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This natural sleep tincture recipe is made with some of my favorite herbs. It’s naturally relaxing, calming, and great for a better night’s sleep. We don’t need it often, but if I’ve got a sick kiddo, or we’re traveling and schedules are crazy, this is the one I reach for.
And it doesn’t just work for kids. Adults who struggle with sleepless nights and anxious feelings can also benefit from a sleep tincture.
A tincture simply extracts the health benefits from herbs into a concentrated liquid form. If you’ve ever tried “sleepy time tea” and felt more relaxed and had better sleep, a tincture can work even better. Tinctures rely on alcohol to extract and preserve the beneficial components of the herb.
This is my basic tincture process. If you have an herb garden you already have a lot of the ingredients! I rely on tinctures for a wide variety of complaints, like tummy troubles, colic, teething, sore throats, or as a multivitamin. I even have one I like to use for postpartum care.
If you want to skip the alcohol, you can make a glycerite or herbal-infused vinegar instead. These don’t have as long of a shelf life but will still last several years.
A popular strategy is to put the alcohol tincture dose in a cup of steaming hot water and allow it to evaporate some before drinking. However, this only decreases the alcohol a tiny amount and you lose the volatile oils and some other constituents in the process, according to the USDA.
Each herb in this blend has a unique role to play. Here’s what each herb does and why I chose it for my sleep tincture recipe.
Yarrow helps increase circulation in the body and has an affinity for the blood. When circulation is working optimally, the body can better deliver the nutrition it needs to different areas.
Catnip is a nervine and sedative that helps calm and relax. The active ingredient in catnip is similar to the sedatives found in valerian root. It was used as far back as medieval times as a strengthening tonic.
Chamomile is a gentle, yet powerful nervine that soothes and calms. It’s helpful for restlessness, crankiness, and anxious feelings.
Stevia is a super sweet herb, about 200 times sweeter than sugar, according to a 2019 article in the journal PNAS. We’re using it here for the flavor, though it can be omitted if desired.
Oats help restore the nervous system, especially in times of stress, to rebuild energy and stamina. They help build resilience and induce rest, which in turn can boost libido. This relaxing herb addresses anxious feelings and sleeplessness and is a great addition to a sleep tincture.
You can even use oats to reduce night sweats, hot flashes, and mood swings during menopause (which can interrupt sleep). Our family also used it to help stop bedwetting.
Both the stem and the milky, immature oat top are rich in minerals and nutrients including:
Rich in minerals and vitamins, peppermint is a delicious addition to foods, like this healthy peppermint mocha. Mint helps to stimulate digestion, improves circulation, and supports toning and cleansing the liver. It both relaxes and stimulates the nervous system to help with tension and anxious feelings. So mint can calm you down while it gives a pick-me-up feeling.
Hops were used by indigenous tribes and the Arabic world for centuries before they became a popular addition to beer brewing. They help induce sleepiness and even King George III was rumored to have slept on a hops stuffed pillow for sweet dreams. Most of the evidence on hops shows it works as part of a blend of herbs.
Tinctures have been safely used in herbal remedies since ancient times and are still widely used today.
There are as many uses for tinctures as there are herbs, but make sure to research carefully before creating a new concoction. Just because something comes from nature doesn’t mean it is safe to concentrate and ingest! Quite the opposite sometimes, actually.
This sleep tincture recipe contains a blend of herbs I’ve used successfully for years. There are a few safety considerations though.
Herbs are largely safe options, but not every herb works for every person. That’s one reason why I keep a variety of herbs in my DIY herb cabinet. The following information comes from The Herbal Academy, registered herbalist David Hoffman, and herbalist and Yale-trained doctor Aviva Romm, MD.