I've tried Chameleon and Valyrian root tea blends before thinking they might make good sleep aids, but I've never had any luck with them. A lot people say they find those very relaxing, but I wasn't even catching a placebo effect.
So for a while I just assumed all this herbal tea bullshit I see in stores and pharmacies must be just a step above homeopathic products. They're probably pretty good if you like the taste of the herbal blends and find sipping a warm beverage relaxing in itself, but otherwise a waste of time. Clearly if they really worked they wouldn't be sold in large supermarket chains. Instead they'd be relegated to the weird, near grey market status that Kratom seems to exist in, right?
Today at the store I just happened to notice something very alarming. A box of Kava blend tea was the absolute one and only herbal tea variety on the shelf to include a warning asking you to consult your doctor before use, and stating that minors and pregnant women should not consume this product.
Well, that warning instantaneously lit up the junkie addict center of my brain like a Christmas tree, and I impulse bought two boxes. This might have major negative health consequences? Wow, must be the fucking good stuff. I got home and brewed six of them into a single mug of tea, and yep, this shit is psychoactive all right. Subtle, but definitely not placebo subtle. It quite honestly feels similar to a moderate dose of Gabapentin, and it's making me sleepy.
I sure wish I knew this before I most likely took 15 years off the lifespan of my kidneys by using 200mg of Diphenhydramine every night for years just to have a fighting chance at falling asleep more often than every two days.
I've been taking it for a couple years now and it's really nice. To avoid dependence I only take it every two or three days, but honestly for me it's not even as addictive as weed, which it helped me stop (I was smoking nonstop every day, now I have maybe a dab every 2 or 3 weeks). Nice subtle tingly high, makes you feel light and airy, eases pain both physical and emotional. Takes away my depression for a bit. It's not something you can really get wrecked off of, it just kind of...makes your day nicer.
Oh, and it amplifies the effects of alcohol, so if you're safe about it you can also use it to get drunker for cheaper.
I do gotta say you can def get wrecked on just the leaf. I had an outing with my college and took some and had to throw up on the side of the road. As long as you dose low though and not like a junkie like me you'll be fine.