Poppy Seed Sleepy Time Tea

How to Make Poppy Seed Sleepy Time Tea

• SERVINGS: 1
• PREP TIME: 10 MINUTES
• COOK TIME: 20 MINUTES
• MEAL: DRINK
• STYLE: MIDDLE-EASTERN, AYURVEDIC
• PREPARATION: TEA, BOILED
• EAT IN: AUTUMN-WINTER
• FOR OCCASION: BED-TIME

CLINICAL AYURVEDIC REVIEW

Retreat into Sleep

Poppy Seed Sleepy Time Tea will gently lull you into a comforting dreamscape. Memories of insomnia drift into the shadows as you replenish your body and mind with this creamy navy-speckled tea. Imagine the comfort of snuggling beneath a soft blanket, pulling it up over your ears, and sinking into its peaceful warmth. This is the sensational calm offered by a steaming cup of Poppy Seed Sleepy Time Tea.

Nutty, grounding, and sweet, each element of this tea is carefully chosen to create the coziness you crave in early fall. Shiny, blue-black poppy seeds and rich nutmeg are quietly intoxicating, bringing your turning mind to a pleasant rest. Ground-up poppy seeds create an oil-rich paste that is dark & earthy, a substance that embodies night's stillness and nurturing yin. Aromatic cardamom and heating honey moves soothing warmth throughout your tired body. When steeped in rich whole milk, this tea becomes the soothing restorative you've been dreaming of for ages. The next time you can't sleep, pull on your favorite slippers, shuffle to the kitchen, and make a cup of Poppy Seed Sleepy Time Tea. You'll be drifting off to dreamland in no time.

Soothing Sleep Aid

Poppy Seed Sleepy Time Tea is an effective remedy for occasional and chronic insomnia. Sleeplessness becomes an issue in times of high stress, anxiety, transition, and the windy fall. Inspire the calm stillness of a winter's night, comfortably wrapped in the deep blackness of a new moon, with this sleepy time tea. Poppy seeds contain small amounts of opium alkaloids, while opium is derived from the milky sap of unripe poppy flower pods. The seeds contain much less of the narcotic alkaloids but are calming none the less. At such small doses, poppy seeds are a safe sedative that actually strengthen and calm your nerves, and were historically recommended tonics for pregnant women, nursing women, and children. When combined with nutmeg, another mild sedative, Poppy Seed Sleepy Time Tea becomes the ideal sleep aid for sleepless nights.

Strengthens and Restores

Poppy Seed Sleepy Time Tea is a serene tonic for those who feel chronically depleted and worn down. Poppy seeds are extremely rich in minerals and oils, and are known to restore the body. According to Chinese Medicine, their deep blue color indicates that they strengthen the kidneys, which is fundamental for building vibrancy and vitality. Since poppys contains moisturizing oils, adding them into your diet will nourish and tone your skin. Steeping your poppy seeds in nourishing milk increases this tea's tonifying abilities - called a "rasayana" in Ayurveda. An effective nourishing tonic such as this tea will relax your central nervous system, putting your body in "rest and digest" mode, so your body can use its energy to rebuild strength and resilience.

The added warmth of honey and cardamom helps those with weak digestion to enjoy all the comfort offered by this soothing tea. If Sleepy Time Tea still feels too heavy, add a pinch of ginger, or pippali (long pepper) to heat things up. Alternatively, use almond milk instead of cow's milk to lighten this drink.

Melt Your Worries

As fall moves in, evenings become cooler and cooler, while wind shakes dry leaves from the trees. Perhaps you hear dry branches scratching against your windowpane after a gust of wind, or maybe you hear the crunch of newly fallen leaves beneath your feet. The harsh, cool, and changing landscape brings disquiet to the mind, increase Vata dosha. Your fall mind is like the sapless leaves blowing in the wind: restless and unable to settle. Poppy seeds are known for their ability to strengthen and calm nerves, and melt away your worries and stress. Worry-filled fall nights are made for grounding Poppy Seed Sleepy Time Tea, which will wrap you in sensations of warm, soothing comfort.

Pain Relief

Poppy seeds are also known as a mild painkiller and muscle relaxant. Mildly sedative and analgesic, poppy seeds and nutmeg soften the harsh edge of chronic pain so you can relax enough to finally sleep. They are anti-spasmodic, meaning that poppy seeds have a special ability to allow muscles to relax, another element that helps soften muscle twitches, headaches, joint pain, painful digestion, and even toothaches. In fact, pain relief is the main use of poppy seeds in Chinese medicine.

Remedy for Diarrhea

Poppy seeds with nutmeg are an especially useful combination in diarrhea. Carminatives and appetizers like fennel seeds, saffron, and cardamom (our aromatic of choice in this recipe) address poor digestion, which is the root cause of deficiency-based diarrhea. When your body feels exhausted, the spleen can no longer sustain its "holding" function according to Traditional Chinese Medicine. The result is often diarrhea; your body can't retain stools long enough to absorb water and minerals. Poppy seeds are mildly astringent and high in fiber, enabling your colon to absorb more water from the stool. Deficiency diarrhea creates a dangerous loop - it creates more deficiency, which creates more severe insomnia. Since deficiency and insomnia go hand in hand, Poppy Seed Sleepytime Tea is an excellent remedy to break the cycle, helping you gain strength which will in turn improve sleep quality and absorption of your food.

Sometimes diarrhea is caused by hot, inflamed stomach and intestinal linings. The cold quality of this formula soothes these heat conditions, allowing you to digest your food, pain-free. Lastly, the antispasmodic properties of both poppy seeds and nutmeg helps relax intestinal cramping for comfortable peristalsis (the gentle wave of the intestines that moves a stool towards elimination). In Chinese medicine, poppy seeds are used to tonify and strengthen the large intestine which leads to improved digestion and better absorption.

Helpful for Cough

Harsh, dry coughs can harm the delicate tissues of the lungs over extended periods of time. The sedative and antispasmodic properties of this tea will relax and quiet your lungs, while plentiful oils will nourish injured lung tissue. Cardamom will improve circulation and ease difficult breathing while honey helps relieve congestion.

WHAT IS POPPY SEED SLEEPY TIME TEA?

Warm & relaxing. Aromatic cardamom balances the grounding tones of nutmeg and poppy seeds. This recipe is a gentle sedative if you are having a hard time falling asleep.

AYURVEDA'S GUIDE TO VITALITY & WHOLESOME NOURISHMENT

Your Ayurvedic diet is tailored to your individual body and your specific imbalances. With an Ayurvedic diet you feel joy and satisfaction because what you are eating truly nourishes and balances you. Disease results from diets and lifestyles that are incompatible with your nature. By eating a personalized diet matched to your body, you experience optimal health. See How it Works.