Calm & Sleep
Looking for a natural sleep aid that isn't just another chamomile capsule? These are three of the oldest herbal formulas for the evening, pressed into high-strength herbal sleep tablets. Pick one below, or let us point you to the right one.
Which sounds most like your evenings?
Not sure? Drop us a line
3 formulas
Best seller
Restore the Spleen Decoction
4.8 · 10 reviews
Worry and tiredness tend to travel together, and this one's been paired with both since 1253. Gentle and warming. A real favourite with our regulars.
Key herbs: Astragalus, longan fruit, night-joining vine, ginseng
Evening formula
Peaceful Sleep Tablets
5.0 · 1 review
Our modern evening formula. Calming barks and vines, plus that rather honest name.
Key herbs: Silk tree bark, night-joining vine, red sage, polygala
Ming classic
Heavenly Emperor’s Heart Formula
4.0 · 4 reviews
Cool and nourishing. Herbalists have turned to it since the Ming dynasty for nights when you feel hot and your head won't quieten down.
Key herbs: Rehmannia, silk tree bark, asparagus root, lily-turf root
Side by side
| Compare | Gui Pi Tang | Tian Wang Bu Xin Dan | Te Xiao An Mian Pian |
|---|---|---|---|
| First recorded | 1253, in the Song dynasty | 1638, Ming dynasty | A modern recipe |
| Best known for | Worry that comes with tiredness | A hot, busy mind at night | Winding down in the evening |
| Main herbs | Astragalus and longan, with a little ginseng | Rehmannia and silk tree bark | Silk tree bark and night-joining vine |
| How it feels | Warm, nourishing | Cool and nourishing | Settling |
| Daily serving | 6 tablets (3 morning, 3 evening) | Same as Gui Pi Tang | Same again |
The thinking behind it
Here's the idea, and we think it's a lovely one. Traditional Chinese herbalists believed the mind, which they called the Shen, lives in the heart. During the day it's out and about. At night it's meant to come home and settle, and that's when you drift off.
To settle, the theory goes, it needs something to hold on to: good blood and plenty of cool, calm Yin. Run low on either (a few long weeks will do it) and the Shen wanders about instead of resting. Sound familiar?
That's why none of these formulas leans on a single "sleepy" herb. They nourish first, and the calm comes along with it.
What's inside
A handful of herbs pop up in evening formulas again and again. Honestly, half the fun is in the names.
夜交藤
Ye Jiao Teng, literally "vines that intertwine at night"
Someone, centuries ago, noticed the stems wrapping round each other after dark. The name stuck. So did the herb.
Found in: Gui Pi Tang and Te Xiao An Mian Pian
合欢皮
He Huan Pi, or "collective happiness bark"
The silk tree folds its leaves up every evening, as if it's turning in for the night. Its bark has been an evening herb for as long as anyone can remember.
Found in: Tian Wang Bu Xin Dan and Te Xiao An Mian Pian
远志
Yuan Zhi, meaning "far-reaching will"
The quiet thread through the whole collection. It's in all three formulas, which tells you how highly herbalists rated it.
Found in: All three formulas
龙眼肉
Long Yan Rou, "dragon's eye flesh"
Cut one open and you'll see why it got that name. Sweet and nourishing, it's a big part of why Gui Pi Tang feels so gentle.
Found in: Gui Pi Tang
Just so we're clear, this is about how these herbs have traditionally been used. Our tablets are food supplements, mind. Not medicine.
Your evening
Herbal sleeping aids work best alongside a few good habits. Nothing fancy here, and the NHS says much the same.
Verified Loox reviews
"I’ve become a regular as it’s exactly what my body needs"
"Feels potent!"
"Exactly as described and fast delivery"
Have a go at the little quiz up top first. Busy head and tired body? Most people land on Gui Pi Tang. If you get hot and restless at night, have a look at Tian Wang Bu Xin Dan, and if you'd just like something for the evening, Te Xiao An Mian Pian. Still stuck? Drop us a line and we'll help you choose.
We'd love to say yes, but you're the best judge of that. What we can tell you is they're 5:1 strength, made from DaoDi herbs, and the recipes have been in use for centuries.
No. Prescription sleeping tablets are medicines. Ours are herbal food supplements based on traditional recipes, so they aren't meant to treat any medical condition.
Three tablets in the morning and three in the evening, with water. People are often surprised by that one. Traditionally you'd spread them across the day, not just knock them back at bedtime.
Basically, anything plant-based rather than made in a lab. Ours are whole herbal formulas, vegan and gluten-free, with only what's needed to press the tablet added.
Have a quick word with your GP or pharmacist first, honestly, particularly if anything you take is for sleep or blood pressure. And the same if you're expecting or breastfeeding.
Ten days. There are 60 tablets in a bottle and the serving is six a day. If you know you'll stick with it, the 6-bottle pack works out cheaper.
Learn with Aura
Just so we're clear: food supplements aren't a replacement for a varied, balanced diet and a healthy lifestyle, and they aren't meant to diagnose, treat or cure anything.
