New Zealand days tend to be full. A morning walk before work, the commute, the desk, the school run, the dinner. By the time the evening actually arrives, slowing down takes a bit of help. T2's sleep collection is built around the botanicals that have belonged to evening rituals for centuries: chamomile, lavender, lemon balm, lemon myrtle. All naturally caffeine-free. All for the hour when the day is finally done.
What is a sleep tea?
Sleep teas are caffeine-free herbal blends made from botanicals with long traditions of evening use. Chamomile (Matricaria chamomilla) is the most widely recognised: its pale gold cup, apple-soft flavour, and low bitterness have made it central to bedtime rituals across Europe, the Middle East, and increasingly across the Pacific. Lavender adds a soft floral note with a slight herbaceous edge. Lemon balm (Melissa officinalis), a member of the mint family, has a gentle citrus character and has been part of night-time herbal traditions since the Middle Ages.
T2's sleep collection combines these botanicals in different proportions across a handful of distinct blends: from the plainly chamomile-only simplicity of Just Chamomile, to the layered botanical depth of Sleep Tight, to the more playful and floral Sweetest Dreams. The range is small because it doesn't need to be large. There are only so many ways to make a good evening cup.
The range
Sleep Tight is T2's signature evening blend: chamomile, lavender, and lemon myrtle, warm and softly floral, the most popular in the collection for good reason. It's available in loose leaf, tea bags, a 120g refill, and a tin for those who reach for it every night.
Just Chamomile is the purest option in the collection: a single botanical, clean and traditional, with nothing added. For anyone who wants exactly chamomile and nothing else, this is it.
Sweetest Dreams goes in a different direction entirely: candy-sweet and floral, lighter and more playful than Sleep Tight. The better choice for those who find straight chamomile too earthy.
Nighty Night brings lemon balm alongside chamomile for a more complex herbal cup, citrusy and slightly more green in character than Sleep Tight.
The Dreamer is softer and more aromatic, with a floral character that sits between the herbal depth of Nighty Night and the sweetness of Sweetest Dreams.
Red, Green & Dreamy is the most distinctive blend in the range featuring rooibos alongside the botanical blend, giving it a fuller body and a slightly different base.
How to brew sleep teas
Use freshly boiled water at 100°C. For loose leaf, measure one to two teaspoons per 250ml (8.5fl oz) cup. For tea bags, one bag per cup. Steep for 5–7 minutes. These botanicals are forgiving: a longer steep draws out more flavour without turning bitter, unlike green tea. Press the bag gently before removing to get the full character from the herbs inside.
All blends in this collection are best drunk without milk. Chamomile and lavender come forward more clearly without it. A small amount of honey works well in the chamomile-forward blends if you want a touch of sweetness. Brew while winding down, not in a rush.
