Are Pukka Teas safe for teens?

[Meckity1]

Posting for traffic.

Son, who is thirteen, has a lot of issues going on, like huge list of stuff. One of which is insomnia. Is the Pukka Night Time tea safe for young teens? I read the ingredients and it contains Valerian.

Son is currently taking serious doses of paracetamol and I don't know how to google to see if that will interact with the Pukka Night Time tea.

We are doing the 'no screens before bedtime', strict routines, no caffeine (he doesn't really have it anyway), etc. We're just desperate, poor kid is falling apart.

Baths and showers can be difficult due to the physical issues he is having, and exercise is not really possible. He loathes the scent of lavender. Camomile tea wasn't as helpful as I hoped.

Thank you for your help.

Unsure on the tea thing but have you looked in to professional help with the insomnia. Most children hospitals have a sleep team which would happily look more in depth for you. They would be able to look at this things like routine, medication and other issues which might be affecting sleep like anxiety and pain

I use pillow spray that has lavender & vanilla in it, the main smell vanilla, would he smell a bit on a cloth & see if he likes it?

I honestly cant smell the lavender in it.

Just thought, weighted blankets are supposed to work & not hot.

I suffer only 5 nights a month, due to hormones but Im awake from 01.00 until its time for work,

I would look at the reviews for the blankets.

You can give Kalms tablets to 12 years and above and they are likely to have much more valerian than a cup of tea (although I don't know). Does the packet not say anything about suitability? Maybe consider Kalms. They're very good and always get a wonderful deep sleep from them and have given my 12 year old one on occasion. Maybe call a pharmacy to get advice on contraindications with paracetamol.

Yes to weighted blanket too! My insomniac son stole mine!

@Mumof1andacat I've started with the GP but there is loads of other stuff going on. He's coming down from the side effects of some prescribed painkillers. It may come to codeine next which I am incredibly worried about but will probably help with any insomnia. And the anxiety thing - I honestly think that there is some serious stuff going on but I don't have any way to unpick it and son is currently stalling any counselling. It's just if I could chip away at the insomnia then it would make the anxiety and memory issues a little easier.

@Arewehere thank you, I'll look into that.

I've just had a quick look at the British National Formulary (book used by docs & pharmacists for medication. It doesn't look like it interacts with paracetamol - I know it doesn't with me and I take codeine as well. You could have a quick chat with a pharmacist to set your mind at rest though.

@StirCrazy2020 I can pick up some Kalms in Tesco which has a pharmacy, so they can advise.

@Arewehere I've considered weighted blankets but he's bad for throwing blankets off in the night ever since he was a kid. It was a regular thing when he was a toddler, I'd automatically wake up in the small hours and put his blankets back on. But if it got him to sleep in the first place, that may help. Thank you.

@iklboo Thank you, that's really reassuring. I'm not educated in how to search properly for this sort of thing. I know from the bits I do know that it's easy to get misled on medical matters.

Codeine has an antidepressant effect which may actually be helpful (of course also has its own issues so not to be taken lightly) I've heard that were it not so addictive they'd prescribe it more for anxiety and depression. Hope your son is better soon.

Google drug interactions for paracetamol, the drug interactions valarian. Ignore websites that have natural in their title or refer to Marcola. But the proper information should be near top.
Never seen any warnings for pukka for children. We have had the Yorkshire Tea night time lately . It ihas decaf black tea, with vanilla nutmeg and lemon balm and lemongrass.
Clipper snore and peace has chamomile,lemonbalm and lavender

I know this is different, but I just wanted to say that when I have had 3 hours of sleep, I am really shaky, jittery, tearful & anxious the next day,

If I have a day off work, I actually avoid going out its so bad,

so I agree if he can sleep it might take a tiny edge of the anxiety away.

It doesn't look like there any interactions with paracetamol & valerian:

Pillow Spray

www.boots.com/feather-and-down-pillow-spray-10228385

The “This Works” pillow sprays are safe for teens, and the bath salts make me sleep like a log. I use the spray for my dc when they have problems switching off and they do work. Expensive, but effective.
If he needs high dose pain relief, is the pain itself stopping him sleeping ?

Poor boy. Sounds like he is going through a lot. Have you looked into children’s melatonin?

What physical issues?

@bruffin That Yorkshire Tea sounds great and worth a try.

@Arewehere thank you for the link. I'll see about getting that and the one suggested by @SirVixofVixHall

@SirVixofVixHall the pain is probably part of the issue.

@Mutedgrey I'm not sure that I could get that without a prescription. The GP recommended night time routine, lack of screen time etc but we were already doing that. I need to give it more time before getting back to them.

@MitziK Extreme muscle and joint pain. It took me five years to get the doctors to go beyond the usual 'growing pains' stuff, finally got a referral. The consultant proactively prescribed stronger NSAIDs (is that the word - same family as ibuprofen) so he could cope with the physio. He had one session of physio before lockdown and suffered really badly with side effects from the painkiller and also the replacement painkiller that was prescribed by GP. He tells me he can't remember the extemely vital exams he had in February.

Of course, there's a certain laziness going on, and I need to keep on at him for all sorts, but it's bad.

So I thought that I would work through the home remedies for insomnia to see if I could at least take that out of the equasion.

There is (albeit sponsored by the manufacturer) clinical evidence that Horlicks aids sleep, although there is some evidence that any (caffeine free) hot drink works by lowering the core body temperature.

I always recommend this:

www.amazon.co.uk/Sound-Asleep-Babies-Baby-Sleep/dp/1847111092?tag=mumsnetforu03-21

It's a CD of classical music designed by a GP that matches the tempo of the music to the rate of brainwaves when awake then gradually slows to match the rate as you fall asleep. There is a discontinued adult version but it is exactly the same, just different pieces. It's best to listen to it in bed using a speaker, not headphones.

I would also suggest that you don't discount the power of placebos. You might want to consider giving him a multivitamin but telling him that it is an "OTC sleep aid that has been recommended to you by your GP". The more he believes it will work, the more likely it will, so try to be positive about it (and anything else you try).

DO NOT give him codeine as a PP suggested, that is possibly one of the most irresponsible ideas I have ever read.

The other thing that is really good is exercise. I appreciate he has physical issues but anything that makes you tired is good. Are you going out for exercise during lockdown, even just a walk? Try going out after dinner for a walk.

I don't think valerian in tea is an issue - it's a very low dose. (or there would be big warnings or sold as medicine with package leaflet).
have you tried the classic warm milk& honey? or fennel tea? bath with epsom salt (or a magnesium supplement if he doesn't like baths)

Have they looked at Fibromyalgia?

Has he ever been tested for Glandular Fever? I got awful post viral chronic fatigue for 2 years after, with brain fog.

The only thing that works for me is sleep meditations. I have tried everything else and nothing works. Have had insomnia since I was young. I am on codeine at the moment and that hasn't helped either. I use Insight Timer (free and am not associated with them).

I have since learned I cannot sleep in silence. It triggers my anxiety

Ps. Exercise doesn't work for me at all either and I also have physical issues that prevent me doing anything but swimming. I can be exhausted but my brain will not switch off

Cars go bonkers for the pukka night time tea bags because of the valerian.