5 Best Herbal Teas to Drink to Fall Asleep Quickly

Soooo quarantine insomnia, ammiright? This year, I’ve been dealing with so much anxiety and uncertainty in my life, but I know it’s not just me. We’re all on the same 2020 Train Wreck of Our Lives, and anxiety levels are through the roof for most of us. Our social lives have gone to heck, our job reliability is questionable, these face masks are wreaking havoc on our flawless skin (I’ve literally never had flawless skin so this one doesn’t apply to me), and our daily routines are flipped upside down. With all of that internal and external stress, it’s a miracle we can sleep at night at all. So, I’ve created this post of 5 Best Herbal Teas to Drink to Fall Asleep Quickly to help you relax, unwind and be able to fall asleep at night.

This post may contain affiliate links. This doesn’t cost you anything, but I may make a commission payment from anything you buy through these links. As an Amazon Associate I earn from qualifying purchases. All opinions remain my own. Thank you for supporting Of Good Report!

Why you might be having a hard time falling asleep

• Inactivity. You’re not getting as much movement as you usually would. With gyms closed, maybe you’re doing a quick at-home workout, but not what you would usually get at a regular gym. And even if you’re not a “gym person,” being stuck at home most of the day just doesn’t allow for much movement.
• Weird sleeping schedule. You don’t have to be at class at a specific time, so you kind of wake up when you want to. And many people are out of work until further notice, so you’re not waking up early for work either.
• Anxiety. Like I already mentioned, our anxiety levels are through the friggin roof right now. Our jobs are unstable, our financial situation has a big question mark over it, and we’re constantly being updated on the dire health situation of our world.

The solution might be simpler than we think: We need a stiff drink.

A stiff herbal drink that is. Not an alcoholic one, as I’ll explain farther down.

Why does a full night of restful sleep matter?

Yeah, what’s the big deal?

If you go to bed super late and tomorrow you have a full day of quarantine activities planned like, oh I don’t know, napping, DIY-ing, re-organizing your closet space, watching Netflix and just “poopin’ around” a friend of mine likes to say, why should it matter if we’re not getting the best sleep of our lives?

Just brew a cup of coffee in the morning and away we go, right? WRONG.

Sleep is so, so important for so many reasons.

• Sleep improves your mood and productivity
• Sleep is essential for weight loss
• Sleep is needed for cognitive functions
• Sleep helps prevent Alzheimer’s disease as you age
• Sleep will keep you from wanting to strangle your usually-lovable significant other after being cooped up with him or her since the quarantine started

Studies show that the average adult should be getting between 7-9 hours of sleep each night to function at their best.

Don’t pull a Sav (uh, that’s me) and try to get by on 4-5 hours of sleep because—spoiler alert—you will go absolutely nuts, start laughing at a funny card during a game of Cards Against Humanity, and then seconds later find yourself sobbing over literally nothing as your friends and family stare at you. It’s not pretty and you will 100 percent be teased about it for the rest of your life.

But, when it’s hard to actually fall asleep, you might be tempted to pour yourself a glass of red to help you relax. Again, not the best idea if you actually want good sleep.

Why you shouldn’t regularly drink alcohol at bed time

During the coronavirus pandemic, it seems that more people than ever are drinking casually—which totally makes sense considering a good chunk of the population is now working from home or taking online classes. At this point, every day kind of feels like the weekend.

The problem with drinking too much alcohol in the evening is that a nice glass of wine might help you relax enough to fall asleep, but once the effects of the alcohol wear off in the wee hours of the morning, your body tends to wake itself up suddenly. Once awake, your heart rate will be up and can often prevent you from falling back into a restful sleep.

I’ll be honest; I love a glass of dry red wine as much as anyone else. However, it’s not an ideal method for a solid night of REM sleep (which is considered by many to be the most restorative sleep cycle).

Now, here’s a brief rundown on why herbal tea is going to be your new best sleeping buddy.

Why herbal teas are the perfect evening concoction

Herbal tea is my Number 1 method of falling asleep lately. Certain herbs have scientifically proven effects to help promote a good night’s sleep, and I have personally experienced the almost-instant relaxing effect of a good herbal tea.

Please keep in mind, I’m not a doctor and I’m not prescribing anything—just letting you know what works for me! If you’re pregnant or on medication, it doesn’t hurt to check in with your doctor before drinking any of the teas I’m about to list!

When shopping for an herbal tea to help you sleep, these are the herbs you want to keep an eye out for:

• Chamomile (helps calm the nervous system and reduce restlessness)
• Lavender (acts as an anxiety reliever and sedative, quiets the brain and nervous system activity)
• Kava Kava (calms the body and mind, known to promote relaxation and reduce anxiety)
• Valerian Root (reduces anxiety, reduces amount of time it takes to fall asleep, improves sleep quality) –healthline.com 
• Passion Flower (relieves insomnia and anxiety)
• Skullcap (can improve mood and—no surprise—relieve anxiety)

With those ingredients in mind, here are my top five favorite teas that help me sleep through the whole night. You can find the active ingredients and flavor profiles of each tea at the bottom of each tea’s specific subheading.

1. Traditional Medicinals Nighty-Night Tea (and Nighty-Night Extra)

For years, Nighty-Night Extra has been my first go-to when I know I need a really good sleep. It almost never fails to put me in ultra-relaxed mode. After a cup, I usually sleep through the whole night.

You know those evenings when you know you need sleep because you have a test the next day, or you know work is going to be particularly hectic? Those tend to be the nights that your body just won’t let you relax. And the more you stress about how you’re not relaxing, the more you’re unable to go to sleep. The vicious cycle continues until it’s 2:30 a.m. you feel like you’re slowly losing your mind.

The Nighty-Night teas solve that problem for me. Every. Time.

The difference between Nighty-Night and Nighty-Night Extra, is that the Extra contains my favorite sleepy herb: Valerian Root. That being said, Nighty-Night’s main herb is Passion Flower, which is considered a gentle sedative, and is just as capable of getting you to relax.

I’ve tried both Nighty-Night and Nighty-Night Extra and can honestly say they do exactly what they say they will. But of course, everyone’s body is different, so try them out and decide which is the best fit for you.

Ingredients: Passionflower, Chamomile, Linden Flower, Catnip herb, Hop Strobile, with Spearmint, Lemon Verbena Leaf, Lemon Peel, West Indian Lemongrass Leaf

2. Calm Buddha Blend

This tea has become a new favorite of mine. Its main herbs it contains are chamomile, lavender, skullcap and passion flower. These herbs are the perfect mixture to help me feel relaxed and shrug off the worries and tension of the day.

You can sip this Calm Buddha Blend in the daytime or in the evening to promote a feeling of tranquility and to uplift your mood as well!

I’ll be honest—the only reason I originally bought this tea was because I was looking through my local Sprouts store for Nighty-Night tea, and they were either out of stock or didn’t sell it. But I was desperate for a good evening tea and snatched up the last box.

Now, I’m in love, and have already gone back for more.

Another huge perk to Buddha Teas is that if you love the planet, you can feel proud to put your money into this brand. Buddha Teas use only organic, sustainably harvested ingredients in their teas, and their boxes are made from completely recycled materials.

The next Buddha Teas blend I’m thinking of trying: Sleepy Temple Blend!

Buddha Teas Calm flavor profile: Fresh and floral, with a hint of cinnamon and spearmint

Ingredients: Chamomile, Passion Flower, Skullcap, St. John’s Wort, Cinnamon, Spearmint, Lavender

3. Yogi Kava Stress Relief

This tea is another one of my tried-and-true teas for falling asleep quickly and staying asleep through the night. I’m a chronic over-thinker, and I can go from 0 to 100, real quick.

So if you’re also inclined to slip down that rabbit hole of overthinking the second the sun goes down like I am, then Kava Stress Relief might be just the thing for you. The Kava root is known to support a calm mind, which obviously is super helpful in the evening when you need to relax.

Plus, this tea blends together with other herbs that help bring circulation to your joints, such as cinnamon bark, and support digestive functions, such as cardamom. 

Note: Some studies have shown excessive kava consumption can result in liver damage, but is shown to be safe in short term usage.

It’s suggested to consult with your doctor before taking kava supplements if you’re taking other medications—I’m not sure that necessarily includes a cup of Kava tea, but it bears mentioning.

Kava Stress Relief flavor profile: Carob Pod gives a slightly chocolate flavor, while Cinnamon Bark and Sarsaparilla Root bring spice and warmth

Ingredients: Carob Pod, Cinnamon Bark, Kava Root, Stevia Leaf, Essential Oils, Indian Sarsaparilla Root, Ginger Root, Cardamom, Natural and Organic Flavors

4. ” target=”_blank” rel=”noreferrer noopener nofollow”>Celestial Seasonings Sleepy Time Extra Tea

I’d classify this ” target=”_blank” rel=”noreferrer noopener nofollow”>Sleepy Time Extra Tea as a great-tasting tea to drink before bed when you’re already feeling pretty calm. This tea blend of chamomile and spearmint contains valerian, which as I’ve already mentioned is a classic before-bed calming agent.

If you don’t need that extra Valerian push, you can also try the brand’s original Sleepy Time.

Sleepy Time Tea flavor profile: Chamomile and spearmint stand out the most, with fruity undertones of blackberry and orange

Ingredients: Chamomile, spearmint, lemongrass, tilia flowers, blackberry leaves, orange blossoms, hawthorn and rosebuds

5. Cup of Calm

Cup of Calm is a great tea blend because you can drink it during the daytime to ease stress, or in the evening to wind down before bed. It’s definitely calming thanks to the chamomile, lavender and catnip. But, it’s not so calming that you’re going to need a nap after drinking a cup.

This tea has always been a staple at my parent’s house, and I know it does the trick after a long, stressful day.

Cup of Calm flavor profile: Softly floral with hints of lavender and mint

Main ingredients: Passionflower, Chamomile, Lavender, Catnip

More tips to fall asleep quickly at night

If you’re still having trouble falling asleep early, try these tricks:

• Turn off all electronics 1 hour before bed
• Do a relaxing activity such as reading or stretching
• Try herbal hops with any valerian tea
• Try using melatonin to regulate your sleeping
• Take a warm bath
• Do some breathing exercises
• Do some meditation through a guided meditation app like Calm

Do you drink tea before bed? What’s your favorite way to calm down after a long day? Let me know in the comments below!

And if you enjoyed this post, subscribe to Of Good Report’s e-mail list to get more helpful lifestyle tidbits straight to your inbox!

Until next time, lovelies,

<3 Sav