Why We Love California Poppy Extract

In the past year, the one thing that we’ve tried out and have recommended to everyone we know (and are always greeted with a concern) is California Poppy Extract. I know what you’re thinking…. OPIUM! DRUGS! RUNNNNNNNNNN! …. but you’re wrong. The Opium Poppy is what contains opium. The California Poppy contains…. California?

In any case, the California Poppy does act as a very, very mild sedative. The effect is similar to drinking a cup of chamomile tea before bed (and you can put it in your nighttime tea if you want), but if you have any nighttime anxiety, this is known to help a lot in getting you to relax before bed.

More importantly, taking 30-drops (in a small glass of water or tea) before bed will keep you asleep and in our experience, can give you some pretty lucid dreams. This is probably the result of sleeping so soundly. We’ve tested around with a few different brands and definitely prefer the Herb Pharm brand because it tastes the best (like licorice) and seems to work the best.

So really you could take this every night ( no, you won’t get “addicted”) but it’s especially good for those nights where you worked late, are stressed out, or can’t unwind enough to fall asleep. It won’t “knock you out” like NyQuil or Benadryl, but you’ll be able to relax enough to fall asleep and will certainly keep you asleep. And if you need to sleep for less hours, just take less drops.