Bulk Herb Store

Herbal Mixes: Snooze Tincture

Contains: Lemon balm, catnip, chamomile flower, passionflower, oatstraw, hops

The most useful and appreciated remedy in our house is called Snooze Tincture. There’s a bottle of it in every room. It goes on every trip with us. Snooze Tincture is a combination of herbs that are both good for you and calming. These herbs have no negative effect on my children, no addicting properties, and no side effects. This valuable tincture is easy to make, so the last time I made a batch, I recorded the process for any moms out there that have... normal children!

I find that this tincture seems to soothe my babies’ tummies when they have colic, and it also has a calming effect on my older children. As mentioned in the Emotional Remedies section of The ABC Herbal, the combination of nervine herbs such as these can work miracles after an emotional upset or stressful experience. Adults and children can quickly regain their calm and feel noticeably better only minutes after taking this tincture. The premix does NOT include valerian root because it is can be too strong for small children. If you are making this tincture for adults, purchase valerian herb separately and add to the pre-mix. Hops herb tastes BAD, so this mix is not as good as a tea.

Lemon Balm: Antibacterial, and antiviral. Lowers fevers, relaxes spasms, improves digestion, mildly sedative.
Catnip: is one of the traditional cold and flu remedies. It is an excellent diaphoretic, and its ability to induce sleep while producing perspiration without increasing the heat of the system makes it a valuable drink in any case of fever. Owing to its gentle nature, Catnip is highly prized in the treatment of children’s ailments.
Chamomile: Anti-inflammatory, antispasmodic, nervine, and anti-allergenic. Mild sedative, soothes the nervous system, treats allergies, rheumatism, arthritis, swellings, intestinal and menstrual cramping. Good for fevers, sore throats, aches and pains.
Passionflower: is one of the best herbs for chronic insomnia, having no addictive effects and allowing you to awake refreshed and alert in the morning. It has been used as a mild sedative and to treat pain and imbalances of the nervous system. Besides being an excellent herbal sedative, passionflower relieves smooth muscle spasms.
Oatstraw: Antidepressant, diuretic, carminative, and nutritive. High in nutrients, regulates blood sugar, improves digestive system, eases tension, and chronic pain.
Hops: Relaxant, antiseptic, and anti-inflammatory. Relieves nervousness, asthma, head-aches, toothaches, lowers fevers, promotes sleep without hindering alertness. Contains some estrogenic activity.

As mentioned in the Emotional Remedies section of The ABC Herbal, the combination of nervine herbs such as these, can work miracles after an emotional upset or dramatic / stressful experience. Adults and children can quickly regain their calm and noticeably feel better only minutes after taking this tincture.

Directions

Day 1:
* Fill a quart jar 1/3 full of the premixed herbs.
* Top off jar with vodka, screw on lid.
* Keep in a dark and cool place for 2 weeks. Shake mixture once a day.

Days 11-13
* Fill crock-pot 1/3 full of the premixed herbs. (If you have any left over, or don’t want to make such a huge batch, you can keep the extra premixed herbs in an air tight bag, clearly labeled for up to a year. I make a huge batch to give away to friends and family.).
* Pour hot water over herbs, mixing with a spoon, until herb mix is damp - not soaked.
* Pour glycerine over herbs until crock-pot is full (Appr. 1 inch from rim), stir well, and cover with lid. This will take about 2 quarts of glycerine; don’t worry if it takes a little more or less.
* Heat on low for 3 days. Stir occasionally.

NOTE: If your crock-pot gets too hot on low, the herbs will smell like they are "cooking" and turn dark and strong smelling within 24 hours. This will not ruin the tincture, but it does speed up the process, and may not be quite as effective as a slow heat. My crock-pot got too hot, so after 42 hours, I went ahead and strained the mixture, and it was fine. You can also water bath the herb mixture by putting the herb/ glycerine mixture in a jar with lid, in hot water on the stove for 3 days. The idea is to break down the herbs so that the properties are in the glycerine. You have succeeded when the mixture becomes dark and strong smelling.

Day 14
* Strain your vodka/herb tincture through cheesecloth, removing all the herb particles. The remaining liquid should be brown. Set pulp aside.
* Strain the glycerine tincture while it is still warm, so that the glycerine is very fluid. Set pulp aside.
* Take the herb pulp from both mixtures and place it in pressure cooker with just enough water to saturate it. Pressure the pulp for 10 minutes. Note: This step is optional if you don’t have a pressure cooker.
* Strain the pressure cooker pulp and throw away the pulp.
* Mix the 3 different tinctures together and allow it to cool to room temperature.
* Pour into quart jars for storing or into tincture bottles if you have them. Label, and keep in a dark, cool place. This mixture, including the alcohol tincture should be good for up to 3 years. Without the alcohol, a year is the standard life expectancy.
* Make sure to label your jars clearly with the contents, the date, and your name.

NOTE: Many people make only a glycerine tincture, or only an alcohol tincture. Each process is valuable and abstracts properties from the herbs that the other method may not be as successful in abstracting. Finally, the pressure cooker abstracts even more. I like to do all three and mix them for a stronger final result. I tested the mixture on myself before I gave it to my children. I discovered that 3 droppers full sent me to sleep pretty quickly. 1 dropper for my baby, and up to 2 droppers for my 4 year old.

For more information on making tinctures using alcohol or glycerine, see the Preparing Remedies page. The following books have been our best references on making our own tinctures at home over the years:

• Herbal Antibiotics for making alcohol and glycerine tinctures
• Practical Herbalism for making alcohol tinctures
• The ABC Herbal for making glycerine tinctures
• The How to Herb Book for making alcohol tinctures

From Our Reading and/or Experience...

• The Sleep Sweet Tincture can be used to benefit men, women (including before, during or after pregnancy, and nursing), and children.
• It can be used as often as you would like, and in any way you choose.
• As is the case with most herbs, this mixture should be stored in a dark, dry, and cool place. Refrigeration or freezing is great, but certainly not necessary. Following these suggestions will delay the loss of its highly valued nutritional and medicinal properties.
• Follow the same instructions for storage after you make it into a tincture. We do not use any bottles in particular, but recycle empty glass bottles, whenever possible.
• An alcohol tincture (extract) doesn't taste the greatest but is the most effective way to draw out the goodness of the herbs, and are the easiest to make. For those two reasons alone, alcohol tinctures are the industry standard in all ready-made store bought tinctures. They also keep the longest (at least 2 years).
• Glycerine tinctures (or glycerites), though not as effective, are much more palatable with their sweet flavor. However, they will only keep for up to one year or so.
• A combination of both alcohol and glycerine has the benefits of both (effectiveness, sweet flavor, and longer shelf life).
• This dry herb mixture can be brewed into a tea. It's not as effective as the tincture, but it can help nonetheless.
• The mixture could be ground up into powder and encapsulated, as some folks simply prefer capsules.

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