Chamomile with Lavender, Honey and a Splash of Warm Milk

This is chamomile brewed the way it is drunk at the end of the day in half of Europe and most of Latin America: strong, sweetened with honey, and here with a pinch of dried lavender folded in. There is no caffeine in any of it, which is the practical reason it belongs to the last hour before bed rather than to breakfast.

The lavender is there for the nose, not for any effect: a small pinch adds a cool floral top note over chamomile's apple-and-hay sweetness without making the drink taste medicinal. Too much and it tips into soapy territory.

Warming a splash of milk (dairy or oat) into the brewed tea adds body and richness, turning a simple herbal infusion into something that feels like a warm hug in a mug.

Make it the last thing you do before bed, at the same hour every night. What builds the habit is the repetition — the kettle, the saucer over the mug, the seven minutes of waiting — not anything in the flowers, and a cup with zero caffeine is the one you can repeat every single night.