^ 'Kraft Agrees to Buy Celestial Seasonings'.

^ Celestial Seasonings' Interactive Timeline.

^ Modern Marvels: 'Tea Education' ( episode 553), December 13, 2006.

In 2015 Hain Celestial Group reached a settlement and agreed to pay consumers a $7.5 million compensation for mislabeling their products with an additional $2.4 million worth of coupons. In 2013 Hain Celestial became one of 25 companies targeted in an ongoing class action lawsuit regarding allegations of falsely labeling their personal care products (including Celestial Seasonings) as ' organic' under California law (California Products Act of 2003) to mislead consumers into purchasing them. The company's teas are branded using animals, including an anthropomorphic bear for the Sleepytime range.

Siegel retired for the second time in 2002. Siegel returned in 1991, to serve as CEO.Ĭelestial Seasonings merged with natural food company the Hain Food Group in 2000 to form the Hain Celestial Group. In 1990, Celestial Seasonings moved into new headquarters in a custom-designed facility in North Boulder. The sale was successfully challenged by Bigelow under antitrust laws, and local management purchased the company back from Kraft in 1988. Siegel retired in 1986, and the next year, Kraft announced they would sell Celestial Seasonings to Lipton.

Celestial Seasonings also created and sponsored the Red Zinger Bicycle Classic race in Colorado during the 1970s.Ĭelestial Seasonings was purchased by Kraft Foods in 1984. In the 1970s, the company created herbal tea blends (such as Sleepytime and Red Zinger) and moved to larger headquarters twice by 1977 the company began selling internationally. The company name was derived from co-founder Lucinda Ziesings' nickname. It made sense, then, that my experience of brewing Sleepytime Tea felt like a positive step towards a decent kip.Celestial Seasonings founders Mo Siegel, John Hay, Peggy Clute and others started gathering herbs and flowers in the mountains around Boulder and selling them to local health-food stores in 1969. The Sleep Health Foundation recommends establishing a relaxing sleep routine before going to bed, as a good sleep habit. These two elements of the Sleepytime Tea – the ritual of brewing and drinking it, and the drowsiness – combined to send me off into the Land of Nod. As an insomniac, this was a triumph, as usually I want to bound around drawing rainbows, eating lollies and listening to Ariana Grande. The overall sensation of drinking the tea is one of cosiness and peace.Īnd lo and behold, a dreamy, dozy sensation stole over me. Although it contains chamomile (which to me always tastes like rotten dirt), it has a sweet, fruity and fresh flavour, thanks to the ingredients of spearmint, blackberry leaves, orange blossoms and rosebuds. So, I’m sure you can understand that after I bought a box of Sleepytime Tea ($3.29 for a box of 20 at IGA), it stayed unopened in my cupboard for months, because I just didn’t believe it would work.Ī lovely surprise was that Sleepytime Tea smelt good as it brewed, and it actually tasted delicious, too. I’ve also tried prescription medication, and maybe my brain is stubborn, because they haven’t worked, either. Other methods are time-consuming, such as meditation, or just plain strange (ever listened to the Sleep With Me podcast at 2am and then questioned your entire life?). Some herbal treatments have given me weird dreams and taste horrible. I’ve tried many different remedies, but usually with no luck or unpleasant side effects.

Since childhood, I’ve had difficulty falling asleep and staying asleep. Sleepytime Tea by Celestial Seasonings has an adorable illustration of a sleeping brown bear on their packaging, and it was this vintage drawing that first caught my eye. No, I’m not regressing to cuddling soft toys while in my 30s (although it does seem comforting), but rather, I’ve found an insomnia remedy that is natural, cheap and also delicious. I have a new evening companion, and it’s a cute brown teddy bear in a red sleeping cap.

Sleepytime tea cult