Do you often suffer from insomnia or restless sleep? Discover here the best natural sleep aids with recipes, so you can make them at home
Sleep aids have been used for centuries by our ancestors. They used simple herbs to make teas, tinctures, and powders for a good night’s sleep. Today we know little about natural sleep aids given the tons of sleeping pills out there. But before you go for prescription sleeping pills, you can try these natural sleep aids. Using the healing power of plants that have natural sedative properties, the sleep aids recipes below are easy to make at home. Besides the 5 natural sleep aids recipes, we also want to share with you some of the most effective sleep aid teas that will fast you asleep. Let’s begin!
In This Article You Will Find:
5 Best Natural Sleep Aids with Recipes
1. Herbal Natural Sleep Aids with Valerian
This natural sleep aid is amazing if you feel agitated, stressed, or restless throughout the day. Even more, it’s amazing if you suffer from meteoropathy (weather-related discomfort) or have a hard time falling asleep or sleeping uninterruptedly. Here is how you can make it at home. This is perhaps one of the most powerful natural sleep aids that you can make at home.
Ingredients
- 50 g dried valerian root
- 10 g fresh lemon balm leaves
- 10 g of fresh or dried St. John’s wort
- 1 orange
- 2 g dried hops
- 2 g lavender flowers
- 1 cinnamon stick
- 2 tbsp organic honey
- ½ liter homemade red wine
Instructions
Mince the lemon balm leaves and the St. John’s wort and peel the orange. Put all the herbs in a large jar, then add the orange peel, the cinnamon stick, the honey, and the wine. Stir very well and seal the jar with the lid. Let the jar stay for 3 weeks in a warm, but dark place. Shake from time to time so that the active substances from the herbs and the other ingredients are absorbed in the wine. After the 3 weeks strain the content and pour the obtained sleep wine into a bottle. If kept in a cool and dark place, the sleeping wine will stay potent for 2 months.
How to use: Have 2 tbsp of the sleep aid wine in the evening, half an hour before bedtime. Hold the wine in your mouth as much as you can before swallowing it for the best results.
2. Calming Tea for Restful Sleep w/ Recipe
Ingredients
- 40 g passion flower (passiflora)
- 20 g hops
- 20 g lemon balm
- 10 g lavender flowers
Instructions
Pour 250 ml of hot water over 1 tbsp. of this herbal mix. Let the tea infuse, then strain it and sweeten it with natural honey. Honey makes this sleep aid tea even more potent, so it’s best to add some to your tea. Tip: After you prepare the tea, cover the pot so that the etheric oils from the plants don’t volatilize.
How to use: In case you suffer from insomnia or other sleep problems, drink this calming tea ½ hours before bedtime. You will get the maximum effect if you have this tea every night for 4-6 weeks. These are the top 5 natural sleep aids that you can prepare at home.
3. Herbal Sachets for Natural Sleep Aids
It’s enough to breathe in the etheric oils from the hop, lavender, lemon balm, and rose to have a better night’s sleep. These plants are great natural soporifics. In fact, there is another sleep aid that you can make at home using the herbs here mentioned. And that is herbal pillows or sachets, depending on the number of plants that you dispose of.
To fill in a pillow, you should use only well-dried plants and not fresh ones because fresh plants may mold. You don’t have to make a very large pillow; a small sachet will do if you keep it close to your nose when you sleep. The aromas from the herbs penetrate the central nervous system when you breathe in. They have a positive action on the mind, as well as on the metabolism and the hormonal balance in the body
4. Lemon Balm Shots Natural Sleep Aids
This natural sleep aid is also amazing for strengthening the nervous system, not only for helping you fast asleep. It will also help you regain your mental balance, concentrate better, become calmer and of course, beat insomnia. In addition, it can boost productivity. You can use lemon balm tincture from the very first symptoms of catching a cold.
Ingredients
- 1 large bunch of lemon balm
- 1 lemon
- 1 piece of ginger (the size of a walnut)
- 1 tsp. dried angelica root
- 2 tsp freshly-crushed coriander seeds
- ½ cinnamon stick
- 10 cloves
- 10 black peppercorns
- ½ tsp powdered cardamom
- 1/3 tsp grated nutmeg
- 750 ml vodka or double-distilled brandy.
Instructions
Wash the lemon balm thoroughly and remove its leaves. Peel the lemon, then wash the ginger (but don’t remove the peel) and slice it finely. Put all the ingredients in a jar and pour the alcohol in. Seal the jar and place it in a warm place for the following 8 weeks. However, don’t keep it in direct sunlight! Shake the jar as often as possible. After the 8 weeks have passed, strain the content, and pour it into a bottle. Store the lemon balm brandy in a cool place.
How to use: Have 1 tsp 1-3 times per day with 2 tsp of water right away. This herbal tincture is one of the best natural sleep aids you can make.
5. The Best Natural Sleep Aids: Rhodiola Rosea Extract
Rhodiola Rosea is known to aid the body to adapt to changes as well as protect itself from overstress. In fact, Rhodiola is one of the best remedies for stress out there. Less stress equals better sleep, don’t you think? So here is the recipe for natural sleep aids.
Ingredients
- Rhodiola Rosea roots (fresh or dried)
- 150 ml vodka
Instructions
If you have fresh Rhodiola Rosea roots available, wash them well, cut them into pieces, and put them in a jar. However, dried and minced Rhodiola roots are also OK. Pour the alcohol over the roots and seal the jar. Let the jar stay for 3 weeks in a warm and bright place. Strain the content and pour it into 3 small, dark-colored glass bottles with a dripper. If you keep the bottles in a cold place, the extract will preserve its properties for the following 6-8 months.
Read Also: 7 Natural Remedies for Insomnia and Some Tips
How to use: Have 1 tsp. of this extract in the morning and another one in the afternoon. Don’t take this tincture in the evening!
8 Best Natural Sleep Aids Teas
1. Lemon Balm Tea
Lemon balm tea is recommended for those who have trouble sleeping because of stress. Infuse 3-4 tsp. of this plant in a cup of water for 10 minutes. Drink the tea in the afternoon to relax, and in the evenings, before bedtime. You can also use lemon balm to make a salad to eat before bedtime. You can find this salad recipe here. This remedy is not recommended for people with thyroid problems. Lemon balm is one of the most fantastic natural sleep aids.
2. Sage Tea for Relaxing Sleep
Enjoy this tea whenever you feel agitated and you worry you cannot fall asleep. Have 2-3 cups of sage tea per day to beat off insomnia. Definitely one of the best natural sleep aids.
3. Hos Tea
Infuse 2 tsp of hops in 150 ml of hot water for 15 minutes. Drink it in the afternoon and in the evening before going to bed. This tea is not recommended for children and pregnant women.
4. St. John’s Wort Tincture
One of the herbs that you can always count on for having a good night’s sleep is St. John’s wort. Have a couple of cups of this tea in the evening. You can also take St. John’s wort instead. Have 30 drops of this tincture in a cup of water before bedtime. It has calming, antidepressant, and soporific effects.
Read Also: Basil, a Natural Soporic Herb w/ Recipe
5. Onion Tea for Sleep
Onion tea is also a great remedy for people who have fragile nerves or suffer from panic attacks. To prepare this tea, all you have to do is peel two small onions and boil them in 500 ml of water. When the onions begin to boil, remove the pot from the fire and let the tea cool down. Once it has reached room temperature, sweeten it with honey. Have 4 cups throughout the day.
6. Passion Flower Sleep Aid Tea
If you are experiencing panic attacks, you can use passionflower tea. Infuse 2 teaspoons of passionflower in 150 ml of hot water for 10 minutes. Drink three cups a day until you regain peace and fast sleep. This tea is not recommended for pregnant women and children!
7. Linden Flowers Tea
This tea has natural soporific action. An infusion made from 1 or 2 teaspoons per cup of hot water will bring you the relaxation you need. Enjoy it with a little bit of honey, a cup in the afternoon, and another one in the evening. Linden tea is one of the most wonderful natural sleep aids.
Read Also: Natural Remedy for a Peaceful Sleep
8. Poppy Seeds Sleep Aid
Poppy has a sedative effect and it may be the sleeping aid you need. To enjoy its soothing effect, add a teaspoon of raw poppy seeds to a mug of boiling water. Drink a cup four to five hours before bedtime and another one right before you go to bed.
Other Natural Sleep Aids
You can also add lavender, valerian root tea, marjoram, or yellow sweet clover to this list. Another thing that you can do to beat off insomnia is meditation. A good 5-10-minute meditation before bedtime will help you fall asleep quicker. There is also music for sleep and relaxation that you can listen to. This music is using binaural beats, alpha, or theta waves that induce sleep and relaxation. ASRM is also great for inducing sleep.
Read Also: Natural Remedy for a Relaxing Sleep
Last but not least, worry less and have more faith in how your life is unfolding. When things may look sour, know that they always happen for a good reason! Whatever the reason is, you will soon find out. Meanwhile, embrace all that is and make the most of everything! We hope that the natural sleep aids recipes here will truly help you sleep like a feather. Nighty, night!
