Sleep Aid and Anti-Anxiety Tincture

My husband wasn’t feeling well the other night and kept constantly sneezing. He asked for some drops of my Sleep Aid and Anti-Anxiety Tincture. It usually knocks him out within five minutes or so.

Valerian Root has NO effect on me, but it works very well on my husband and his parents. Herbs are interesting because they work so differently on each person.

Valerian is a common sedative, as is Skullcap. Neither affect me. I once brewed some Skullcap tea for someone I was dating…it totally knocked them out but I was still wide awake. Chamomile is a common sedative but it gives me a belly-ache. 

When I need a calming herb, I usually reach for Linden Flower (it makes a lovely tea and is thought to be safe during pregnancy, so I drank it frequently when I was pregnant).

It’s essential when working with herbs to listen to your body and observe your reactions very carefully…the smaller the dose the better to ensure you don’t have any adverse reactions (like Chamomile's affect on me). Here is my recipe for this particular batch of…

Sleep Aid and Anti-Anxiety Tincture

1.       Fill glass jar 1/3 full of Valerian Root.

2.       Pack in Lavender Flower buds until there is only 1/3 of jar remaining.

3.       Add Lemon Balm and Marjoram to the top of the jar.

4.       Pour in Brandy to the very tippy top of the jar.

5.       Put on lid.

6.       Shake.

7.       Label properly (VERY important, always include date).

8.       Place on shelf in a dark location for 6 weeks or more.

9.       Shake occasionally (I usually forget this part).

10.   Strain out tincture and discard plant material (I often don’t do this because the tincture becomes more potent with the plant material still remaining in it. Some folks don’t like the look…to each their own).

11.   Administer 40 drops or so in a beverage of choice (which is water for me).

It’s usually a good idea to only take this tincture when you can sleep for a while…otherwise you may feel groggy in the morning.

***A reminder….I’m not an MD, so have a chat with yours before taking any herbs or supplements. The info I am providing is for educational purposes only…Thank you! Hope this is helpful!!!