Dragonfly Sleepy Mint & Honeybush: Bedtime Blend

Dragonfly Sleepy Mint & Honeybush: Bedtime Blend

Dragonfly Sleepy Mint and Honeybush is an organic, caffeine-free bedtime blend. What honeybush is, how it differs from rooibos, and how to brew it well.

Published 27 Jan 2026 Curator-written, not crowdsourced

Sleepy Mint and Honeybush, in summary: Dragonfly Sleepy Mint and Honeybush is an organic, caffeine-free bedtime blend. What honeybush is, how it differs from rooibos, how to brew it.

Last reviewed by the teas.co.uk team in May 2026.

Dragonfly Sleepy Mint and Honeybush is an unusual but excellent caffeine free evening blend, the cooling brightness of mint paired with honeybush's natural honey sweetness. Honeybush is rooibos's lesser known South African cousin: caffeine free, slightly more aromatic, naturally sweeter. Combined with mint, the cup is refreshing yet still a proper bedtime tea, and it tastes like an ordinary pleasant cup rather than a herbal dose.

What honeybush is

Honeybush (Cyclopia genistoides and related species) is a South African flowering shrub from the same Western Cape region as rooibos. Its leaves and flowers are dried and brewed as tea. The cup is naturally sweet, unlike rooibos's woody sweet character, honeybush has an actual honey floral aromatic that gives it its name.

Honeybush is less well known than rooibos in international markets but is increasingly popular as a sweeter, more aromatic alternative.

What's in the bag

Honeybush. Organic South African Cederberg region.
Spearmint or peppermint. Cooling, aromatic.
Possibly minor additions: lavender, chamomile (varies by batch).

Organic certified across the supply chain.

What it tastes like

The cup is golden amber, honey sweet, with the cooling lift of mint. The combination is unusual but pleasing, the natural honey floral notes of honeybush balance mint's cooling sharpness. No bitterness; no need to sweeten further.

Less mint forward than peppermint only tea; more aromatic than pure rooibos.

How to brew

1 tea bag per 200ml.
Just boiled water (~95°C). Honeybush, like rooibos, tolerates full boil.
Steep 5-7 minutes for full flavour.
Drink black, the natural sweetness is sufficient.

Why it works as a bedtime blend

The "sleepy" branding is less clinically grounded than dedicated sleep blends such as Night Sky Calm (which contains valerian). Sleepy Mint and Honeybush is a caffeine free evening cup that helps you wind down through:

Caffeine free base. No stimulation.
Mint's cooling aromatic. Gently relaxing.
Honeybush's polyphenols. Present in modest amounts.
The routine of a warm cup. A comforting part of an evening wind down.

Effects are gentler than dedicated sleep blends. If sleep is your specific goal, look at a chamomile and valerian blend (Pukka Night Time, Night Sky Calm), which is made for exactly that. Sleepy Mint and Honeybush is more of an evening friendly caffeine free alternative to mint tea.

Honeybush's compound profile

Honeybush carries compounds such as mangiferin, hesperidin and other polyphenols. You will see broader cardiovascular or metabolic claims attached to them, but that work is preliminary and mostly in animals, and the dose in a cup is modest. Enjoy it as a pleasant caffeine-free cup rather than a supplement.

Honeybush vs rooibos

Attribute	Honeybush	Rooibos
Origin	South African Western Cape	South African Western Cape
Caffeine	0mg	0mg
Cup colour	Golden amber	Red amber
Sweetness	Honey floral, more aromatic	Woody sweet, less aromatic
Distinctive compound	Mangiferin, hesperidin	Aspalathin
Production volume	Smaller	Larger
UK availability	Specialist retailers	Mainstream

Use cases

Evening tea. Caffeine free wind down.
Pregnancy. Pregnant? NHS guidance is 4 cups of herbal tea at most each day, and liquorice root teas should be avoided. Ask your midwife or pharmacist if unsure.
Caffeine sensitive evening drinkers. Refreshing without being stimulating.
An alternative to peppermint tea. If pure peppermint is too sharp, the honey mint balance softens it.
Iced. Excellent cold brewed in summer. More on cold brew.

Cautions

Allergies. Honeybush is in the legume family. Cross reactions uncommon but possible.
Pregnancy. Pregnant? NHS guidance is 4 cups of herbal tea at most each day, and liquorice root teas should be avoided. Ask your midwife or pharmacist if unsure.
Reflux. Mint can trigger reflux in sensitive individuals.

Caffeine

0mg.

Buying

Quick Buy: Dragonfly Sleepy Mint and Honeybush. Stockists include specialist UK tea retailers such as teas.co.uk.

FAQ

What is honeybush? A South African flowering shrub similar to rooibos, with a sweeter and more aromatic cup.

Is it caffeine free? Yes, both honeybush and mint are naturally caffeine free.

Does it actually help sleep? Modestly, through its caffeine free + sleepy aromatic combination. For stronger sleep effects, choose a valerian containing blend.

Pregnancy safe? Pregnant? NHS guidance is 4 cups of herbal tea at most each day, and liquorice root teas should be avoided. Ask your midwife or pharmacist if unsure.

Can I add milk? You can but the natural sweetness usually means it's not needed. Honeybush takes milk well if you want.

Curator's note: honeybush is the underrated gem of South African herbal tea. Sleepy Mint and Honeybush combines two ingredients you wouldn't necessarily pair, and the result is better than either alone. Worth keeping in the cupboard for evenings when you want something refreshing but caffeine free. Lee, teas.co.uk, Tunbridge Wells.

Buy it via the Dragonfly range, compare in the honeybush range and the wider herbal range, or browse the full tea shop.

Reference noted

NHS: How to get to sleep

From the curatorteas · Steeping it properly matters more than which shop it came from. A careful brew can lift an everyday bag past a careless dearer one.