SLEEP TIGHT

Sleepless nights can leave us physically depleted and cranky. Pukka Teas may offer the perfect natural solution.

What are the keys to a sleep-enhancing tea?

Natural herbal drinks can support and encourage the mind and body’s natural processes before and during sleep. Whether you are trying to adapt to a new sleep pattern, or just need to get a good night’s rest, there is a vast range of herbs that have a longstanding use for nourishing the nervous system and helping us relax. Our approach to sleep at Pukka Herbs is based on nourishing remedies rather than short-term knockouts. We use herbs in our tea blends that calm but also have tonic, rejuvenating or adaptogenic effects to build up your long-term sleep capacity.

What flavours or herbs are beneficial in sleep-enhancing teas?

Pukka Herbs is inspired and led by the wisdom of Ayurveda, the ‘science of wellbeing’ developed in India over 5,000 years ago. Thus, many of the plants included in our tea blends come from the Ayurvedic tradition. Six tastes are recognised in Ayurveda: sweet, sour, salty, pungent, bitter and astringent. Sweet is considered most grounding, nourishing and calming in its effect. As well as energetically ‘sweet’ herbs, such as licorice and oatflower, other herbs with a sweet element include cardamom, cinnamon, coriander, fennel, mint, nutmeg, saffron and vanilla. Try a warming cup of Pukka’s Three Cinnamon tea or sprinkle some over your pre-bed bowl of porridge and drift off peacefully. pukkaherbs.com

Jo Webber is Pukka’s Head of Herbal Education. She is also an Ayurvedic practitioner and yoga teacher.