Sleepy Tea Recipe with Turmeric, Passionflower and Honey

If you really start to think about it, what’s the one thing that always seems to mess up your health goals? The lack of energy, irritability, cravings, inability to stick to your healthy eating, and so on, can most likely all be blamed on a crappy night of sleep.

If you are feeling stuck in a rut and don’t know where to start, then my suggestion is to focus on your sleep for the next little while. When we get the restful deep sleep we need, we feel more in control of how we make decisions, we have the energy to get through the day without copious amounts of sugar and caffeine, and our body has the ability to heal and rejuvenate throughout the night.

Most clients that I see almost always have some issues with sleep. The causes can vary, from kids that don’t sleep through the night, to nocturnal hypoglycemia, to over stressed adrenal glands. But the ways to improve sleep can work for most people, with minor tweaks for individual issues.

One herb that I love to recommend for people that have issues with waking up in the middle of the night is passionflower. It’s often used for people who suffer from anxiety and insomnia for it’s calming properties. Scientists believe passionflower works by increasing levels of a chemical called gamma aminobutyric acid (GABA) in the brain. GABA lowers the activity of some brain cells, making you feel more relaxed.

I would suggest trying this tea about an hour before sleep, so you have a chance to head to the washroom before bed. If you are taking any medications, check to make sure passionflower is not contraindicated. I’m using turmeric for this tea as well for it’s soothing anti-inflammatory properties and almond milk for it’s magnesium content, which also has relaxing properties.