tea for sleep

Do you struggle to get to sleep at night? You’re not alone. So many people experience sleeping problems. There are many reasons why this happens! Some people really struggle to unwind from the stresses and strains of daily life. With so many thoughts on their mind, they just cannot drift off to sleep! There are then people who see every hour on the clock because they cannot seem to get an undisturbed sleep. The situations vary. 

One thing that you can do to try and get a better night’s sleep is to enjoy a cup of tea before bed. There are so many different types of tea for you to choose from today. This includes fruit tea, chamomile, vanilla, green tea, black, matcha, peppermint, ginger, lavender, and much more! Because of this, it can feel almost impossible to know where to begin when it comes to deciding what tea to have before you go to bed. 

You do not need to worry, though, as we have got you covered. Below, we are going to take a look at some of the best teas to get a better night’s sleep. So, what tea helps you sleep?

How much sleep do you need?

How much sleep do you need?

Everyone requires different amounts of sleep. For example, children require between nine and 13 hours of sleep. Adults, on the other hand, need between seven and nine hours of sleep every evening. If you find that you are always tired throughout the day, you are probably not getting enough sleep.

Are you suffering from sleeping problems?

Before we take a deeper look at the different types of tea that make the most sense for anyone who has insomnia, it is important to establish what this is. Insomnia means that you struggle to sleep, and you experience these issues on a regular basis. 

The following indicates that you probably have insomnia:

  • You often find it challenging to concentrate throughout the day because you feel so tired
  • You feel irritable and tired throughout the day
  • You find it difficult to nap throughout the day, despite the fact that you are tired
  • You often still feel tired when you wake up in the morning
  • You regularly wake up early and you are unable to go back to sleep
  • You find yourself lying awake at night a lot
  • You wake up a number of times throughout the night
  • You find it difficult to go back to sleep

If you notice any of the signs that have been mentioned above, it is likely that you are suffering from insomnia. A lot of people can experience the symptoms that have been mentioned for months and sometimes even years. 

You may be wondering why you’re suffering from such sleeping problems. It can be incredibly frustrating, but there are actually a number of different causes of insomnia. This includes the following:

  • Shift work
  • Jet lag
  • Recreational drugs, such as ecstasy or cocaine 
  • Nicotine, caffeine, or alcohol
  • An uncomfortable bed
  • A room that is too cold or too hot
  • Noise
  • Depression, anxiety, or stress

These are just some of the different factors that can play a role in you struggling to get to sleep at night.

However, the good news is that there are a number of different things that you can do if you are suffering from insomnia. One thing to consider is having a mug of tea before you go to bed, but you will need to choose with care.

There are many different types of tea out there today, all of which have different ingredients and beneficial properties. This is why it makes sense to choose your choice of tea with care when looking for something that can help you to get a better night of sleep. 

So, with that in mind, let’s take a look at some of the different types of tea that you should consider:

Does chamomile tea help you sleep?

Yes, chamomile tea can help you to get a better night of sleep! For many years, chamomile tea has been used as a natural solution when it comes to lowering anxiety and inflammation, as well as treating insomnia. In fact, chamomile is commonly referred to as a sleep inducer or a mild tranquilizer. 

We have apigenin to thank for this. This is an antioxidant that is found in abundance in chamomile tea and is known for its calming impact. Apigenin will bind to certain receptors in your brain, which can help to lower anxiety levels while also initiating sleep. 

There have been a number of different studies that have shown how beneficial chamomile tea can be when it comes to inducing sleep. There was one study that involved postpartum females who were experiencing poor sleep quality. In this study, it was found that females who drank chamomile tea for a period of two weeks reported improved overall sleep quality in comparison with those who did not drink any chamomile tea. 

In another study, there were 60 nursing home residents who participated. Some of them were given 400 mg of chamomile extract every day. It was found that their sleep quality was much better when compared with those who did not receive any. 

The use of chamomile tea to help people sleep is not a new phenomenon. In fact, there have been recordings and writings of people using chamomile as an effective insomnia treatment for thousands of years!

Does green tea help you sleep?

If chamomile tea does not sound like your sort of thing, don’t worry, as there are plenty of other options, and green tea is one of these. Green tea is a popular drink, which has a number of different health benefits. Drinking green tea before you go to bed could enable you to enjoy a better night’s sleep.

There are a number of different reasons why it makes sense to drink tea before you go to bed. Not only could this enhance your sleep quality, but it could provide a number of health-promoting properties in addition to this.

The reason why it makes sense to drink green tea at the end of the day is because of all of the advantageous compounds that are found within green tea. Green tea comes from the leaves on the Camellia sinensis plant. These leaves are filled to the brim with beneficial plant compounds. These compounds can be divided into three different categories. 

The first category is amino acids, with theanine being the most abundant amino acid. It is believed that theanine promotes relaxation, reduces stress, and enhances brain function. The other type of compound found within the Camellia sinensis plant leaves is caffeine. Of course, you will also find this stimulant in the likes of chocolate and coffee. It can improve your memory, reaction time, and mood, as well as promoting nerve cell function. The third type of compound is catechins. This collection of antioxidants includes the likes of epigallocatechin (EGC) and epigallocatechin gallate (EGCG). Catechins are thought to be the chief reason behind the powerful medicinal properties of green tea. 

All of these compounds work in harmony with one and another to provide a lot of the health benefits that green tea provides. This includes lowering the risk of heart disease and type 2 diabetes, possible protection against cancer, weight loss, and improved brain function.

It is also believed that green tea can help in terms of promoting sleep quantity and quality. The main sleep-promoting compound that is found in green tea is theanine. This works by lowering the amount of neuron excitement and stress-related hormones in your brain, which enables your brain to relax and unwind. 

For example, evidence indicates that if you drink between three and four cups of low-caffeinated green tea every day, this can help to lower levels of stress markers and fatigue, as well as enhancing the overall quality of your sleep.

Does peppermint tea help you sleep?

Yes, peppermint tea is another type of tea that comes highly recommended when it comes to getting a better night’s sleep. One of the advantages that peppermint tea has over other options, such as green tea, is that it is naturally free of caffeine. This means that you do not need to have any worries about putting that extra pep in your step prior to going to bed. 

There are a lot of different reasons why peppermint tea is considered a worthy drink, as it brings a whole host of different health benefits to the table. However, in terms of helping you to sleep better, it is the drink’s ability to act as a muscle relaxant that makes all of the difference. 

A lot of people have been struggling to get a good night’s sleep, especially when you consider the difficult year that we have all had due to the pandemic. Therefore, if you’re looking for a way to make sure you get a more restful slumber, try having a mug of peppermint tea before you go to bed.

Not only can peppermint tea help you to have a better quality of sleep, but it can help insomniacs sleep for longer as well. This ensures that your sleep is nice and restful so that you do not wake up in the morning feeling tired and irritated. 

What other sorts of tea can help you to have a better night’s sleep?

So there you have it: three of the best options if you are looking for a tea to help you get a better night’s sleep. However, these are not the only options that are available to you. There are a number of other types of tea that contain ingredients and properties that make them a great choice if you are suffering from insomnia. 

One suggestion is lemon balm tea. Lemon balm is part of the mint family, and it can be found all over the world. Although you will typically find lemon balm oil sold as an extract and used in aromatherapy, you can also make delicious tea by using lemon balm leaves that have been dried. The herb is aromatic and has a delightful citrus scent. It has been used for enhancing sleep and lowering stress levels since the Middle Ages. There have been a number of studies that have shown that lemon balm is effective when it comes to treating insomnia. For example, in one study, there was proven to be a reduction of insomnia symptoms by 42 percent in participants after receiving a daily dose of 600 mg of lemon balm extract over the period of 15 days. Sipping some lemon balm tea before you go to bed may be a good idea if you experience chronic sleep issues. 

You may not be surprised to learn that lavender tea is also a great choice if you need a helping hand when it comes to getting to sleep at night. Lavender is a herb that is well known for having a soothing and aromatic scent. During ancient times, Romans and Greeks would typically add lavender to their drawn baths, breathing in the serene and relaxing fragrance. The tiny purple buds of the flowering plant are used to create lavender tea. A lot of people drink it to help them get a better night’s sleep, settle their nerves, and relax. As a lot of people struggle to sleep at night because they are anxious and worried, it makes sense to drink lavender tea should this apply to you. There have actually been a lot of studies into the relationship between lavender and relaxation. There was one study carried out on 67 females with insomnia. It found that after inhaling lavender twice per week for 12 weeks, the women noticed that their heart rate and heart rate variability decreased. Plus, they enjoyed a better night’s sleep. In this study, they inhaled lavender for a period of 20 minutes. There was another study of 80 postnatal Taiwanese females who drank lavender tea daily for a fortnight, taking the time to smell in the aroma beforehand. By doing this, they reported less fatigue when compared with the women in the study who did not drink it.

Finally, passionflower tea is another option to consider if you’re looking for a tasty and effective tea to help you get a better night of sleep. It is made from the dried stems, flowers, and leaves of the Passiflora plant. It has traditionally been used to enhance sleep and to alleviate symptoms of anxiety. In recent times, there have been a number of different studies that have assessed the ability of passionflower tea in terms of enhancing sleep quality and improving insomnia. In one of these studies, 40 healthy adults drank passionflower tea once per day for the period of a week. By doing this, their sleep quality was noted to be considerably better when compared with those who did not drink the tea.

Enjoy a great night’s sleep again with Salada

Hopefully, you now have a better understanding of the best teas for getting a better night’s sleep! The only thing you need to do now is to find the best versions of these teas. Luckily, you do not have to search far, as we have a great selection of delicious teas at Salada.

April 05, 2021 — Alicia Avallone