If you’re looking for a way to get better sleep, chamomile tea may be the answer.
Does chamomile tea make you sleepy?
Chamomile tea has been anecdotally reported as helping people sleep for hundreds of years. In fact, drinking chamomile tea before bed has been said to increase sleep quality and help you fall asleep faster.
Recently, scientific studies have suggested that chamomile tea does in fact help you fall asleep and can also improve sleep quality.
So, how does this work?
How does chamomile tea help you sleep?
Chamomile tea is one of a group of herbal teas that are used to improve sleep quality, with others including passionflower tea and lavender tea.
However, until recently, little has been known about how chamomile tea actually works as a sleep aid.
Chamomile flowers are dried and ground to form a herbal tea. This can be in the form of a loose leaf tea or in disposable tea bags.
Recent studies have shown that the chemicals contained in chamomile flowers can block the detection of certain stimulus. This leads to a calming effect. This calming efffect also works in the muscles, as chamomile raises levels of glycine, which is known to calm muscle spasms. Furthermore, chamomile is a mild sedative as it contains the flavonoid apigenin.
What does chamomile do to the brain?
The chemical compounds in chamomile, including apigenin, which is contained in chamomile tea, bind to benzodiazepine receptors in the brain. This slows down the brain’s functions and can induce a state similar to hypnosis. The effect of this is a calming one which can help people fall asleep.
Why does chamomile make you calm?
Chamomile makes you calm because the flavonoid components of the flower have antidepressant and anti anxiety properties.
Chamomile tea helps to slow down the brain, and relax the muscles. Both of these promote relaxation and can help you to feel calm. In turn, once you are calm and relaxed you are likely to fall asleep more easily, and improve your overall sleep quality.
Moreover, drinking herbal teas which do not contain caffeine (unlike regular black tea) can help improve sleep and promote relxation because warm tea is naturally soothing.
As another option for a calming tea, consider drinking chaga tea before bed.
How long before bed should I drink chamomile tea?
You should aim to drink chamomile tea around 45 minutes to an hour before bed. Try not to drink tea immediately before bedtime as you may end up having to get up in the night to use the bathroom – which will result in poor sleep quality.
Is it OK to drink chamomile tea every day?
Unless you have an alergy to chamomile or other flowers, it is perfectly fine to drink chamomile tea every day as part of your nightly routine. As a natural sleep aid, chamomile tea can lead to improved sleep quality and is one of the best bedtime teas.
What to drink to sleep faster?
If you want to fall asleep faster, chamomile tea is a great choice.
Even better for falling asleep fast is lemon balm tea. This type of tea reduces stress, induces a sense of well being and helps you fall asleep faster once you go to bed.
You should also check out our guide to all the best teas for sleep.
Also, read our tips on the best ways to fall asleep quickly.
Conclusion: How does chamomile tea help you sleep?
Chamomile tea works as a sleep aid because it has calming and sedative effects on the brain and body. The chemicals in chamomile tea bind to benzodiazepine receptors in the brain, which leads to a slowdown of brain activity and can induce a state similar to hypnosis. Chamomile tea also contains glycine, which calms muscle spasms, and apigenin, which is a mild sedative. Drinking chamomile tea before bed can help you fall asleep faster and improve sleep quality. However, you should aim to drink chamomile tea around 45 minutes to an hour before bedtime, and not right before going to sleep.