01 Mar DIY Herbal Nighttime Tea

I’ve always been a little bit of a mad scientist. I love creating various “potions”…just ask Robb and my boys!

As part of our evening ritual, we typically enjoy herbal tea. I’ve often purchased ready-made teas but have found many of them to be, not only expensive, but “not quite right”. I thought it would be fun to experiment with a variety of herbs not only for taste, but to enhance sleep quality.

One of the challenges with using herbs for tea is that there isn’t a lot of reliable research to count on. Just because something is a plant doesn’t mean that it’s healthy to consume. The herbs I coupled together have traditionally been used to ease anxiety and stress, aid in digestion and reducing inflammation, and to promote sleep. While generally regarded as safe, I do encourage caution with herbs used as tea because there is always the potential for adverse effects when coupled with medications or other herbal products. Again, just because you can buy it easily at the health food store or grocery store, doesn’t always mean it’s right for you. For that reason, I only occasionally include skullcap in the blend. Most evenings we stick to lemon balm, lavender and mint. Population studies that have found a correlation (not necessarily causation) with a daily intake of herbal teas noted that it was common practice to rotate the herbs, not use the same ones daily. So if you would like to try this tea, however are on prescribed medications, it would be wise to speak with your pharmacist or other members of your healthcare team. 🙂

DIY Herbal Nighttime Tea

1 teaspoon Skullcap (*note we only take this occasionally)
2 teaspoons Lavender Flowers
2 teaspoons Lemon Balm
2 teaspoon Peppermint

Combine in a tea diffuser or compostable tea bag (available at local coffee shops). Bring water to a boil and add water and tea bag to teapot. Cover and allow to steep for 8 – 10 minutes. Enjoy and have a restful sleep!