Sweet Dreams Tea Recipe

sweet-dreams-teaSanity is a moving target . . .When parenting little ones, isnt it? Just when you convince your older child that creatively blending the words frog and yuck is not a good idea, you discover that your toddlers new favorite trick is to dip his older brothers toothbrush in the potty. (I wish I wasnt speaking from personal experience here, but . . . )

While its inevitable that some days will not go as planned, Ive developed a secret weapon against frazzled nerves a little evening routine that wipes away the spills and disasters of the day, both for me and the potami.

Its super simple, and although theres a glaring omission Im sharing it anyway. Ready? Here it is:

After toys are put away and pajamas are snuggled into, I let the older potami pick out an essential oil blend to place in the diffuser (They love this one, this one, but this one is their favorite. I love it, too, and often wear it as perfume.) After that we brew up some relaxing sweet dreams tea and I make a small snack usually something with a lot of fat to help stabilize blood sugar throughout the night. (Think crackers and cheese, or a little sweet potato smothered in butter and cheese.)

As I shared in my post on 18 Science-Backed Tips For Deeper, Longer Sleep, Im a huge fan of herbal teas before bed, especially when theyre blended with a few sleep enhancing ingredients. Until recently this was something I just did for myself, but the potami started requesting their own blends. Ummm, YES I CAN DO THAT, I said. (Because as you know, the few moments you have alone at night when the house is still are sacred.)

And so I did, and its worked so well that I thought Id share two of our favorite recipes with you.

About The IngredientsBefore we get to the actual recipes, though, I want to explain why I chose each ingredient.

Calming Herbs

Catnip, chamomile, and passion flower are all gentle, kid-safe herbs with mild sedative qualities. In addition to their popularity among herbalists and even childrens books (remember how Peter Rabbits mom used to put him to bed with chamomile tea?), these herbs are now making their way into research.

According to this PubMed review, the sedative effects of chamomile may be due to a flavonoid called apigenin, while this study found that passion flower improved sleep quality when taken as a tea before bed.

Though not considered a sedative, one study showed that lavenders aroma improved sleep in individuals suffering from insomnia. When brewed as a tea, lavender buds release their aroma while adding flavor.

Herbs For Flavoring

My son loves the fruity flavor of hibiscus and my daughter loves the sweet taste of licorice root, so I incorporated these flavors into their blends.

Gelatin

Grass-fed gelatin is rich in several amino acids, particularly glycine, that are thought to calm the body and promote healthy sleep. Heres the brand I use.

Honey

As mentioned in this study, some experts believe that a major function of sleep is to replenish glycogen stores in the brain that have been depleted during wakefulness. While not formally studied, some people believe a little honey before bed supplies the liver with a boost in glycogen that helps the body complete this task, thus increasing how rested we feel in the morning. Of course, it tastes good, too.

Salt

If you crave salty and crunchy foods when youre stressed, theres a good reason for that. According to this study, salt improves our stress response. There is even some evidence to suggest that it raises or oxytocin aka the feel good hormone levels as well. (source)

As you know, stress hormones impair sleep, so anything we can do to reduce our stress load is helpful.

Now, Back To That Routine . . .After we finish our tea, teefies are brushed and I flip on the Sleep Genius, which is what I switched to after ditching my white noise machine. (By the way, you can get the Sleep Genius app for $5, but if youre already thinking about replacing your mattress soon, my favorite non-toxic mattress company is 10% off every mattress plus a FREE $295 upgraded version of Sleep Genius with every mattress ordered through May 31st, 2015. Click here to read about why I love them and check out the sale.)

We dont keep a night light on in their room (Wellness Mama explains why here), but I do turn on this salt lamp so that they can read in bed. (And now you see the glaring omission story time fail! Right now my toddler is just not cooperating with storytime, so weve taken a break from it.)

Theyre usually asleep within minutes, which means I can turn the lamp off and start preparing babypotamus for bed. Hes always the holdout. :)

Then its my turn to relax, hang out with Daddypotamus, and eventually brew my own cup of Sweet Dreams Tea to sip on while I journal for five minutes or so. Then its off to sleep for me!

Now, how about those recipes?

sweet-dreams-tea-recipeChamomile & Licorice BlendThis mild, licorice-flavored blend is my daughter Katies favorite. It incorporates three calming herbs: catnip, chamomile and lavender. Rather than give exact amounts, Im sharing the proportions with you so that you can make as small or large a batch as youd like. You can use a teaspoon of each or a tablespoon all you need to do is measure equal amount of each.

1 part catnip (where to buy catnip)1 part chamomile flowers (where to buy chamomile flowers)1 part lavender blossoms (where to buy lavender blossoms)1 part licorice root (where to buy licorice root)Two delicious recipes for herbal tea that encourage restful sleep #sleepytea #herbalteaPassion Flower & Lavender BlendThis aromatic, slightly fruity blend is my sons favorite. I usually make this blend using a tablespoon as my measurement, so that would be two tablespoons passion flower, one tablespoon lavender, two tablespoons catnip, etc.

2 parts passion flower (where to buy passion flower)1 part lavender blossoms (where to buy lavender blossoms)2 parts catnip (where to buy catnip)1 part chamomile (where to buy chamomile flowers)2 parts hibiscus flowers (where to buy hibiscus flowers)

Sweet Dreams Tea RecipeIve found that consuming some form of healthy fat before bed is helpful for balancing blood sugar throughout the night, which seems to decrease night waking for me. I sometimes add butter to my chamomile blend, but Im not a fan of it (or coconut oil) in the passion flower blend. On the nights we sip on Micahs favorite (passion flower), I make sure to add a small snack such as raw cheese to the menu.

Ingredients1 teaspoon Chamomile & Catnip Blend or Passion Flower & Lavender BlendGelatin ( I use about 1 tablespoon per cup, both the regular gelatin which dissolves in hot liquids and hydrolysate which dissolves in cold liquids will work)Honey to taste (where to buy honey)pinch of salt I use a scant 1/8 teaspoon (where to buy unrefined sea salt)1 cup waterTo MakeBoil water and pour it into your bug. 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.