Does anyone know if there are any risk in drinking a special herbal tea that helps people sleep ?

4 responses so far ↓

• 1 Naka // Sep, 2008

  Yes it should be safe, this tea contains Valerian which is an herb that will help relax you. It's commonly used for insomnia. I've used Valerian and it's helped put me into a relaxed state.

  Plus, it's much better than taking sleeping pills.

  It the tea doesn't work for you, I suggest trying Melatonin. I use it when I find it hard to sleep. It's a supplement that you can find in the vitamin/supplement section of any drug store. Your body naturally produces Melatonin, so it's safe. However, I wouldn't suggest taking it every night.

• 2 taik // Sep, 2008

  OK, this tea is a combination of many different herbals including valerian root, passion flower, licorice, spearmint, chamomile, skullcap leaf, cardamom seed, cinnamon bark, st johns wart, rose hips, raspberry leaf, english lavender and stevia leaf. Because it is a herbal dietary supplement, it is not regulated by the FDA so there are never any guarantees with these things, but it is made by a reputable company so I would not worry about that. If you are taking any medications at all then a number of these ingredients could interfere with them and you should ask your doctor or pharmacist first. Otherwise it should be OK. Remember to never assume just because something is natural, it is safe. Another suggestion though…benadryl works wonders for me for sleep and it can be bought over the counter. If you prefer a more natural route, I would suggest melatonin. This is also over the counter and is a naturally occuring hormone in the body that helps regulate sleep cycles. If you want something natural go for that. Many studies have already been done on it and has been shown to be effective. I don’t think any studies have been done on this tea…none that I could find anyway, so you might as well go with something that has been researched.

• 3 ang_momof3 // Sep, 2008

  I drink teas like that all the time … while pregnant … nursing … or any other time, and I haven’t had any problems.

  On another note, you need to consider more than just drinking a tea. What I mean is that you need to avoid caffeine, at least after 2:00 p.m., if not completely. You also need to avoid sugar after 6:00 pm., if not completely. Also, make sure you are eating 3-4 healthy meals which contain protein, healthy fats, complex carbs, and veggies. I have had sleep problems for quite a while and am finally doing better.

  A beginning stage of hypoglycemia can cause sleep problems, which is why I recommended eating properly.

  Caffeine and sugar will get you “wired” and your heart racing, making it difficult to sleep - despite an herbal tea.

  I wouldn’t use the Benadryl because it can get addicting. I know a few people who are addicted to it, and you are too young to be doing something like that with your future ahead of you.

  Just because the FDA approves something does not make it “safe” or a better choice.

• 4 YA Junkie // Sep, 2008

  I once wrote a long email on insomnia. I have made some changes to it and pasted it below. It is so long that you might fall asleep reading it. If you have some problems that are running through your mind that make it hard to sleep, you might have to deal with those issues first.
  _______________________________________________________________________________

  Depending on the season, a warm bath is a great way to relax. If you can’t take a bath, you can give yourself a foot massage with slightly warm massage oil, sesame oil, or castor oil from a health food store.

  There are herbs that are helpful for sleep, eg, valerian root, kava kava, chamomile, hops, passion flower, skullcap. If you get the real herbs, you can make teas out of them. Otherwise get the herbs in capsule form. You can try a single herb or herbal combinations. Probably, valerian root and kava kava are the best. The Yogi tea that you mentioned sounds fine, but remember the comments made by Taik that it is not FDA approved.

  You can try 1 or 2 mg of melatonin, but I would avoid taking it for more than a month. It is a hormone produced by the pineal gland. If you keep taking melatonin, your pineal gland can get “lazy” and produce less melatonin naturally.

  What was very helpful to me, especially when my mind was racing, was to lie in bed and listen to relaxation CDs, especially those that contain someone speaking with relaxing music in the background. Many of these CDs are available on eBay for very low prices.

  A helpful technique is to relax your body one part at a time. So you could relax your feet, your lower legs, upper legs, moving up from your lower belly up to your chest, etc., etc.

  Of course, guided relaxation methods can help, imagining yourself in the country, the beach, or whatever is most soothing to you.

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