"Stinky boots!", I exclaim, offering the open bag to our newest, bright young team member. "It helps you sleep!"
"It doesn't smell so bad", he states after a brief whiff. I'm a touch disappointed. I usually get a more satisfying reaction than that.
"Hold a tick, you didn't get a good smell. Try this", I open the bag slightly wider and offer again. Poor Jonah enthusiastically puts his whole face in the bag and before I can warn him otherwise, he reels backward.
"Augggh!!!", he cries.
Oops. Too far.
"There we go!", I exclaim, nervously.
"What is it?", he asks, horrified.
Valerian root. The best and worst thing that ever happened to lovers of sleep.
Natural sedative.
Divine sleep.
Yes, please!
And, well, it smells a little like... you guessed it...
Stinky boots.
And then God created lavender and lovers of sleep breathed a sigh of relief.
I know I certainly did.
At the beginning of 2020, I tasked myself with creating a sleep tea. With some extensive research, I realised pretty quickly that valerian root had to be a key ingredient.
My challenge was to make the tea taste and smell good while still working its sleepytime magic.
The taste aspect wasn't a challenge. Lavender mixed with lemongrass, jasmine, and licorice root is heaven's brew. The Australian lavender is sweet and fresh, licorice root is sweet and rich, jasmine reminds me of freshly baked bread, and lemongrass adds that ping to balance it all out.
Combine it all together with just enough valerian root and it's comfort in a cup.
Followed by blessed sleep.
Sounds good to me.
The key is "just enough" valerian root. Too much and the smell will knock you out. Not enough and sleep may elude you.
And it took 12 months of experimenting and a big fat year of COVID to get it all right.
The lavender was key for the smell aspect. We managed to get some grown in country Victoria, Australia, harvested just a few weeks back. Smells divine.
Which is why I am SUPER excited to announce the release of Tielka's newest and latest tea, designed specifically for sleep: Lavender Moon.
Here's a lowdown on how the ingredients in Lavender Moon work to support your sleep:
Valerian Root
Often referred to as "nature's Valium". Best known for supporting sleep and easing anxiety. Seems to be most effective when you take it continuously for a couple of weeks.
Lavender
It's all about the calm, people. You know it already. Lavender reduces stress and anxiety which is definitely needed if you're hoping to get a good night's sleep in this crazy life.
Jasmine Flowers
According to researchers from Ruhr Universität in Bochum, Germany, "instead of a sleeping pill or a mood enhancer, a nose full of jasmine from Gardenia jasminoides" can help with sleep. They have discovered that the two fragrances Vertacetal-coeur (VC) and the chemical variation (PI24513) have the same molecular mechanism of action and are as strong as the commonly prescribed barbiturates or propofol (sleep/anxiety drugs).
Nice.
On a side note, jasmine is a natural aphrodisiac, so sleep may have to wait a little first. Wink. Wink. Nudge. Nudge.
Lemongrass
Known mostly for its antioxidant properties and it's thought to reduce pain and inflammation. Definitely helpful for supporting sleep. Plus it tastes amazing.
Licorice Root
Similar to lemongrass (for the sake of this topic). Tastes amazing too.
Conclusion
Well, that's pretty much it.
The best night ever is waiting for you, my darling. Wink. Nudge.
Time to get cracking with some Lavender Moon.