The Best Chamomile Tea for a Good Night’s Sleep

Have you ever gone to bed after the end of a long day and found that you can’t fall asleep? It’s one of the most frustrating inconveniences, and sometimes counting sheep just doesn’t cut it.

Getting a full night’s sleep is invaluable for your mental and physical health, and you deserve those precious hours of rest. Luckily, chamomile tea has been used for hundreds of years as a natural sleep aid. We love a good cuppa chamomile before bed, so we have a list of our favorite blends to help you get a good night’s sleep.

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What Is Chamomile Tea?

Chamomile tea comes from the chamomile plant. Chamomile is native to Europe, Asia, and India, but it now grows freely in the United States as a common weed. 

Chamomile flowers have small white petals with a yellow center and look very similar to daisies. This makes sense because chamomile is actually a member of the daisy family! These flowers are the sole ingredient of chamomile tea, as the rest of the plant doesn’t taste all that great.

There are actually two main types of chamomile: German chamomile and Roman chamomile. Although you may find a few chamomile teas made from the German variety, many chamomile teas are made from Roman chamomile.

German chamomile has an apple-y smell and has higher amounts of bisabolol, coumarins, and flavonoids. This compound is known for soothing irritation and supporting a good night of sleep.

Roman chamomile has slightly different flowers from its German counterpart, and its essential oils contain mainly angelic and tiglic acid esters, chamazulene, and flavonoids. These compounds are more associated with relaxation and sleep and contribute to the plant’s tranquilizing benefits.

A Brief History of Chamomile

Chamomile has been used as a natural remedy since 500 BCE, around when Hippocrates was in his prime. Ancient Egyptians, Romans, and Greeks all used chamomile tea as a calming remedy. In fact, some of these cultures basically worshiped the plant.

Chamomile became a well-known medicinal remedy in the 1500s when doctors would prescribe it as a tea or in medicine. Some doctors even prescribed chamomile baths, depending on the illness in question. 

Ever since, chamomile has been an essential element of many herbal remedies. Many cultures ascribe healing abilities to the chamomile flowers, and even science has begun to prove those remedies to be evidence-based. That’s what we like to call flower power!

How Does Chamomile Encourage Sleep?

Chamomile has been used for over a thousand years as a sleep aid, and that’s still one of the floral tea’s best-known qualities. We aren’t saying chamomile will solve all of your problems, but according to scientific research, it can help get you to sleep on time – and a good night’s sleep can solve problems of its own!

Soothes Stomach Discomfort

If you have a sensitive stomach, you’re likely well-acquainted with chamomile tea. It’s extremely frustrating trying desperately to fall asleep but being thwarted at every turn by your angry stomach and its demands.

One of chamomile’s ancient uses was to soothe upset stomachs. Today, it is known to ease stomach discomfort by helping food and gas move through your system faster and by relaxing your stomach muscles so that they don’t cramp as much. As an added bonus, chamomile’s muscle relaxing properties make it a great way to ease menstrual cramps.

Chamomile can also help reduce irritation from acid reflux by lowering stomach acidity and soothing throat discomfort. Acid reflux causes stomach acid to back up into the esophagus, which can irritate your throat and cause an uncomfortable burning sensation. This burning can also lead to nausea and a sore throat.

All of that discomfort makes it pretty hard to sleep, which is where chamomile comes into play. By soothing irritation and calming your stomach acid, chamomile can help make it easier to fall asleep while experiencing stomach issues. Pair it with a little bit of honey for extra throat-soothing deliciousness!

Reduces Stress and Tension

Have you ever had those nights when you just can’t stop your mind from racing, no matter how hard you try? It’s like your brain just won’t turn off. A few things can cause this, but a big culprit is stress and tension.

Stress can crop up if you’re in the middle of a big life change, if you’re under a lot of pressure, or even if you’ve had too much coffee. It’s part of your body’s natural fight or flight response, but that doesn’t mean it can’t be inconveniently timed.

German chamomile in particular has shown incredibly promising results when it comes to easing tension. Not only can it help soothe your mind and get you to sleep, but it can also help quiet your mind and keep you asleep throughout the night.

Supports Easier Sleep 

If it takes you over half an hour to fall asleep, then you might want to work a cuppa chamomile into your evening routine. This tea has been used for ages for sleep support, and it still works today.

Chamomile contains a flavonoid called apigenin, which binds to benzodiazepine receptors in your brain — this is how it works to support a good night of rest.

In some studies, chamomile induced deep sleep instantly, which means it has the potential to work pretty fast. Some studies even show that even chamomile’s vapors might have this effect! So, next time you’re having trouble sleeping, try pouring yourself a cup of chamomile and watch magic happen.

May Help Clear Congestion

If you’ve ever had a cold, then you know how miserable it can be to try to fall asleep with a stuffy or runny nose. Even worse, congestion can lead to headaches, which make it even harder to catch a few winks.

While there’s still a noticeable lack of research in this area, some studies show quite a lot of promise. According to these studies, breathing in steam that contains chamomile extract can help relieve some of those cold symptoms.

Steam with chamomile extract is not quite the same as tea, but we think that it definitely doesn’t hurt to make yourself a cup of chamomile anyway! As you drink, you’ll breathe in the steam from your chamomile tea. Even if your congestion doesn’t clear, you’ll still have a wonderful bedtime treat and a good night’s sleep.

Wonderful Chamomile Teas for Sleep

Without further ado, here are some lovely recommendations for delicious bedtime chamomile teas.

Sis Got Tea NighTEA Night

NighTEA Night from our friends at Sis Got Tea is a phenomenal cup from Louisville, KY’s premier Black-owned, queer-owned, women-owned tea company. We’re huge fans of this blend for nighttime sipping thanks to its all-natural blend of herbal ingredients. 

NighTEA Night is a mix of soothing herbs to help you relax in the evening, including:

• Chamomile

• Spearmint

• Valerian Root

• Lavender Flower

• Lemon Verbena

Try this caffeine-free blend next time you want to chill.

Sarjesa Chamomile Blend

This delicious and calming blend of chamomile, rose, and clover was inspired by the plants that grow in between the sidewalks of Alberta, Canada. That aromatic combination is just what you need to step back and be grateful for all of the natural beauty that you see around you. It’s one of our favorite chamomile blends to enjoy outdoors in the evening.

If you have a back porch, a lawn chair, or an apartment balcony, try brewing a cup of the Sarjesa blend and sipping on it in the evening air. 

The result? Calmed nerves, delectable herbal scents, and soothing flavors.

Happy Lucky Egyptian Dreams

Happy Lucky’s goal is to “Nourish Your Happy,” and this tea does that and then some. A unique blend of chamomile, rooibos, rose, lavender, clove, cardamom, and raspberry, this tea helps relax your mind and body, making it a phenomenal nightcap.

Tea Squared Sleepyhead

This tea is a tisane, so it’s bursting with fruity flavors — AKA, just what you may want before you head to bed. 

With flavors and aromas of rosehip, citrus peel, chamomile blossoms, lemongrass, hibiscus, and spearmint, it’s a caffeine-free delight to the senses from one of the tea world’s loveliest companies — our pals at Tea Squared.

Your Botanical Friend Chamomile Lavender

This soothing blend of chamomile and lavender is a fantastic sipper for right before bed. The organic lavender blossoms give you just the right amount of floral flavor notes, and it tastes incredible either hot or iced. 

When you’re trying to get some shut-eye on hot summer nights, brew Your Botanical Friend’s Chamomile Lavender tea on ice for some instant evening refreshment! 

In the fall and winter months, this is your hot tea-ff, offering plenty of comfy, cozy aromas with each cup.

The Republic of Tea Beauty Sleep Herbal Tea

The Republic of Tea has truly outdone itself with this sleepy-time herbal blend. This mix of butterfly pea flower, chamomile, rosehip, hibiscus, and honey lends to a deliciously sweet flavor that you can’t get anywhere else.

Not only do you get the sleep-improving qualities of chamomile, but you also get to benefit from rose, hibiscus, and bamboo, which all work together to help you wake up feeling and looking refreshed.

Plus, this tea is an ethereal purple color thanks to those butterfly pea flowers. Talk about beauty sleep!

The Irie Cup Sweet Dreams

This relaxing blend of responsibly sourced herbs includes lemongrass, peppermint, chamomile, rosehip, spearmint, valerian root, hibiscus, and cornflower petals. It’s a good night’s sleep in a cup, helping you beat those nighttime jitters and settle down when you’re feeling stressed.

Walters Bay Chamomile Tea

Walters Bay is a 13-time award-winning tea manufacturer that prides itself on creating only high-quality teas. The folks at Walters Bay pick amazing leaves and flowers and dry them within 24 hours to assure their quality. They even focus on sustainable shipping and tea-making practices!

This chamomile tea is pure, unfiltered chamomile. With no additives or blends, you’ll get everything chamomile has to offer. Not only does this tea offer the sleep-inducing benefits of chamomile, but it also offers top-of-the-line flavor. 

Stash Tea Chamomile Nights

This West Coast tea manufacturer makes another one of our favorite cups of chamomile. Chamomile Nights is a peaceful blend that is designed to encourage maximum relaxation. 

Of course, this tea contains chamomile, which is the main ingredient. Blended in with the chamomile are spearmint and lotus, which work together to create a simple-but-sweet tea that will have you dozing off before you can finish your cup.

Final Thoughts

Chamomile tea is a centuries-old natural remedy that has long been known to improve sleep. Besides the numerous folk stories about chamomile’s relaxing properties, even scientific studies have declared chamomile tea a natural sleep aid.

And another wonderful thing about chamomile tea? There are just so many to choose from! From apple pie goodness to dreamy purple sleep potions, the possibili-teas are endless.

Interested in trying these teas and others? Subscribers receive 4 teas chosen just for them in every box. Learn more about our tea subscription box or explore the loose leaf tea shop.

About Sips by: We’re a female-founded and led startup that makes discovering tea fun, personalized, and affordable. The Sips by Box is the only multi-brand, personalized tea subscription box. Each month, we match tea drinkers across the U.S. with delicious teas from over 150 global tea brands that we’re sure they’ll love. Based out of Austin, Texas, we are adept at savoring a hot mug even when it’s seasonally inappropriate. 

Sources:

German and Roman Chamomile | Research Gate 

1 Introduction to Chamomile | American Botanical Council 

Chamomile: A Herbal Medicine of the Past with Bright Future | PubMed Central 

Drinking the Right Tea Can Help You Sleep | Sleep Foundation