Medically reviewed by
Dacelin St Martin, MD
Triple board-certified in Sleep Medicine,
Internal Medicine, and Pediatrics.
Overview
At the end of a long day, it’s so nice to unwind, relax and slowly drift into sleep as day becomes night. But sometimes that’s easier said than done. A stressful day can leave us unable to get into anything that even remotely resembles relaxation.
Throughout human history, people have come up with various ways to relax and unwind at the end of their day. Some are highly recommended, such as deep-breathing exercises or meditation, and some are not so much, like a stiff drink every evening.
However, one bedtime/evening treat that is advisable and guilt-free is the humble but powerful tisane – otherwise known as herbal tea. It can be an excellent, drug-free, and downright healthy way to get into that oft-elusive chill mode before bedtime, and here are some of the best ones out there for that purpose.
Bedtime Teas? Yes, Please!
Tisanes have been used for hundreds of years to help with inflammation, anxiety, and sleep, among other uses. These herbs are natural, safe, and a pleasant way to prepare you for that ultimate recharge – sleep.
Keep in mind that even though these teas are potentially helpful for inducing the type of relaxation that lulls you into slumber, drinking anything too close to bedtime might wake you up during the night to use the bathroom, so having it about two hours before bed works well for most people.
Tisanes are also not likely to help with severe insomnia. Cognitive behavioral therapy for insomnia (CBT-I) is the most effective treatment. Herbal remedies are also going to work better when combined with sleep hygiene.
On a final note, some of these herbs are available on their own, but they are often combined or have added natural flavor enhancers. Either way, they work similarly, so you can experiment until you find what’s right. Let’s look at five herbal teas a little closer.
1) Chamomile
Chamomile is a daisy-like plant initially used to make beer and ale and is one of the oldest herbal remedies known to humankind. This flower is beneficial for cardiovascular conditions and the immune system and can even offer some protection against cancer.[1] It’s also effective for sleep quality and is a natural remedy for general anxiety disorder[2] – perfect for those evenings when you feel too wound up to relax.
2) Lavender
Lavender is not just for scented oils and soaps. This flowering, beautifully aromatic plant from the mint family is so powerful against anxiety that studies have found it as potent as anti-anxiety medications like Ativan![3] Much lower concentrations of the herb are needed to help sleep, so enjoy a warm cup of lavender tea and ride the calm wave to sleepy town.
3) Valerian
The root of the valerian plant has been used for sleep since the days of ancient Greece and Rome. Historically used for sedation and pain relief, valerian compounds prevent the breakdown of Gamma-aminobutyric acid (GABA) in the brain. This function retains more GABA in the brain, which can lead to quicker sleep onset. Valerian works best with regular use.[4]
4) Hops
Those of us who indulge in a pint of beer now and then are familiar with the aroma and taste of hops, but did you know that this flowering plant might also be a potent sleep aid? The brew we are referring to here is not the sort that’s likely to be offered at your local bar. Instead, we prefer to take it in tea form for maximum impact on sleep. As it turns out, hops have a sedative effect that can help you drift off easier.[5] It’s often combined with valerian or another sleepy herbal to maximize the benefits.
5) Magnolia
To some, this may come as a surprise, but those magnolia trees you see in gardens in the springtime are home to a potential helping hand when it comes to pre-bed relaxation. In Asia, magnolia has been essential to holistic medicine for thousands of years.
The bark and buds of this tree contain the two sedative compounds that do the heavy lifting when it comes to winding down – magnolol and honokiol. These interact with GABA similarly to valerian to help get to that sleepy feeling faster. A study done on post-menopausal women showed a marked improvement in sleep quality[6] and is considered very safe, so why not try it?
The Takeaway
Sleep is the body’s way of healing and re-energizing itself. But as with everything in an imperfect world, sleep sometimes doesn’t come easy. Sleep can be negatively affected if we are stressed out from a busy day at work, or we can’t turn off our brain before bedtime.
Try these aromatic, tasty, and natural remedies that humankind has used throughout the ages. You may find a cozy new way of loosening the day’s tension before hitting the hay.
References:
- Srivastava, J. K., Shankar, E., & Gupta, S. (2010). Chamomile: A herbal medicine of the past with bright future. Molecular medicine reports, 3(6), 895–901. https://doi.org/10.3892/mmr.2010.377
- Hieu, T. H., Dibas, M., Surya Dila, K. A., Sherif, N. A., Hashmi, M. U., Mahmoud, M., Trang, N. T. T., Abdullah, L., Nghia, T. L. B., Y, M. N., Hirayama, K., & Huy, N. T. (2019). Therapeutic efficacy and safety of chamomile for state anxiety, generalized anxiety disorder, insomnia, and sleep quality: A systematic review and meta-analysis of randomized trials and quasi-randomized trials. Phytotherapy research : PTR, 33(6), 1604–1615. https://doi.org/10.1002/ptr.6349
- Woelk, H., & Schläfke, S. (2010). A multi-center, double-blind, randomised study of the Lavender oil preparation Silexan in comparison to Lorazepam for generalized anxiety disorder. Phytomedicine : international journal of phytotherapy and phytopharmacology, 17(2), 94–99. https://doi.org/10.1016/j.phymed.2009.10.006
- Hadley, S., & Petry, J. J. (2003). Valerian. American family physician, 67(8), 1755–1758.
- Franco, L., Sánchez, C., Bravo, R., Rodriguez, A., Barriga, C., & Juánez, J. C. (2012). The sedative effects of hops (Humulus lupulus), a component of beer, on the activity/rest rhythm. Acta physiologica Hungarica, 99(2), 133–139. https://doi.org/10.1556/APhysiol.99.2012.2.6
- Xue, L., Zhang, J., Shen, H., Ai, L., & Wu, R. (2020). A randomized controlled pilot study of the effectiveness of magnolia tea on alleviating depression in postnatal women. Food science & nutrition, 8(3), 1554–1561. https://doi.org/10.1002/fsn3.1442
