A nice cup of tea before bed to help you sleep better. Very relatable, especially for those who have trouble falling asleep, but do you really fall asleep faster with “sleep tea”?
Also read: Can’t you ever put your phone away before going to sleep? This is how you get rid of it
Effect of certain herbs
Many tea brands claim to have a tea that makes you fall asleep. This is not entirely true, but not untrue either. There are herbs that have an effect on your brain. For example, certain herbs slow down your brain activity, which helps some people fall asleep faster. In any case, it makes your mind calmer. Flowers such as chamomile, valerian and St. John’s wort have this effect. Chamomile tea is definitely worth a try as a ‘sleep tea’. This tea stimulates the production of melatonin, which is a sleep hormone. A cup of chamomile tea may help as a remedy for your insomnia. Lavender also has a soothing effect. While it’s not guaranteed to put you to sleep, a cup of lavender tea is definitely worth a try.
Does it work as a placebo?
It is not entirely clear whether ‘sleep tea’ really works and the effect differs per person. If you believe that the tea works, you will probably become sleepy after drinking it due to the placebo effect. This also means that if you don’t believe in it, it will work less well or not at all.
Theine
‘Sleep tea’ has no scientific evidence of effectiveness. If you still want to try it, there are things you should take into account for optimal performance. Choose a tea that does not contain theine. Theine works the same as the caffeine in coffee, so it won’t make you tired.
Sugar
Sugar in tea is very tasty. Still, you don’t want this in your tea before bed. Sugar gives you energy while you want to sleep, so it’s not convenient. Adding honey and sweeteners to your tea is therefore not a good idea.
Why do you suffer from insomnia?
If a cup of tea before bed doesn’t solve your insomnia, it’s a good idea to find out why you have this problem. Stress, bad lifestyle habits and your diet may have something to do with this. Once you know what the problem is, you’ll know better what to do to fix it. A tip: watching TV or scrolling on your phone before going to sleep probably also has something to do with your sleep problems. So put your phone away and turn off your TV an hour before you want to fall asleep. Instead, read a book or do something else soothing.
