Welcome back to beyond the bag. Have you ever had a rough time falling asleep? Did you know that there are some teas that can help you both fall asleep faster and get more restful sleep? Today we are going to be looking at three teas that will help you relax and get some rest, and stay tuned till the end for the ultimate sleepy time blend guaranteed to improve sleep quality.
Let’s start by looking at the tea most commonly associated with sleep, Camomile. This light yellowish colored tea is made from the small white flowers of the camomile plant. This tea is packed with a wonder full antioxidant called apigenin. Apigenin has been shown in clinical studies to have inflammation and anxiety-reducing effects. It also binds to the receptors in the brain that are responsible for initiating sleep. Beyond this, the tea carries a delicious and unique smooth floral flavor that is very relaxing in and of itself. Often times this tea is more than enough to help grant a rest night.
If you are struggling to sleep because of stomach discomfort or headaches, try peppermint. Made from the dried leaves of the peppermint plant, this tea has long been known for its sleep-friendliness. It has no caffeine or calories and has been used to treat digestion issues going back centuries. Peppermint also has been proven effective at resolving tension headaches. This makes it really helpful for restlessness caused by indigestion or headaches. The steeped tea is a light green color and has a soft mint flavor that can be very comforting.
Third, but far from last is fennel. Fennel tea is a slightly herby flavored tea that is unusual but very enjoyable. Light in color and scrumshus in flavor this is one of those underrated and often forgotten gems of the tea world. The closest thing I have found to it is basil tea. Speaking of which if you want me to do a video all about basil tea, leave a comment below! The magic of fennel comes from its muscle relaxing properties. This helps to prep your body for sleep and can make the process of falling asleep quicker. In ancient times this tea was a common treatment for insomnia. To top it off this tea comes with a flood of antioxidants to help to increase the effectiveness of your rest and leave you feeling refreshed the next morning.
Now, suppose you are still struggling to get to bed, there is a powerful tea blend we are going to create to put an end to sleepless nights. I am going to be using a tea filer because it has a bit more space than a tea ball. The extra space will help us make a much more potent finished beverage. The first ingredient unsurprisingly is a teaspoon of chamomile. This will give us a strong base of relaxation. Second, we are going to add a teaspoon of peppermint for those headaches busting and stomach calming properties. Next up a teaspoon of fennel tea to help your muscles to relax. We are going to let this brew quite long to ensure high potency. 7 minutes of steeping should do the trick, but as long as the water is staying hot going for 10 or even 15 minutes is totally acceptable. All of our ingredients are herbal and will only intensify not bitter with extra steeping time. Lastly, to finish it off, we are going to stir in a bit of honey to add that little hint of sweetness that will help it go down super smooth. And there you have it, a natural herbal tea to help you get the rest you need. Cheers and sweet dreams!
