Sleepy Bear Extra

I don’t sleep well, so I am perennially on the hunt for a good bedtime tea. This tea was mentioned somewhere on the discussion boards and the name (and positive review) piqued my interest. I ordered on Saturday and it got here Monday – with free shipping! Plus it was reasonably priced, so the company has made a really positive first impression.

Now for the tea itself. Dry and brewed, it has a fairly mild smell of chamomile, spearmint, and grass. It brews up a light yellow color that reminds me of sunflowers. The taste is like chamomile with a hint of lemon, and spearmint on the back end. I want to say that I can taste the valerian, but I’m not familiar enough with that flavor to say for sure.

This is easily one of the best chamomile teas that I have ever had; I would only put Harney and Sons chamomile on the same level. I don’t know yet whether this will actually help me sleep, so I’ll update tomorrow.

boiling water, 1 tsp for 8 oz, steeped 7 mins, per package instructions

For someone like me who isn’t that crazy about mint and chamomile and prefers “dark” roasty flavors, this isn’t the most delicious thing (it’s sweet in a strange rooty, not creamy or soft sort of way, and there’s a hint of bitterness I’m guessing is from the hops) but it’s definitely at least drinkable. The smell was a little odd to me at first—vaguely like mold or mildew—but it softens and a cleaner more herbal aroma takes its place.

More importantly than any of that though, I’m so pleased to find this works really well for me! I’ve tried valerian in pill supplement form before to help me sleep—I have a terrible time falling asleep/getting relaxed enough to go to sleep, though usually once I do fall asleep I’m out nice and deep—and it didn’t really work while having a noticeable effect on my mental perception (my brain felt…“softer”, perception more muted and gauzy, not in a bad way, kind of relaxing but more a steady twilight thing than a strong shot towards going to sleep…it was like being dissociated, floating outside of myself watching myself and my reactions through a veil). This feels similar, but less weird (not as dissociated) and more comforting, gentler yet more pervasive all around. A single cup alone was immediately super relaxing and that sleepy-in-a-good-comforting way really lasted! Last week I was averaging 2-4 hours of sleep a night the entire week (ugh), then I made 2 cups of this Saturday night and pretty much immediately got sleepy, aaaaand slept for 12 frickin’ hours (!), and it was the deepest sleep imaginable. I feel completely rebooted, like last week’s insomnia-induced nightmare has been wiped clean from my body and brain. I’m so happy to find a sleepytime blend that really works.

Update: Yeeeeah, I don’t think I will ever be without this tea. Bonus, it resteeps quite decently, so my regular bedtime cuppa won’t add up quite so quickly.

Ahhh, sleep. I miss you so much in larger doses, alas you have slipped through my hands like the sands of time. But wait – whats this!? Extra sleepy bear tea?! A blind buy of a pound of it made me cross my fingers and hope for the best. Shipping was quick. Emails were replied to quickly. Price was right. Quality of tea blend was high. Naturally sweet in just the right amounts. Smells beautiful when dry in my jar, as well as brewed. Looks pretty. Love love love the way it smells actually. It works. I doubted that it would have any effect on me, but it actually works. A nice mellow body relaxant and tension unwinder. When I finally do fall asleep, I sleep well and wake up rested. It was exciting for me to drink hops in something other than beer! I have also been giving samples of this stuff out to friends and coworkers and they all dig it as well. Looking forward to trying out more wonderful goodies from NMTC! Much love and cheer in 2013!