Banana peel – high in potassium and magnesium, which is important for sleep – is combined with a range of loose herbal teas to produce this homemade deep sleep tea recipe to help ease anxiety and stress and increase relaxation at bedtime to help you sleep well by falling asleep quicker, wake fewer times during the night and sleep for longer.
Disclaimer: This post is intended for informational purposes only. This is not intended to constitute or be a substitute for medical advice. Please consult a qualified practitioner if you have any questions regarding medical problems and before making any changes to your current diet or treatment plan. This post contains affiliate links, meaning at no additional cost to you I will earn commission if you click on a link and make a purchase. As an Amazon Associate I earn from qualifying purchases. See my full disclaimer here. First published 4 June 2021. Last updated 14 October 2022.
For other herbal tea recipes you may enjoy this Non Alcoholic Mulled Wine Tea and Homemade Liver Detox Tea.
Jump To Section:-
- Benefits of this deep sleep tea recipe
- Ingredients
- Equipment needed
- How to make sleepytime tea
- Recipe variations
- Storage
- Frequently asked questions
- Diet requirements
- Other healthy drink recipes
- Recipe card
Benefit Of This Deep Sleep Tea Recipe
Sleep is so vital for health. It:-
- Boosts our immune system,
- Improves mental wellbeing,
- Increases energy levels,
- Improves attention, concentration and memory,
- Helps balance blood sugar and hormone levels,
- Removes toxins from our body (1).
One thing I include in my nighttime routine to sleep better is drinking this herbal loose leaf banana skin tea 2 hours before going to bed. Just like there are best teas for digestion and gut health, there are specific herbal teas which have been shown to improve sleep, by helping to increase relaxation, ease anxiety and stress and provide my body with the nutrients it needs to sleep better and fight insomnia.
Related Post: 5 Step Nighttime Routine To Sleep Better (That Doesn’t Cost Anything!)
Ingredients
- Banana peel. Rich source of magnesium and potassium which improves sleep by helping increase relaxation and calmness (2). I avoid using the banana itself to prevent the sugar impacting my sleep. The riper the banana peel the stronger and sweeter the banana flavour.
- Lemon balm, lemon verbena and chamomile loose tea. These increase relaxation and ease anxiety and stress (3, 4, 5).
- Fennel seed (UK Link/US Link). Aids digestion to relieve any nausea at night and helps muscles relax (6).
- Ceylon cinnamon sticks (UK Link/US Link). Balances blood sugar levels, which allows you to fall asleep quicker, reduces how often you wake during the night and increases the amount of deep restorative sleep (7). Ceylon is higher quality than Cassia cinnamon (8).
Importance Of Loose Tea Rather Than Teabags
As a part of my transition to toxin free living, reducing the harmful toxins and chemicals I’m exposed to everyday, I’ve switched tea bags for loose tea. Teabags contain microplastics that leach into our tea and can harm our health in numerous ways, such as:-
- Disrupting hormones,
- Damaging the brain and nervous system,
- Causing reproductive problems,
- Contributing to asthma,
- Causing learning difficulties (9).
Loose tea is free from microplastics and has a stronger and better flavour (9).
Related Posts: 10 Tips For A Non Toxic Kitchen & 15 Easy Ways To Reduce Chemicals In Your Home
Equipment Needed
I ensure the equipment used is 100% ceramic, glass or stainless steel, rather than plastic, aluminium, copper or teflon. Aluminium, copper, plastic and teflon leach toxins and heavy metals into the tea when heated, which is harmful to our health and can impair sleep. 100% ceramic and glass are free from toxins and don’t leach heavy metals into drinks, while stainless steel is safer than aluminium, copper and teflon (10).
How To Make Sleepytime Tea
- Add the filtered water, banana peel and Ceylon cinnamon sticks to a small pan. Bring the water to a boil over a medium heat.
- Turn the heat off, then add the chamomile, lemon balm, lemon verbena and fennel seeds and leave to steep for at least 10 minutes (the longer you leave it the stronger the flavour).
- Strain through a tea strainer into a mug and serve.
Sleepy Tea Recipe Variations
The following loose teas can also be added or used as a substitute which have also been shown to improve sleep:-
Storage
Room Temperature
The tea can be left covered at room temperature for up to 8 hours.
Fridge
After being left to cool completely, it can be stored in a glass airtight container in the fridge for up to 2 days. It can be then be reheated in a small saucepan on a low heat until warmed through and the desired temperature is reached.
Freezer
The tea can also be stored in the freezer, however, the flavour of the tea will be noticeably weaker after defrosting and reheating it. To freeze the tea, leave it to cool completely. Then store it in a glass airtight container in the freezer for up to 3 months. Freeze the tea in 1 cup servings so you only have to defrost the desired amount of cups each time. Don’t fill the jar right to the top, allow a 1-2 inch gap at the top to allow the tea to expand as it freezes. Label each container with the name and date frozen so you know when to drink it by.
To defrost, transfer the jar to the fridge overnight or for at least 12 hours or leave at room temperature for at least 2 hours until thawed completely. It can be then be reheated in a small saucepan on a low heat until warmed through and the desired temperature is reached.
Frequently Asked Questions
I drink this tea 2 hours before going to bed and at least 1 hour after finishing dinner to avoid digestion and sleep being impaired. One tip to improve digestion is to avoid drinking liquids for 30 minutes before and up to 1 hour after meals as this can dilute digestive enzymes and impair our body’s ability to break down and digest food, while consuming too much liquid close to bed can cause us to wake up frequently during the night for trips to the bathroom. One of 10 healthy habits is to be in bed by 10pm as between 10pm and 2am is when the deepest and most restorative sleep occurs. Therefore, I aim to drink this tea around 8pm after finishing dinner by 7pm.
Although all the herbs used in this tea have been deemed safe for children, it is recommended to consult your child’s health provider before giving it to them to drink (11).
Diet Requirements
This sleepytime tea recipe is:-
- Gluten free
- Dairy free
- Wheat free
- Lactose free
- Soy free
- Egg free
- Nut free
- Grain free
- Nightshade free
- Refined sugar free
- Oil free
- Vegan
- Vegetarian
- Paleo and
- Whole30 friendly.
Other Healthy Drink Recipes
Tag Me In Your Sleepy Time Tea Recipe Creations On Social Media
I really hope you enjoy this homemade herbal banana peel tea for sleep. If you make it I’d love to see your creations and hear what you think. Leave me a rating and comment below and tag me on social media on Instagram, Facebook, Twitter, Pinterest & YouTube and also use the hashtag #lbhealthandlifestyle.
Recipe Card
Sleep Tea Recipe (With Banana Peel)
Ingredients
- 2 banana peels the riper the peel the stronger and sweeter the banana flavour
- 4 tsp chamomile loose tea
- 4 tsp lemon balm loose tea
- 4 tsp lemon verbena loose tea
- 1 tsp fennel seed
- 2 3-inch ceylon cinnamon sticks
- 2.5 cups filtered water
Instructions
- Add the filtered water, banana peel and Ceylon cinnamon sticks to a small pan. Bring the water to a boil over a medium heat.
- Turn the heat off, then add the chamomile, lemon balm, lemon verbena and fennel seeds and leave to steep for at least 10 minutes (the longer you leave it the stronger the flavour).
- Strain through a tea strainer into a mug and serve.
Notes
Nutrition
Lovely tea! I had it yesterday and slept great! Having it again tonight!
Thank you so much Tavo, I’m so glad to hear it helped you. I have it every night too!
Oh my! I am so happy I found your site. This is exactly what I need to get a good nights sleep. And it tastes delicious too!
Thank you so much Angela, that really means a lot. I’m so glad you enjoyed the tea and it helped you sleep better.
This was such a great tea recipe and has helped my daughter get a on a better sleep schedule! Excited to share this with friends and family!
Thank you so much for letting me know Beth. I’m so pleased to hear it’s helping your daughter sleep well. I hope your other family and friends enjoy it and benefit too!
This is such good info and looks delicious! Thanks for sharing! I hadn’t considered what was in tea bags themselves!
You’re welcome, thank you very much Grace! I’m so glad you found the post helpful.
Damn, I did not know that about tea bags! Will definitely be looking for loose leaf more often. This tea, though, is exactly what I need in my life to ease anxiety and help me sleep!
Thank you so much for your comment Dana. I’m so pleased this tea is helping your anxiety and sleep. I couldn’t believe it either when I first read about tea bags!
Thank you for this amazing recipe! I had this tea last night and it was amazing! It helped me sleep better through the night. Having it again tonight!
You’re welcome Jyoti, thank you so much for your kind comment and feedback. I’m so glad it helped you sleep better last night. I hope it continues to benefit you 🙂
This tea is perfect when I need to relax or when I have trouble sleeping. I will revisit it as needed. Thank you!
You’re welcome, thank you for getting in touch Artney. I’m so pleased this tea is helping you too!
I’m so glad I found this tea recipe! I’ve been looking for natural ways to relax and sleep better at night and this is just what I needed!
Thank you so much for your message Emily, I’m so glad this tea is helping you sleep better!
I love how natural and calming this tea is. It’s such a good way to relax and prepare for a good night of rest.
Thank you Jessica, I appreciate you getting in touch. I’m so pleased the tea is helping you. I hope you continue to enjoy it.