What Tea Helps You Sleep

Are There Any Side Effects To Sleep Teas

Generally speaking, sipping a herbal tea before bed is safe.

Chamomile is listed as a safe, natural ingredient in most sleep teas.

However, you might want to be a bit cautious of teas that contain valerian may cause some side effects such as:

• Headaches
• Dizziness
• Upset stomach

If you have any concerns about the effects of sleep teas, please speak to your GP or a health professional.

Where To Buy Tea

Grocery stores offer mainly bagged teas, which can be quick and convenient. Bagged teas take less time to steep and release the smells and oils that may benefit your sleep. If youre going for the big brands, San Diego recommends infusions from PG Tips and Twinings.

However, if you find pre-made teas a little bland and processed to the taste, you should opt for loose leaf. allows you to extract more of the aromas, flavors, and nutrients, so you might get more potency, adds Davis.

And this is the plus side of going into a specialty tea store. only so many types of teas are available in bags, Parda says. With whole-leaf tea, we can offer a wider range because of the variety from different countries.

The sleep-time blends you see often feature a mix of flavors. Here are the top five tea blends we like:

*Note: This one has licorice root in it.

Can Certain Types Of Tea Really Help You Sleep

You may find few things more relaxing than winding down with a steaming cup of herbal tea as you cozy up for bed at night.

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While there are several herbal teas marketed to help you doze off and get a sounder sleep, the evidence is mixed â largely because it’s difficult to study herbal tea intake and sleep quality in a large population over a period of time.

“It’s really hard to get a good study out there, but researchers have tried,” says Raj Dasgupta, MD, FAASM, a pulmonary and sleep doctor and associate professor at the University of Southern California. “Chances are, you’ll see mixed evidence â in some cases, you’ll have positive results and in others, you won’t.”

That said, good sleep involves bringing together many puzzle pieces: Some things that can help you get better sleep include going to bed and getting up at the same time every day, avoiding heavy meals before bed and creating a restful environment, say, by keeping the room dark and quiet or doing calming activities before bed, per the Mayo Clinic.

“Tea by itself can never solve your sleep problems,” Dr. Dasgupta says. “What helps more is having your favorite tea at night along with a set bedtime and wake-up time, exercising during the day and putting technology away.”

Herbal teas won’t be a cure-all for your sleep woes, but they may contribute to that relaxing routine, helping you create a proper foundation for catching zzzs.

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Final Thoughts On The Best Teas For Sleep

If youve made it to this point in our guide, you now have seven delicious and relaxing teas to choose from if youre struggling to fall asleep or clock enough restful sleep. Experiment with different types to see which work best for your body.

As long as you enjoy these sleep teas well before you head to bed, youll be able to reap their calming effects without disrupting your sleep or feeling drowsy the next day.

For more tips on getting better sleep, visit our guide on deep sleep next!

What Is The Downside To Drinking Tea Before Bed

Although there are many benefits to drinking tea before bedtime, there are some disadvantages.

• Caffeine. If you’re sensitive to caffeine, you probably want to avoid tea that contains even a little caffeine before going to sleep. If you have too much caffeine, it can affect how quickly you fall asleep and how well you sleep throughout the night.
• Frequent bathroom trips at night. Some people don’t like tea before bed because it causes them to get up and use the bathroom during the night. If you already visit the restroom often throughout the night, adding more liquid to your nighttime routine may not be best for you.

Ultimately, adding tea to your bedtime routine is up to your personal preference. You can :

• Try a few different kinds of tea test low caffeine and no caffeine teas and see which works best for you.
• Experiment with drinking tea at other times in your evening .

Everyone is different, and everyone responds to caffeine and the various chemicals in tea differently, so keep trying until you find the nighttime schedule that’s right for you to get your best night’s sleep.

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Chamomile Has A Mild Tranquilizing Effect

According to the Sleep Foundation, chamomile tea has a mild tranquilizing effect. While that may seem scary, its due to its natural antioxidant, apigenin, found in many sleep aid medicines. In a study focusing on the worsening of insomnia with age, one group reported that they experienced better sleep quality after taking chamomile extract tablets while those who did not receive the extract did not.

When Should You Drink Sleepytime Tea

You should try to drink it with enough time to hit the bathroom before bed to keep your sleep uninterrupted.

I always advise my athletes to stop drinking liquids at least one to two hours before bed to prevent having to go to the bathroom in the middle of the night. I think it can be a great way to start your wind-down routine after dinner, Schlichter says.

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Traditional Medicinals Nighty Night Valerian

If youre really serious about getting a better sleep fast, you need to skip over the plain Nighty Night and hit the Nighty Night Valerian instead. It gets me every time. After a 10-minute steep, theres a pleasant funky-earthy smell to this organic tea, with subtle notes of gym socks. But the scent is much stronger than the taste. This is a tea made from passionfloweran actual flower known to chill the nerves, not the name of a bath oil your mom bought from the last Avon lady on Earth. If youre the kind of person who lies in bed thinking about those lost USPS packages, your cats fading eyesight, and what will happen to your health care in the near future, well, this is for you.

Verdict: Legit. Despite the scent, the flavor is mellow and perfect if you need to unwind at the end of a long day overthinking how to respond to that one email. I would recommend it.

Can Herbal Teas Really Help You Sleep

Some people refrain from drinking any kind of tea at night. But the truth is that herbal teas are very different from regular caffeinated teas. They contain anti-anxiety ingredients that help your body relax and get to sleep easily. You must have heard of how valerian root can help people with sleep problems. Herbal teas contain the same ingredient as valerian root to soothe your physical and mental system and help you relax before you go to sleep.

The advantage of drinking a herbal tea instead of taking the raw supplement is that you dont have to deal with the stinky herb and bad taste. Moreover, taking raw herb with water isnt a soothing experience in itself. On the other hand, drinking tea at bedtime has an inherent relaxing effect on your brain, just like taking a hot shower helps you feel instantly relaxed.

Some sleep teas have ingredients that have a sedative effect, such as chamomile and valerian. On the other hand, some teas have ingredients that reduce stress and anxiety. Some sleep teas help ease digestion so that the body can relax and go to sleep.

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What If It Doesnt Help Me Sleep

It may be time to call in reinforcements.

Consider your overall sleep hygiene. Do what you can to make your sleep environment as cool, dark, and quiet as possible. And try to make sure youre not eaten up with stress and anxiety when your head hits the pillow yoga or meditation may help.

If youre still having issues, consider making an appointment with a healthcare professional.

Make A Hot Cup Of Herbal Tea

Tea is an ancient practice. Chamomile, valerian root and magnolia tea are all natural remedies for anxiety, stress and insomnia. Drink a cup of one of these herbal teas at least an hour to two hours before bed — this gives you time to relax, enjoy the tea and use the bathroom before lights off. Be sure to look at the nutrition label to make sure no caffeine has been added to the ingredients.

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Bigelow Benefits Sleep Chamomile Lavender Herbal Tea

If youre looking for a calming tea before bed without valerian root or other ingredients that might make you groggy, a chamomile and lavender tea, such as Bigelow Benefits Sleep Chamomile Lavender Herbal Tea, is a good option. Bigelow is known for its affordable, yet high-quality teas. The Bigelow Benefits line of teas includes herbal blends used to confer various health benefits. The caffeine-free Sleep tea has a prominent floral flavor, with a full-bodied blend of soothing lavender and chamomile. Chamomile contains an antioxidant called apigenin, which has been found to bind to certain brain receptors that decrease anxiety and initiate sleep.

The Benefits Of Drinking Tea Before Bed

Drinking tea before bed has been shown to help aid in a better nights sleep and high quality of sleep. This is pretty significant because so many Americans struggle with sleep issues like insomnia. Additionally, sleep issues can become worsened when youve had too much screen time and not enough exercise. Does anyone relate to this last sentence? If so, you should find the perfect tea to help relax you and achieve a better nights sleep. Thankfully, at Art of Tea, we have several herbal tea blends that are great as a nighttime tea and blends specifically formulated for bedtime.

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Can Green Tea Help You Sleep

Studies have shown thatgreen tea may be effective in reducing stress which in turn might help you to achieve more restful sleep.

Green tea is also bursting with naturally healthy tea ingredients so drinking a daily cup of blooming good green tea is a great way to stay well. But green tea does also contain a small amount of caffeine not as much as black tea, mind you. Go ahead and indulge in your tealicious daily greens in a cup but perhaps choose another herbal sleep tea as your fave bedtime tea if you are a little reactive to caffeine.

Consider Loose Leaf Tea

While you may be used to the convenience of store-bought tea bags there are many benefits to loose leaf tea. Aside from being able to customize your tea to fit your specific needs, and in this case better sleep, loose leaf tea combats the bitter taste most new tea drinkers complain of.

That bitter taste is often due to over-steeping those finely ground leaves, but its completely avoidable using loose leaf tea and a strainer.

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Chamomile: Numero Uno Of Herbal Teas

Chamomile, both the German and English varieties, has been widely researched for its varied medicinal properties. A native of eastern and southern Europe and western Asia, its daisy-like flowers are used to make tea and herbal supplements.

German chamomile is thought to be especially helpful in combating sleeplessness. One study was cautiously optimistic, reporting that chamomile extracts provided modest benefits against insomnia among volunteers. Importantly, the study says there were few or no adverse effects observed in drinking chamomile tea for sleep.5

Recipe to follow

Making chamomile tea is easy.

1. Place 1 tea bag or 1 heaped teaspoon of loose leaf tea in a cup.2. Pour in 250 ml of hot water and allow the tea to steep for about 5 minutes.3. Remove the bag or strain the tea and enjoy this pale gold, soothing tea either plain or with a few drops of lemon and honey or some mint leaves.

You can also make chamomile tea with fresh or dry flowers.

• Steep 2 tsp of flowers in 1 cup of hot water for about 10 minutes and strain before drinking. Follow this routine one hour before bedtime.

Who should avoid

Having too much of concentrated chamomile tea can cause vomiting. So stick to just one cup in the night to be safe.

Other Flavors To Help Your Sleep Routine

If youre looking for a one-night boost, most teas that make you feel comforted will do the trick. And mixing and matching can also be a good idea many sleep-centric tisanes blend many of these flavors. For a truly soothing combo, International Tea Masters Association certified tea master and tea educator Philip Parda mixes two classic sleep-associated herbs together.

Chamomile is really good to begin with, but lavender brings an aromatherapeutic dimension and it’s just excellent, he says. And Stevens agrees with the choose-your-own-adventure tea-blending, As long as it tastes good and it’s not caffeinated!

Here are a few other ingredients to consider:

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The Republic Of Tea Get Some Zzzs

The Republic of Teas Get Some Zzzs No.5 Rest Herbal Tea lives up to its long name, helping you drift off to sleep soon after your head hits the pillow. The base of the tea is organic rooibos, which is then layered with calming orange peel, spearmint leaf, chamomile flower, and passionfruit. It also contains stevia leaf for calorie-free sweetness and valerian root extract to induce drowsiness. The tea steeps in 5-7 minutes and has a pleasantly sweet, floral, and herbaceous flavor.

Are There Any Risks Or Side Effects To Drinking Sleepytime Tea

In general, sipping these teas regularly before bed is safe. While chamomile is listed on the FDAs list of ingredients generally recognized as safe , some people may experience some side effects, like allergies. And, there are certain teas or ingredients you may want to avoid if you are taking certain medications. Its always best to check with your doctor before starting a regular routine.

Some people have reported allergies to some ingredients in herbal teas, like chamomile, Schlichter says. Also, pregnant and nursing women and those suffering from low blood pressure may be more apt to risks and side effects and definitely want to check with a healthcare provider.

One ingredient in particularvalerianmay also cause some unwanted side effects. A variety of sleepy tea called Extra has valerian in it, and some studies have found that this herb can cause headaches, dizziness, and an upset stomach, Gans says.

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Natural Sleep Aids: Home Remedies To Help You Sleep

Are you having trouble drifting into a peaceful, nourishing slumber? Yourenot sitting up at night alone:More than 60 million Americanssuffer from poor sleep quality.

Disturbed sleep is more than an inconvenience that leaves you dragging the next day: it can affect your emotional and physical health. It negatively affects your memory, concentration and mood, and it boosts your risk for depression, obesity, type 2 diabetes, heart disease and high blood pressure.

Happily, there are easy, natural fixes that can improve your sleep, says Charlene Gamaldo, M.D. , medical director of Johns Hopkins Center for Sleep at Howard County General Hospital.

Its not always necessary to get a prescription for a sleep aid, she says. There are natural ways to make adjustments to your sleeping habits.

Drink Tart Cherry Juice

Sour cherry juice from tart cherries can increase melatonin production in those who consume it before bedtime. In the same study, the group who drank the cherry juice spent more time in bed, asleep and achieved higher overall sleep efficiency. This suggests that tart cherry juice has potential to aid insomnia.

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How Will Valerian Root Work

The main work of the chemical compound of Valerian root is to promote sleep and reduce anxiety. This tea has-

-valerenic acid,

-isovaleric acid,

-and a variety of antioxidants

Its interactions with gamma-aminobutyric acid, a chemical messenger that will help regulate nerve impulses in your brain and nervous system.

The researchers think that low GABA levels are related to acute and chronic stress with low quality sleep. Valerenic acid resistance the breakdown of GABA in the brain, for which you will feel peace.

Valerian root has antioxidants hesperidin and linarin, which will help sedative and sleep-enhancing properties.

• Valerian root will help to sleep better:

Commonly, sleep disorders are exceptional. 30% of people experience staying asleep or achieving high-quality insomnia, meaning difficulty falling asleep, restorative sleep. For improving sleeping quality and quantity, valerian helps a lot and it takes to reduce the amount of time to fall asleep.

Slow-wave sleep man knows that deep sleep is essential for repairing and recharge your body. Those people have a slow sleep if they regularly drink valerian tea and achieve deep sleep 36% faster.

Natural Sleep Aids To Beat Insomnia And Wake Up Rested

These natural remedies can help you get the sleep you need at night.

Caroline Igo

Caroline Igo is an editor for CNET Wellness and a certified Sleep Science Coach. She received her bachelor’s degree in creative writing from Miami University and continues to further her craft in her free time. Before joining CNET, Caroline wrote for past CNN anchor Daryn Kagan.

When you don’t get the sleep you need, your mind and body feel the effects. That’s what makes insomnia so frustrating: Even if you try all the classic sleep tricks like reading a book instead of looking at your phone before bed, you’ll be absolutely exhausted when the morning comes.

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