The last cup of the day does more work than people give it credit for. It is a signal as much as a drink, the point where the day stops and the evening starts.
What matters most is what is not in it. Caffeine has a half life of around five hours in most adults, so a strong cup at four in the afternoon is still half with you at nine at night. Everything on this page is built around that, and the blends here lean on herbs people have used at bedtime for generations.
Organic Sleepy Blend is our restful evening blend and the one most people come back for. If you would rather not measure anything at the end of a long day, Organic Sleepy Time Teabags are the same idea in a bag, including skullcap, which has a long history as a calming herb.
Organic Egyptian Chamomile is the classic, and worth drinking properly. Good chamomile is whole flower heads, not dust, and it tastes of honey and apple rather than hay. Brew it a minute off the boil for five minutes and it is a different drink to the teabag version most people grew up with.
Organic Calypso and Haven round the page out for anyone who wants something with a bit more character in the evening. Haven is a black tea, so it does carry caffeine. Keep that one for the early part of the evening, or for a slow weekend morning, and go to the herbals when you are heading for bed.
A few things that help more than the tea itself. Drink it about an hour before you want to be asleep, so you are not getting up again. Keep the cup small. Give the herbs a real five minutes, because a weak brew of chamomile is barely worth making. And make it the same time every night if you can, because the ritual is doing at least as much as the herbs are.
All of it is hand blended in small batches at our shop in Cowaramup, from organic ingredients, and sold loose so you can see the flowers and leaves you are paying for. If you are pregnant, breastfeeding, or taking medication, have a word with your doctor or pharmacist before you make any herbal blend a nightly habit.
Common questions
What is the best tea for sleep?
Chamomile is the classic and the easiest place to start. Blends built for the evening usually add herbs such as lemon balm, lavender or skullcap alongside it.
When should I drink sleep tea?
About an hour before bed. Keep the cup small so you are not up again in the night.
Is sleep tea caffeine free?
The herbal blends on this page are. Haven is a black tea and does carry caffeine, so it belongs earlier in the evening.
How long should I brew chamomile?
Give it five minutes, with water a minute off the boil. Whole flower heads need the time and there is no bitterness to worry about.
Will it actually help me sleep?
It is not a sedative and we would not sell it as one. What it does reliably is give the end of the day a shape, which is worth more than people expect.