Does Chamomile Tea Really Make You Sleepy?
Recently, in my article about sleep and food myths, I received an interesting question about chamomile tea. Does it really work as a sleep aid? As I found out, the results are not so simple.
More Promises than Facts
It’s been a long-time home remedy for relaxation and sleep. Online, everywhere from Yahoo Answers to Dr. Oz seems to claim that chamomile is a surefire sleep aid. Among all non-prescription sleep aids, chamomile is one of the most popular. But research is not able to back up these claims 100%.
Some studies, just preliminary, do show that chamomile could have anti-anxiety effects, but these are not yet conclusive. Some theories about chamomile propose that it’s apidenin, a flavonoid compound, which contributes to its relaxing effects.
All that being said, there is a shortage of clinical, controlled studies on the effects of chamomile on sleep for average, healthy humans. What has been done does not show that chamomile has a significant effect on sleep.
One of the few reliable studies so far was done by Arnedt et al. But even this is a preliminary, limited, pilot study.
The study included 34 patients, half-received chamomile in pills, half receiving a placebo. Through sleep diaries and self-reporting, effects were monitored for about one month.
This reporting looked at the following sleep factors:
- total sleep time
- time to fall asleep
- time to wake up
- times waking during the night
- overall sleep quality
The trial found that there were no significant differences between the placebo group and the chamomile group.
It was observed that there was some advantage to the chamomile group with regards to daytime functioning, but these differences “did not reach statistical significance.”
The report is frustrating, as although it’s tempting to see this as proof that chamomile has no effect, the limited number of participants makes it hard to draw any conclusions.
What we can say from this is that chamomile is likely not a magic bullet solution to insomnia. It may yet contain chemicals that have some effects on anxiety, relaxation, and in turn, sleep. But this has not yet been demonstrated.
But then why does chamomile have such a devoted following?
The Tea Ritual
There’s a reason that people around the world love all kinds of brewed, steeped, boiled, and heated drinks. Aside from caffeinated drinks, they are relaxing. Not because of their chemical properties but because:
- A: It feels good to drink warm liquids
- B: We think it relaxes us, so it does
The second is the most interesting to me. For many people, the tea itself may not be what relaxes them, but the process of making the tea. They have created a tea ritual.
This ritual might begin with turning on the kettle, then finding their favorite cup, smelling the aromatic tea, and watching the delicate tendrils of color as it steeps into the hot water. They finally snuggle into a comfy chair to enjoy. The process is like guided meditation.
The same kind of effect is why warm milk makes you feel sleepy: a combination of placebo, memory, and routine.
So don’t skip out on your evening chamomile. But be sure to take your time: the process of making the tea, and how you feel about it, could be a lot more important than what’s in the tea itself.
Drink Up
Chamomile tea is a herbal tea and contains no caffeine, so it won’t keep you up.
Chamomile is prepared from two varieties, German chamomile (Matricaria retutica), and Roman (also known as English) chamomile (Chamaemelum nobile). Of the two, German chamomile is the more popular.
The blossoms of the chamomile plant are what give the tea its unique sweet floral aroma.
When making tea, keep this in mind:
- Brew chamomile to taste. To keep the flavor smooth and not too bitter, I try to keep it 3 minutes or less.
Once you’ve got your tea ready, remember not too add too much sugar or honey. Although the tea has no caffeine to keep you up, a big pile of sugar will do just as much damage.[Correction: sugar will not keep you up! See this article on sugar and sleep for more.]- Don’t drink too much. A full bladder will wake you up for a bathroom break and disturb sleep.
- Heads up! If you’re the hands-on, experimental type, note that the wild chamomile that grows in your backyard is probably Matricaria discoidea, which is not the same as chamomile used for tea.
i’m not an herbal remedies guy by any means so i was pretty skeptical before trying chamomile tea but i’ve been pleasantly surprised. it definitely has anti-anxiety and muscle relaxing properties which i almost couldn’t believe. and yes, it will make you sleepy. the first few times i drank it i still was trying to chalk it up to being in my head, part of the routine, drinking a hot liquid, ect. but there’s definitely something psychoactive going on. i’m pretty happy i found this tea. you guys should try it if you’re looking for something natural to aid in relaxation or sleep. as an aside for our colorado, oregon, and washington residing people – the chamomile tea + marijuana combo is heavenly. :)
I can tell you for sure that Sleepytime tea WORKS!! Now I drink it every night and if I dont I have trouble sleeping.
This test was done in the united states where they are far behind some other cultures . The unites states would rather push pills then actually realize there are some herbs etc that could make you feel better and in some cases take you health issues totally away. Look at the money they would lose if they actually cured someone. Most drs in the u . s. still dont want to admit chripractic methods work. This tea does work but that would surely put all those sleeping pills and drs scripts out of business now wouldnt it.
i have severe anxiety and PTSD. i require sleep aids that are stronger and more potent than the average herb. trust me, i would be drinking all the tea in the world if it would stop my intense
flashbacks and night terrors. the reality is, actual sleep disorders cant be solved with a cup of tea.
You’re correct Sharon, the pill pushing doctors here in the USA are on an agenda. I have severe arthritis of the spine and have gone through several sleep aids and pain relievers, the opiates make me violently ill, projectile vomiting etc; while explaining this to a physician new to my case I explained all of this, she then asked me if I’d like to try methadone, METHADONE for flocks sake!!! What part of opiates make me violently ill didn’t she understand. I immediately moved on to another new doctor. We’ve got way too many doctors here, take a gun and shoot into a crowd of people (please DON’T) and your bullet will likely strike a doctor…….
Pete, as a medical student, you should know that while methadone is by definition an opiate because it has μ-receptor receptor activity, it does NOT act in the same manner as other opiates such as codeine, morphine, hyrocodone, or oxycodone. And it is metabolized completely differently. An allergy to common opiates will NOT be exacerbated by methadone unless you have a specific allergy to methadone itself, which is exceptionally rare. If I were to order a drug screen for a patient on methadone, the drug screen would come back negative for methadone. They are not the same and this is why she suggested it to you if you are in chronic pain and cannot take conventional opiates.
Also, you’ll also be happy to know that the United States has a physician shortage that is rapidly rising, quite the opposite of your claim that we “have too many”. Studies show that 46% of people in the United States in 2012 reported not being able to schedule an appointment with a physician sooner than 5 days from the time they called.
As a medical student, what you are saying is false. It is every physicians’ ultimate goal to completely cure their patient if possible so we never have to see them again outside annual well visits, or at the very least, control their disease or condition so we have to see them as little as possible and so they can live as comfortably as possible in the meantime. Also, for most medications that need to be taken regularly, your physician most times will refill the prescription without you having to go see them up the legal limit, which is 12 months from the date it was filled, meaning you only have to see your doctor once a year in most cases, conditions that need monitoring excluded, in order for them to continue your medication). Physicians DO NOT receive or make any money at all for the prescriptions they write. Whether we write 1 or 10,000 prescriptions in a day, we receive no compensation whatsoever for it. We are paid ONLY for the time your visit takes and procedures we perform. Dispensing a medication is not a procedure. The reason we are reluctant to trust herbal medicine is because allopathy is based on science and research. Current studies do not substantiate most of the claims for most herbs and supplements and often show either no benefit at all, or even side effects and detriments. We make decisions on behalf of our patients based on the most current research to date. This is why new medicines are constantly being made and why old medicines fall out of favor. As safer, more effective treatments become verified, we replace old ones. The amount of research and the threshold for safety and efficacy a drug must show to gain FDA approval is very high, which is why so few new drugs are released each year. And as for most medications being one pill a day for life, it is not some money making conspiracy (since the most medications days cost less than $10 for a 1 month supply of generic). The reason you usually have to take medicine for life for many conditions is because there is something genetically wrong with you that surgery cannot cure because it is a defect in every single cell in your body, because you have incurred permanent damage to your body that no known therapy can reverse, or because the patient refuses to adopt a healthier lifestyle, which we always recommend first, that would remedy the problem (as is the case with most Type 2 diabetes, COPD, high cholesterol, and high blood pressure). Second, pills are often dosed once a day because it is the most desirable half-life. Half-life is how long it takes your body to metabolize and excrete 50% of a substance. 8-12 hours (which will create a therapeutic window of 24 hours) is considered the gold standard half-life to ensure that an unsafe amount of medication does not build up or stress the body unnecessarily, to ensure a long-lasting therapeutic window of time, and most importantly, so that if the patient experiences a negative reaction or side effect, that they don’t have to suffer from for too long (if a drug had a half-life of 5 days for example and you had a negative reaction, you’d likely be suffering from said negative reaction for about 10 days straight). Once a day is also easy to remember and even then, most people forget to take their medication regularly (if doing was every 3 days, many more people would forget to take their pills at the right time). Lastly, most physicians do not recommend chiropractic services is because while joint manipulation can temporary relieve strain, it does not cure the underlying issue you are having, which means you must continually return to the chiropractor for manipulation (which sounds like the same issue you had about physicians and medications). Most studies also so not statistical long term improvement from chiropractic care. With that said however, if treatment by a physician has failed and you experience relief from chiropractic services and can afford it, then by all means, please continue. But do not expect the problem to ever be fixed by a chiropractor.
Your right Sharon. This plutocracy we live under is owned by the medical industry (and oil). I have had high blood pressure for years. Have had several blood test. Not one doctor ever checked for uric acid in the blood. Not one doctor ever told me about purines. I guess there is no money in healthy people.
Celestial seasonings has a group of teas called sleepy time. Their sleepy time extra comes with valerian and tastes great! They also have a vanilla flavor. But they all have chammomile as the base.
Carmen chamomile used to work best, but i can’t find it in the shops anymore. Where is carmen chamomile????????
36 subjects used? No mention of what methods used to find significant evidence? Seems promising!
I hv just bought camomile tea n
was searching for its effects hv no doubt n will take this religiously from now on. Am convinced it’s a good thing period
I’m desperate for some really sound sleep. I’m moody as my naughty kitty, because I’m not sleeping well at night. Chamomile tea here I come!
Help!!!! Chamomile Tea here I come! I’m desperate for some soothing sleep.
Does this tea give you drowsy affect, such as benadryl or tylenol pm, I really dislike that feeling. Has anyone felt such drowsyness feeling?
Thank you for this site. For a few years now, I’ve suffered from not being able to sleep some nights and it sucks because it really impacts my day. Furthermore, after reading this site, I decided to try it myself. Last night, I put THREE bags of Chamomile bags in one cup of water, a tablespoon of honey and drinked it all—it surprisingly was good. When I went to bed, In under 30 minutes I was knocked out sleep. It must have been a deep sleep because I didn’t wake up to any sounds. For the first time in a while, I got about 10 hours of sleep. My norm is about 5, sometimes 6. So I will definitely have some of this just about every night. Now I will add, tonight I will try just TWO bags because with three, after 10 hours of sleeping, I felt if my alarm didn’t wake me, I would still be sleeping now. I want to sleep, but not over sleep. I’m so happy to find a NATURAL sleep inducer. I’m very happy and thankful. 10 hours! Wow!
Thanks for this again.
Same here!!!!! My youngest son’s girlfriend bought a box of 100% chamomile tea bags. They have sat on top of the microwave for a year. I suffer insomnia for so many reasons. Two nights ago, I wandered into the kitchen, and my eyes landed on that box. I said “what the heck. I’m sure it won’t help ” but I steeped a cup, with one bag and a tsp of sugar. Came back to my bed, crawled in, drank it fairly quickly, curled up on my side, began my prayer time, the next thing I knew it was morning!!!!!!!! I thought last night (you can bet my worse nights are Saturday nights because I get all wound up as to whether I’m going to be able to get any sleep for Church the next morning) that it probably wouldn’t work two nights in a row. I drank it earlier and slept like a kitten all night!!!!!!!! I’m so happy, but nervous that my body will get used to it :(
Maybe not!!!!!
This study didn’t study the effects of tea. It’s a study about putting what they believed to be the active ingredient in pill form. They can hardly comment on the effects of the tea on sleep when they didn’t collect any data. smh
Does the fact that the research is using a pill form as opposed to hot beverage not make the process inaccurate. Maybe the combined water and heat with the chamomile produces a different effect.
We have two little insomniacs for children and we tried sleepy time tea which has chamomile as well as regular chamomile tea. It never helped one bit, but the pediatrician recommended we try melatonin which did the trick. We still use chamomile tea to help with my daughter’s lactose intolerance and for an alternative to water when she wants a beverage with flavor.
I had never drank chamomile in my life before, but found some in my girlfriend’s cupboard while I was working from her house and decided to give it a try. I should also add that while I had heard of chamomile team before, I didn’t know it was considered a sleep aid. I drank half of a cup, if that, and started to feel strongly drowsy. This was in the afternoon and not a time I normally would feel sleepy. I decided to Google whether chamomile is known to have this effect and ended up on this site. Small sample size, but take it for what it’s worth. Wholly ignorant about the supposed effects of this substance, it nevertheless unequivocally induced drowsiness in me. Perhaps the study mentioned in the article is flawed in that they used chamomile in pill form. Perhaps something about heating it or dissolving it in water is necessary for it to have a sedative effect.
Where did my comment go
I started drinking camomile tea before bed an it is relaxing and helps me go to sleep. I feel like I am not in a deep sleep. Has anyone else experienced this?
Hello! I’m convinced that it does make you sleepy. I rarely drink tea, I like coffee more. But as I drink extremely small quantities of liquids during the day, I’m often dehydrated. So I decided to change that, and make 5-6 big cups of chamomile tea (between 1.2 and 1.5 L), put the tea in a big jar, and drink it throughout the day. The first day everything was fine (drank more than 1 L of tea). Today I drank maybe even more, and felt so sleepy for no reason. I slept for 2 whole hours in the afternoon, I didn’t even move in my bed! Totally sedated! So I’ll definitely avoid chamomile tea in the future and use bush tea (rooibos) instead. Hope it’s better for big quantities of tea.
I haven’t done a study but this is a personal experience, chamomile relaxes me and if i drink it just before sleeping, i sleep peacefully and i fall asleep earlier than without it. Despite having to wake up several times to go to the toilet because of the fluid i still manage to go right back to sleep and feel rested in the morning. If i drink it during the day, i feel drowsy and fail to concentrate. So chamomile really works to relax me a lot. I have proven this many many times and do not need a study to convince me. But people are different, just be sensitive to your body and do what works for you.
On the contrary green tea causes me heart palpitations if i make a strong brew and if i drink it before bed i fail to sleep totally.
WOW, that chamomile tea really works. One day, my friend Jenny offered me a cup of chamomile tea, because I was having a really rough day. So when I was drinking the tea I suddenly felt ZING. The only thing I remember was watching The Have And Have Not’s. I later on woke up six hours later with no headache ,sideeafects, or nothing.
WOW,that chamomile tea really works.One day my friend Jenny offered a cup of chamomile tea when I was having a rough day. So we were at her house and I was on the couch just sipping my tea ,next thing I know I wake up 6 hours layer,No headache nothing I felt wonderful .Exept I missed a shift at my job
Really Vannessa you had to tell that story
Oh, c’mon Jen, we had fun that day, remember? :)
Thanks for posting this! I was looking everywhere for information on whether scientific research backs up the chamomile-as-soporific claim, and yours was the only article tackling this question from a non-biased standpoint.
There are plenty of studies detailing the pharmacological action of chamomile (both german and roman), and they’re all quite conclusive of the idea that chamomile does indeed have sedative effects. I highly doubt that the sedative effects observed in rats were a result of the “warm liquids” – the rats received intraperitoneal injections, not tea.
All I know is that I was all jacked up from drinking sodas too late in the day. I brew some chamomile tea and 20 minutes later I feel as though I have taken a sleep aid. Small sample size…Will investigate further
i will try chamomile now!, thanks for sharing guys…
I drank a total of 12 cups of chamomile but I am wide awake.. Relaxed but not at all tired and I have been up over 72 hours.. I hate insomnia.
Do u exercise at all? NO laterer than 2 hours before bed?
Allergy pills have sleep aid in them…melntonian…suppose to work.
Hope you find something that works really feel for you !
In pills? That is kind of weird.
Personally we think chamomile is not only relaxing but also tastes great. And having a tea ritual before bed also helps get the mind in sync with the body to prepare for sleep.
After all the advertisements for chamomile tea, with a smiling woman indulging in a cup of ecstasy, I found the lack of flavor and color – with enough of a “tainted water” taste – to be intolerable. I’ve never actually tasted a gym sock after pouring hot water over it, but this would have to be similar. I added honey, then felt I was drinking hot honey water. Are all herbal teas so repugnant?
I am not sure if you are referring to our tea or not? LOL. But maybe herbal tea isn’t your thing.
You can see our reviews on our site. Our peppermint chamomile tea is by far and away the best reviewed tea of all of our offerings. And our best selling herbal tea for almost 2 decades.
Sorry it wasn’t up to your standards.
Cheers,
Joe
No, some are way better than others. If you wanna try a really good one with chamomile in it Celestial Seasonings has a flavor called “Honey Vanilla Chamomile” its the best thing ever, tastes really great.
I’ve never been one who liked non-caffeinated teas. But tonight I really wanted to get some sleep and I wasn’t feeling very tired. So I opened and brewed one of my boyfriends chamomile tea bags. I sniffed it before dropping it in my cup and the smell reminded me of horses. Like grass I guess. I didn’t mind it. So poured water in and let it brew for a few minutes. Totally changed the smell, and it tastes reminiscent of apples. It was on the lighter tasting sides. (I usually like my tea on the strong side) but the flavor was really nice. As I’m writing this my eyelids are feeling heavy. Thanks for the article! Chamomile works for me just fine.
I just drank two cups of the chamomile tea in a duration of approximately 1.5 hours and could go right to sleep.
I chose the tea because it was handed down in memory by a grandmother. First day was last week-I am 76, have a wife with memory problems for whom I care for at home, as well as the cooking, yard work, house keeping, and so on since she has slipped a little. Long story short:I now usually sleep well ! Who gives a rat’s butt on research: it worked for me and -darn it- I hope it does so this a long time!
Intelligent members of the scientific community, the scientific literate, and those who care about truth.
Leave the man alone, he likes chamomile tea, and it helps him, so be it.
I’m glad you’re going with your grandmother’s tradition and finding help and comfort using this tea, especially during this time of added responsibility you’re going through. Bless you for being there for your wife! I have been drinking the tea for a little over a week now, and it has helped me with my nerves and sleeping. Cheers!
good on ya John, hope it keeps working !
Whenever i catch cold or having flu, i always drink chamomile tea before sleep.. it always makes me feel sleepy, but i don’t know about it can make u feel sleepy tho. so i just drink. it helps.
I drink chamomile tea when I get a lot of anxiety, I feel like it helps, but I accept that it could be a combination of the relaxing feeling of hot water and placebo. Either way, it helps me feel better.
yeah I wish I knew this before today, I decided to have a chamomile tea for the first time in years, and I don’t ever remember this feeling, but know I’m at the library trying to study and all I want to do is… sleep, sleep… this sucks!
But at least now I know what to tell my Mom who has trouble sleeping!!!
It works for me. I was only getting 3-4 hours of sleep per night. Since I started drinking chamomile I am to 7-8 hours.
I tried it for the first time 2 days ago. I made a gallon of chamomile sun tea, one bag per 6 ounces of water and let it “steep” in the sun a couple hours. Then then normail cooling process for ice tea. I have been heavily burndened the last few months with a gravely ill mother who weighs heavily in my thoughts, this tea not only relieves that never ending tension and burden but makes me feel a lot less stressful. I love it and will continue to use it as described above until winter comes when I will have to change my modus operandi or somebody else has a better idea. Thank you and I sure hope anyone who tries it achieves satisfactory results.
Thanks, Bill, for sharing your experience with chamomile and your concern for the rest of us. Happy sleeping.
You can’t just use chamomile pills and placebos, you need one group to not take anything.
Nope you definitely need a placebo James!
Pretty sure James means that in the study there should really be the trail group, the placebo group and the control group who have neither the chamomile pills or the placebo, Chris.
I have used camomile tea for years and find it stops the mind racing when one wakes and cannot get back to sleep because of stress. The italians also use it in hospital for washing with as camomile tea helps relieve/cure thrush.
This article has confirmed for me that the reason I have had 5 naps in past 2 days is the chamomile tea I started drinking. I like to make a pitcher of tea in morning and drink some all thru the day. This will have to stop tho or use another kind of tea. I have been unable to carry on usual activity because of falling asleep in my chair to sew or use computer, etc.. too groggy to cook safely. Clearly this affects me to the max. Thank you for this information..
After reading all these positive feedback, I will try Chamomile tea soon and share my experience. Thanks everyone for sharing:))
Thanks for all your replies. I am having sleep problems and suddenly remembered my daughter took some kind of tea for sleep . So I checked on internet and see all your posts for Camamile tea. All I remember it was celestial. Tomorrow I am getting me a box. Thanks a bunch
All I know is that I’ve been sleep deprived for the last 16 years, since my hysterectomy. For the last 6 weeks I’ve slept like a baby even when I get up during the night to go to the bathroom. I barely remember putting my head on the pillow the next morning. I will drink camomile tea every night from now on. It did take me a long time to acquire a taste for it since I hate tea, but it’s will worth it.
I found Chamomile tea to clear off flam from the throat.
After reading all your comments I’m excited to drink my brewing cup of chamomile tea (with one lump!).
A friend left the box here ages ago so I thought I’d give it a try…
Let’s see if it works!!!
i am afraid to go to sleep as i have started to have panic attacks bought some camomile tea at lunchtime have been asleep all afternoon
See I disagree sorry but for me its done wonders I’m only 24 and I’ve sufferd anxiety and insomnia for years I had no idea what the claims were about camomile tea nd I’m not a yea drinker normally jst wanted to start up a coffee alternative after smelling most the teas I picked that one I would have a cup nd yawn nd unusually tired so I started having a cup at night I’d sleep right through no waking up every 30 mins it was only then I actually googled it and saw the claims so I’d have to say maybe not for everyone but it sure does something for me doctor prescribed pills could not make my sleeping better but this did miracles for me
I have a question. Can too much camomille make you sleepy the next day? I just had bowel problems and made myself 2 large strong cups of camomille during the day one mid morning and one mid afternoon. The next day I was sleepy all day and felt very tired. Wonder if its after effects.
In my experience it does make me droopy or drowsy the next day. A few days after giving birth to my daughter I wanted to drink some tea and only had chamomille. I couldn’t figure out why I was so extremely sleepy. Thought it was from exhaustion, but then it dawned on me. That stuff is like a sedative…lol. A few years back I used to drink it every night but stopped when I realized it was the tea that made me all sleepy during the day. It does help with sleeping.
All I know for sure is this… One evening my wife asked me if I wanted a cup of tea. It must have been around 7:00 PM on a Friday night. I said sure! She asked me what kind I wanted. I said ” I don’t care whatever you’re having will be fine.” FYI. I almost NEVER go to be before midnight, and I NEVER sleep all night! She told me she was having Camomile, which meant nothing to me at that time so I said great, me too. About 8:00 – 8:30 I could hardly keep my eyes open! We ended up going to bed early that night, and though I woke up to go to the restroom, I went right back to sleep. I ended up getting one of the best nights sleep I had gotten in a long time! Now I drink Camomile when I feel I need a sleep aide only! And it always works! Let me tell you something, I don’t need the confirmation of a study to know that it works! It natural, it tastes good and it works for ME! AND, when I wake up, it’s gone! No after effects! No side effects.
Harold Lindsey.
Chamomile tea as a sleep aid is phenomenal. I like chamomile tea in general and when I first started drinking it I noticed I would get very drowsy and one time I wound up passing completely out on the couch when I was spending time with my family! (00ps)
I boil water and when I want to get a good night’s sleep I will actually put TWO chamomile tea bags in the water to make it super potent. I also like the taste so I don’t take the tea bags out at all. I leave them in until I’m done drinking the tea.
Within 15-20 minutes, I’m DONE! Definitely a really great herb to try if you have trouble sleeping.
Do you mean you use two tea bags for one cup of tea? Or did you mean for a whole pot?
Just wondered how potent I should make mine…
I know i am late to the party; but to anyone still reading this,
I am sure she means two bags per 250ml cup; as i have been known to do the same.. I like my tea’s strong, and Chamomile i find has a weak taste..
I personally don’t notice a “sedating effect” tho… but i enjoy the taste, and its part of my night time ritual, I am a user of prescription sleep-aids(sometimes) and find a nice cup of tea(although non-sedating) sometimes relaxes me enough to “sleep”..
That being said I never get a refreshing sleep w/o Sleep-aids, but i have been like that for years (ever since a doctor put me on a benzo-dirivitive sleep aid)
I have used it to sleep for many years now. a big example that it works is I had a terrible ache in my chest it woulden’t go away so I sat there nearly in tears at the end of my rope and I could not sleep until I had the tea… about 15 mins after drinking it I was sleeping my guess is drug companies say it does not work then they don’t make money from the poisen they push on people.
Having had vicious insomnia for most of my adult life (I’m 48), this sounds interesting. I have been taking trazodone for several years with success but really want off of it. it’s smothering my imagination and a haven’t been able to write since I started taking it, and for this reason I’m hesitant to try anything else. I will be buying some soon, and will update
You lost me when you said “Although the tea has no caffeine to keep you up, a big pile of sugar will do just as much damage.” As someone interested in controlled experimentation to establish physiological effects, you should surely know that sugar does not keep one awake.
Thanks Jeremy, you are absolutely correct. I have updated the article.
The test was done using pills, not hot tea. Not valid in my book.
I never knew about camomile tea until a couple of months ago when I decided to try it out (knowing absolutely nothing about it ) . I found myself wanting to fall asleep straight away and only realised it was the tea when I drank it again the next day. Fact is that it works very well for some people and not so much for others.
I would say that putting the essential oil on your pulse points works better than the tea. But I definitely think they both affect the body’s nervous system (I. E. Relieves anxiety, creates a sense of calmness, facilitates sleepiness). I’m a big believer in oils, more so than tea, though. I agree that the ritual of tea – making is also part of how it works on a person’s behavior. I love chamomile! :) i think everybody should be aware of it (and other herbs /oils) for many other everyday ailments.
Just because they haven’t done the right research does not mean a thing. I have given it to a severely chronically ill person with mental disorder, and he was blind to the fact that it makes him sleep. Yet he falls right to sleep. It does not keep him asleep the whole night, only about four or five hours, but I just leave out another bag, and when he drinks it, he goes right to sleep. To this day, he thinks it is green tea. It works! And it is all the proof I need.
There are a lot of studies showing that this or that herb is not effective at doing something. Although some studies are accurate, many of them are using the herb wrong (and because of that those kind of studies tell us nothing at all). In the hundreds and thousands of years we have been using chamomile, has anyone used it in a pill? There is a lot yet to learn about the many many things present in plants and how they affect our bodies, but there is a decent possibility that whatever is in chamomile (which may be several things working together, often it’s not just one compound) may be drawn out better in tea and so we absorb more of it that way. Hence, by taking it in a pill you WOULDN’T see the same effect as if you had drunken the tea. I understand they may have been trying to separate the calming effect of the tea ritual from the actual effect of chamomile, and I acknowledge that separating these kinds of variables can be difficult. But this difference in how the plant is being studied and how it is actually used definitely should be considered as well.
When we visited the barracks in a 1700’s armory we were told the beds were short because people slept sitting up in those days. Is that really true?
Where did this come from? Lol
Chamomile is only for a nerve relaxant. If you want to use natural herbal teas try catnip, skullcap, hops, etc. mixed with mint tea for flavor. I also suggest Valeria root, but in capsule, the tea is horrid!
No conclusive studies in the United States, maybe, where research on natural remedies/herbs is seriously lacking. (Where’s the profit in it?) If you look into research in Latin America or Asia, however, the results might be surprising.