Step to health is one of my latest discoveries . It is a site where I can read, enjoy and learn about tea time. I decided to use some of its material with  my English students. I´ll share it with you.

Teas to help you sleep

1) The best way to benefit from their relaxing properties is to drink a small amount right before going to bed.

La mejor manera de beneficiarse con las propiedades relajantes de un té, es beber una pequeña cantidad antes de acostarse.

2) In supermarkets, you can buy any type of plant already made to make tea.

En los supermercados puedes conseguir cualquier tipo de té, ya listo para tomar.

3) However, we recommend drinking them in their natural form. The majority of the plants are easy to grow in a flower pot.

Sin embargo, recomendamos beber los tés en su forma natural. La mayoría de las plantas crecen fácilmente en una maceta.

4) Making teas to help you sleep is very simple:

Preparar los tés para ayudarte a dormir es muy simple

• First, heat a cup of water (250 ml) until it boils. Calentar una taza de agua hasta que hierva
• Add whichever plant you prefer, it can be fresh or dried. Agregar cualquiera sea la planta que te guste. Puedes usar hojas secas o frescas.
• Let it sit for 10 minutes. Déjalo reposar por 10 minutos
• After 10 minutes, turn off the heat and let it sit for a couple of minutes. Pasados los 10 minutos, apagar el fuego y dejarlo descansar por unos minutos más.
• You can add honey to sweeten it. Puedes agregar miel para endulzarlo.
• Enjoy it with small sips. Disfrútalo bebiendo pequeños sorbos

What are the best plants to use to make a tea to help you sleep?

Cuáles son las mejores plantas para preparar un té que lo ayude a dormir?

Although the most common thing to do is make a tea with just one medicinal plant, a mixture of various plants increases its relaxing properties.

A pesar de que acostumbramos hacer tés de una sola planta medicinal, 

Chamomile and Tila

If you are suffering from insomnia due to poor digestion, the mixture of these plants will solve the problem.

Tila is known for being a natural sedative which is highly recommended for relaxation and for relieving tension.

As for chamomile, it calms stomach problems and helps with digestion. Also, it has anti-inflammatory, antibacterial, and sedative properties.

2. Lemon Balm Tea

Lemon balm, or Melissa, has an acidic aroma. Using its flowers and leaves to make teas helps one get a deep sleep.

It is also used in aromatherapy because of its calming properties and its antispasmodic functions.

3. Mint Tea

Due to its strong and pleasant smell, it is often utilized in aromatherapy. It is also recommended to treat cases of anxiety and special cases of stress.

Since it contains anti-inflammatories and sedatives, it is a great way to get a better night’s sleep.

4. Mixture of passion flower and valerian

There are some types of intermittent sleep that are the result of nightmares or worries that wake us up in the middle of the night and inhibit our ability to rest.

In this case, drinking passion flower and valerian tea will help you say goodbye to this condition.

• Passion flower contains natural anxiolytics and acts as a natural tranquilizer.
• Valerian is one of the best known natural sedatives. Although its taste is not very pleasant, it induces sleep and reduces nervousness.

Tea recommended for older adults

For older adults who cannot get a deep and long sleep, we recommend the following tea.

Ingredients

• 2 cups of water (500 ml)
• 1 tablespoon of Melissa leaves (10 g)
• 2 tablespoons of valerian root (20 g)
• 1 teaspoon of mint leaves (5 g)
• 1 teaspoon of honey (7.5 g)

Preparation

• Heat the water and, once it starts to boil, add all of the ingredients. Let sit for 10 minutes, stirring occasionally.
• After 10 minutes, strain it.
• Add the honey and separate the tea into different proportions so that you can drink it after dinner and right before bed.

If your sleeping disorder is the result of mild depression, prepare the following drink.

Ingredients

• 2 cups of water (500 ml)
• 1 tablespoon of fresh valerian leaves (10 g)
• 1 tablespoon of valerian root (10 g)
• 1/2 tablespoon of fresh rosemary leaves (5 g)
• 1 tablespoon of fresh Melissa leaves (10 g)
• 1 tablespoon of honey (25 g)

Preparation

• Pour half a liter of cold water over the ingredients of this mixture.
• Let sit for 12 hours, stirring once in a while.
• After 12 hours, strain and then sweeten with the honey before drinking it. We recommend drinking it 15 minutes before going to bed.

All of these teas are very beneficial for the body since they help to release toxins and they contain sedatives. These inhibit the nervous interactions that cause sleeping disorders.
If you want me to share some English exercises about teas, let me know.