The Best Sleep Tea Blends in Australia

Tea is the most consumed beverage in the world, with water as the only exception.  Australians love their tea; morning, afternoon and night.  But the strong black tea that gets you through the morning is definitely not the best thing to drink before bed.  Read on to find out what sleep tea blends are the best and why.

Drinking tea at bedtime

There is something about a nice soothing cup of tea at night.  Maybe it’s the aroma, the warmth, or just a pleasant way to hydrate the body?  Whatever the reason, tea is a fantastic addition to your bedtime routine.  But, there are a few rules for nocturnal tea consumption.

At night it is best to drink caffeine-free herbal teas, also called tisanes.  Caffeine is a stimulant that will keep you awake at night.  Most sleep tea blends are caffeine-free, and all of the blends listed below are free from caffeine.

Most sleep tea blends are not suited to having milk.  However, lemon and honey can be tasty additions.  Some teas will have serving suggestions on the packet, giving you an idea of what you can add.  Avoid adding sugar to your sleep tea because it will give you a hit of short-lived energy that does not help with getting to sleep.

Lastly, don’t drink too much just before bed, or you will wake up at night to go to the bathroom!  Try one or two cups a couple of hours before bed while you are doing something relaxing like watching TV or reading.

Sleep tea ingredients

Sleep tea blends go by many names (sleepy tea, bedtime tea), and they are not all made up of the same ingredients.  However, a few key plants are known to aid sleep and are common in sleep tea blends.  So that you know what you are drinking and why, here is a list of the main sleep tea ingredients and their properties.

Passionflower – calming and relaxing for the nervous system; passionflower can assist sleep and aid indigestion.

Lavender (buds) – there is some evidence that it is the smell of the lavender, rather than ingesting it, that helps you relax and de-stress.

Chamomile (flower) – famous for being a sleep aid, chamomile relaxes the nerves and muscles.

Lemon balm (leaves) – known for reducing stress and being easy on the stomach, lemon balm is actually a member of the mint family.

Valerian (root) – a natural sedative, valerian is proven to help insomnia.  This one can interfere with medications, so check with your doctor first.

Skullcap (leaves) – another member of the mint family, skullcap has been used for centuries to treat anxiety and even numb pain.

How to choose the best sleep tea blend

There are a few things you want to take into consideration when choosing a sleep tea blend for you.

• Most importantly, if you have a medical condition, are on medication or are pregnant / breastfeeding please consult your doctor to find out what ingredients you need to avoid.
• Next, think about allergies and taste preferences.  For instance, if you can’t stand liquorice, don’t choose the sleep blends with liquorice in them.
• Do you want tea bags or loose leaves?  This is really a personal choice.  Tea bags can be convenient but loose leaf in a teapot is great to share.  If you are traveling and don’t know if you’ll have anything to strain your tea, then you might choose bags.
• Most of the herbal teas listed below are organic.  If that’s something that’s important to you, follow the link to their website to find out more.
• In the table below, we have put the amount of servings that each company has informed us are in each packet.  If they gave a range, this has been averaged.  Tea servings are always approximate, especially with loose leaf tea, because it depends on how strong you like the taste and how often you steep the same serving of tea leaves.
• All the teas below are available in Australia, and we tried to focus especially on Australian-made and owned teas.  If the origin is something that matters to you, take a closer look at the tea manufacturer’s website.
• You might need to try a few different sleep teas before you find the right one for you.

A Comparison of Sleep Tea Blends