sandra mentioned), a nice genmaicha, or an herbal tea (my favorite right now is a mulberry tea). Anything that’s low in caffiene and relaxing. Florals, if you like them, are also supposed to be good for bedtime, but I’m not a huge fan.

I have had the best success with Two Leaves Better Rest. It is an herbal containing lemon balm, rose hips, peppermint, chamomile, hops, and valerian. The valerian seems to do it for me.

I love Davids Tea Mother’s Little Helper when I’m having trouble sleeping. It has valerian root, chamomile, and peppermint. I also really like the bottles of Bob Marley Green Tea with Honey when I’m trying to sleep…even though they are a bottled iced tea they knock me out within about 45 minutes.

valerian
chamomile
holy basil (tulsi, in Indian shops)
st. john’s wort (the best, one of the most used and popular herbs for centuries!)
melissa (lemon balm)
hops (bitter, but potent)
passion flower

Plan on going to the toilet in the middle of your sleep. Drink ‘bedtime’ tea early evenings and for relaxation during the day.

NMTC- chocolate mint rooibos. It’s nice, and the mint is relaxing.

“Sleepytime Extra” is the best. It’s like sleepytime but with Valerian and other stuff added. FABULOUS.

Chamomile and lavender, with a hint of anise. I know anise isn’t for everyone, so you may want to nix that, but I swear by chamomile and lavender. So nice and relaxing. Might be placebo, but who cares? It always works to relax me and get to sleep. Plus it smells nice as it’s brewing!