Sleep

Good sleep is essential for vibrant health and vitality. Sleep is restorative and serves to promote growth and healing and improve energy reserves. We carry out tissue repair, hormonal synthesis, muscle growth and much more whilst we are asleep. It has also been observed that we are mentally more agile when we are well rested – memory recall improves and we are generally sharper. The processing and storing of memories occur during sleep. Brain cells build connections with other cells as a result of new experiences during sleep. Important connections may be strengthened and unimportant ones screened out during sleep.

Research has shown that sleep allows the brain itself to clear out or detoxify on a physiological level. Potentially neurotoxic waste products can be filtered out via a mechanism involving the recently named ‘glymphatic system’, which allows the exchange of solutes between the cerebrospinal fluid and interstitial fluid. This is facilitated by glial cells of the brain. b-Amyloid clearance, amongst other things, may be enhanced.

Lack of sleep has also been associated with a build-up of inflammatory mediators in the system, which in turn has been linked to serious chronic health issues. So, in a nutshell, sleep allows a lot of housekeeping to take place in both the central nervous system and the rest of the body.

Zen Maitri’s Deep Sleep Collection brings together a range of potent herbs that promote deep, restful, restorative sleep, in different forms – teas, tinctures, supplements, bath salts, essential oil blends.

There are many herbs – including all of those used in our Deep Sleep Collection that help promote deep, restful, restorative sleep. There is also a lot you can do by just adjusting unhelpful lifestyle habits. The following list is not comprehensive, but a correct combination of strategies can go a long way to improving sleep quality, especially if practised over a period of time.

• Only go to bed when you are sleepy.
• Exercise! Try to exercise in the late afternoon or early evening, but not right before bedtime. Physical exercise can help tire your body and encourage sleep.
• Avoid large meals, snacks and caffeine-containing drinks or alcohol during the evening. In fact, avoid caffeine in the afternoon or even entirely.
• While good hydration is important, avoid drinking lots of fluids before bedtime to limit midnight bathroom trips.
• The amino acid tryptophan helps promote sleep by increasing the levels of both serotonin and melatonin. Foods containing tryptophan include bananas, figs, dates, yoghurt, turkey, milk (the evening milky drink) and tuna.
• The amino acid tyramine can act as a stimulant by increasing the release of norepinephrine. Therefore, foods to avoid during the evening include bacon, cheese, chocolate, spinach, tomatoes and wine. Avoid these close to bedtime.
• Don’t smoke. Although smokers experience a relaxing effect from cigarettes, nicotine is a neurostimulant.
• Minimise your time spent staring at electronic devices and screens in the evening, including smartphones, tablets, and the television, and keep them entirely out of the bedroom. Also consider setting your devices to “night mode” after sundown, which filters stimulating blue light.
• Have a hot bath approximately an hour before bed. Consider using our Night time bath salts for this for an even more relaxing experience. Soaking in hot water with Epsom salts, herbs and carefully chosen essential oils will help relax tense muscles. You can also make a pint of really strong chamomile tea and add it to the bathwater, thereby soaking up all of the plant’s calming volatile oils.
• Napping in the day is OK if it is normal for you to do so and does not usually interfere with your night-time sleep.
• Develop a set of habits, or a pre-sleep routine, that gives your brain very specific signals that you are winding down to rest, and allows it to act accordingly.


If you are going to adopt some of the strategies listed above, do it as a routine rather than just trying it for a few nights and giving up. Keeping at it for months so that habits become established is the key to success. Specifically, going to bed at the same time every evening, if possible, and waking/setting your alarm for the same time every morning are really important aspects of this. Even if you wake feeling tired, get up anyway. Establishing the routine is the vital thing.

Difficulties sleeping are generally the surface symptoms of other things happening in your life, rather than a condition in their own right. There is an infinite possibility of herbal treatment options to encourage the body’s own sleep processes. Herbs like chamomile, hops, passion flower, skullcap, lavender, valerian or wild lettuce are often prescribed to promote relaxation and support sleep. Because insomnia and sleep difficulties are often multifactorial, herbs often work well together rather than in isolation.

Our Deep Sleep Tea – containing skullcap, passionflower, lemon balm, peppermint and wild lettuce – is a natural sleeping aid to help you unwind before bedtime. It promotes deeper, more restorative sleep and has been developed by our team of herbalists to help you fall and stay asleep. Whether you're restless, stressed, or simply in need of a wind-down before bed, this herbal blend of gentle sedatives and relaxing, calm-inducing plants will carry you off to a great night's sleep.

Our Deep Sleep Supplements contain a similar set of natural sedatives and relaxants, including vervain, chamomile, valerian, nutmeg, passionflower and ashwagandha. This tincture is ideal for anyone struggling with insomnia, agitation and/or circular thoughts in the evening and eases everyday sleeping problems. These supplements works to improve the quality of your sleep and helps mind and body unwind before bedtime. the same blend of herbs but dried and reduced into a powder and added to plant-based capsules.

We also carry a Deep Sleep Tincture, which contains the same herbs but as a tincture – whereby the active compounds of the herbs are extracted by macerating the plant materials into a mixture of water and alcohol for at least a few weeks. This tincture therefore shares very similar benefits with the supplements – it helps you to deeply relax before bedtime and to have more restorative sleep.

There are many herbs that can help ease anxiety and promote better sleep. They include:

• Ashwagandha: ashwagandha reduces stress while increasing sleep quality and duration. This powerful herb has been shown to alleviate stress and anxiety and help to foster a positive mental outlook.
• Vervain: another natural nerve tonic to help ease anxiety, tension, stress and digestive discomfort. Its relaxing action on the nervous system makes it an ideal sleep aid.
• Valerian: a powerful herb that can lessen anxiety and stress and promote better quality sleep. Valerian is also a mild pain reliever, easing tension headaches, muscle ache and digestive discomfort.

All three of these herbs and more can be found in our Deep Sleep Tincture and in our Deep Sleep Supplements.

Valerian is a very popular sleep herb – it has a very long tradition of use as a warming remedy that quells the nervous system while also relaxing muscle tension and spasms. There is also a growing body of clinical research backing its use as a sleep aid (particularly helping to improve the speed at which you fall into a deep sleep – or sleep onset latency), and showing minimal side effects. Valerian seems to be most effective when synergistically combined with passionflower, lemon balm and/or hops. Valerian, passionflower and other mildly sedative herbs can be found in our Deep Sleep Tincture and in our Deep Sleep Supplements.

Our Deep Sleep Supplements are made with powerful herbs and botanicals to help you unwind before bedtime. These natural sleep aids contain a soothing and relaxing blend of ashwagandha, vervain, valerian, chamomile, passionflower, lavender and nutmeg. The properties of these plants calm the mind and body and promote a restorative night’s sleep.

Diffusing some relaxing essential oils in your bedroom before going to sleep can be a very effective way to help yourself to drift off to sleep. Our Deep Sleep Essential Oil Blend combines four soothing and relaxing essential oils which create a restful environment before bedtime: lavender, Roman chamomile, rose geranium and vetiver. Add it to your aromatherapy routine and diffuse it in your bedroom in the evening to gently wind down and get yourself ready for a blissful night’s sleep.

There are many herbs that are deeply relaxing and mildly sedative, so they can be very helpful in supporting you to fall asleep but you may want to avoid taking them during the day. These include wild lettuce – a sedative that eases restlessness, eases pain and muscle tension and induces deep and restful sleep. Passionflower, valerian, hops and skullcap can also have this effect. That is why we only recommend taking products in our Deep Sleep Collection in the evening, shortly before you go to bed. Don’t drive or operate heavy machinery while taking sedative herbs until you’ve used them and know how they affect you.

There are many natural herbs that are very effective as natural sleep aids, including:

• Vervain: a natural nerve tonic to help ease anxiety, tension, stress and digestive discomfort. Its relaxing action on the nervous system makes it an ideal sleep aid.
• Valerian: a powerful herb that can lessen anxiety and stress and promote better quality sleep. It’s also a mild pain reliever, easing tension headaches, muscle ache and digestive discomfort.
• Passionflower: passionflower eases stress, tension and anxiety. It is one of the most well known plants to assist with inducing a deeper and more restful sleep, making it suitable for those who have difficulty falling asleep as well as staying asleep.
• Lavender: a delightfully fragrant relaxing herb. Not only does its calming scent reduce stress, but it also contains compounds that work to support a healthy digestive system and to promote restorative sleep.


All of these herbs and more are included in our Deep Sleep Supplements, which were crafted to help you unwind before bedtime and to promote a restorative night’s sleep.

As an adaptogenic, ashwagandha supports your resilience to mental and physical stress – it can ease tension and anxiety but it also helps rebuild energy levels and enhances stamina and physical endurance. It can be taken in the evening before bedtime to help you relax and fall asleep but it is not sedative, so it can also be helpfully taken throughout the day to restore adrenal health without causing drowsiness or sleepiness. You can take ashwagandha as herbal supplements, for example: consider our Ashwagandha Supplements, containing 100% powdered ashwagandha root in plant-based capsules.

Ashwagandha is a fantastic example of an adaptogenic herb. Adaptogens are herbs that can improve our physical and emotional resilience to any forms of stress, it helps to improve our energy and vitality and supports us in coping with challenging times. Ashwagandha has been used for thousands of years in traditional Ayurvedic medicine as an adaptogen and a rejuvenative tonic for the nervous system. It’s both energising and calming. It is often prescribed to soothe stress, anxiety, insomnia and depression. It promotes general wellbeing and enhances stamina and physical endurance, which makes it popular for athletes as well.

Ashwagandha can be taken in the evening before bedtime to help you relax and fall asleep but it is not sedative, so it can also be helpfully taken throughout the day to restore adrenal health without causing drowsiness or sleepiness.

You can take ashwagandha as herbal supplements, for example: consider our Ashwagandha Supplements, containing 100% powdered ashwagandha root in plant-based capsules.

Our Deep Sleep Tea is a natural sleeping aid to help you unwind before bedtime. It promotes deeper, more restorative sleep and has been developed by our team of herbalists to help you fall and stay asleep. This herbal blend of gentle sedatives and relaxing, calm-inducing plants includes skullcap, passionflower, lemon balm, peppermint, and wild lettuce. Whether you're restless, stressed, or simply in need of a wind-down before bed, this natural blend will carry you off to a great night's sleep. It’s been highly recommended by several of our clients and it’s one of our best sellers. See what they say:

• “Amazing blend! It really eases me into a good nights sleep. I have it often especially when I need a deep sleep. I highly recommend!”
• “I really enjoy this tea before bed - it’s very calming and often forms a core part of my evening wind-down routine. Really recommend it highly!”
• “Absolutely love this tea and so does my partner who never normally drinks herbal tea! It is delicious and calming and we often have a pot before bed.”