Whether you are a complete novice when it comes to tea, or you like to think that you know a thing or two about the world’s favorite hot beverage, the one thing we can all agree on is that new recommendations are always a treat! This drink is pretty popular in a lot of cultures around the world, for example in England, or in China and Japan. We drink it for so many reasons, including the intake of antioxidants and other active substances, weight loss, calming, treating some diseases, or just enjoying the taste. Lots of tea drinkers like to have a cup of something hot before they head to bed in the evenings, and no matter whether you go for teabags of loose leaf tea, you want to make sure that you pick the right nighttime tea to help you drift off into the land of nod.
A lot of tea types have a positive influence over our sleeping routine, and they can calm the nerves, leading to peaceful night sleep. With that in mind, here is a list of the top 8 tea varieties that you should drink at night and that will be available at any good online shops!
Chamomile
It’s fair to say that chamomile is the king of night-time tea and the one that you will be recommended on most occasions by most people. The reason for this is that chamomile is one of the few plants in the world that is completely caffeine-free. Add to that the inclusion of various sleep-inducing ingredients and you have a winning combination just before bedtime. Chamomile has also been proven to be effective in the area of decreasing anxiety, which is another helpful benefit that people appreciate when they are trying to wind down in the evenings. If you add a little honey, you can be sure you will get the best possible taste, that will calm you down and improve the quality of your sleep.
Green Tea
Green tea, especially the varieties that you can find which are caffeine-free, is famously good for bedtime drinking. The main reason for this is that it contains something called theanine, which has been identified as being able to help calm a person down. As we’ve mentioned, do be mindful of selecting a green tea variety that does not contain caffeine, as caffeine should be avoided in the hours leading up to sleep. Anyway, if you can’t find anything like that, you have to know that this type is also good for the mornings because it will boost your energy, clear your mind, and get you ready for your daily tasks.
Peppermint Tea
Peppermint tea is another herbal option that has plenty of great benefits for night-time sipping. Again, it is a beverage that contains little to no caffeine, which is what you are looking for in a hot tea drink right before you go to sleep. Peppermint tea is also extremely effective in helping to settle your stomach, which might be beneficial if you have had a large dinner during the evening and want to give yourself the best opportunity for a comfortable night’s sleep. The taste is naturally good, but you can improve it by adding a few drops of fresh lemon juice, or a small amount of honey. Don’t add sugar, because it will give you an instant spike of energy and you won’t be able to sleep nicely.
Lavender Tea
You might be familiar with the calming properties that lavender essential oil can have, and the very same can be said for drinkable lavender tea. In general, lavender is amazing for both ingesting and inhaling, and you get to do a bit of both when sipping on a steaming mug of lavender tea. The properties within lavender tea will primarily help you to relax, which should then encourage a nice natural sleep to come over you. For added benefits, you can also spray some lavender essential oil in the room as you get into bed and turn the lights out.
Valerian Root Tea
If you want to opt for something a little more outside of the usual tea comfort zones, then valerian root might be the perfect alternative for you. Scientists believe that valerian root might be a helpful sleep aid because it increases levels of a certain neurotransmitter called GABA. The more GABA you have in your system, the sleepier you are going to feel, which makes valerian root tea and bedtime a match made in heaven! In some circles, valerian root is even used by people who have in the past suffered from severe symptoms of insomnia.
Passionflower
It comes from the Passiflora plant, and it’s made of a dried mixture of its flowers and leaves. The main purpose of this beverage is to ease anxiety, and sleepiness is a secondary effect, but surely it’s good to know this, especially if you can’t sleep because of your anxiety attacks. According to the experts in this field, it works well when combined with valerian root, for an even better effect.
Lemongrass
This one has a refreshing and pleasant aroma and taste, but as soon as you drink it, you will want to just hug your blanket and start dreaming. It can help you reduce the anxiety caused by your everyday life, and improve the night sleep schedule, so you can wake up fully energized. You are free to combine it with mint or no-caffeine green tea, or you can drink it clean. Again, avoid adding sugar to your night beverages, so you won’t stay awake until early in the next morning, because of the energy boost.
Lemon balm
This is the hero among all of these plants when it comes to better sleeping. It has a unique green and refreshing taste, with tiny notes of honey and lemon flavors. It’s naturally like that. Even though it’s a part of the mint family, its properties are much better than the usual peppermint tea. Also, it helps you reduce stress and anxiety, which is very important when you can’t really sleep well at night. You can take it minutes before you go to bed, and enjoy the pleasantly sweet taste of it.
Hopefully, you now have a few new names to buy on your preferred online tea and coffee shop. One of the greatest joys of being a tea lover is getting to enjoy all of the different varieties on offer. We are lucky to have all of them available just a click away from us.
When it comes to tea at night, you can’t go wrong with any one of the great blends that we have suggested Most of them can be combined together in a mixture, but don’t do that before you ask someone who knows that better. If one doesn’t help, then another might; it’s all about playing the field until you land on a tea that suits you perfectly and helps you to drift off into a peaceful sleep at the end of the evening. And the best thing is that you will enjoy trying new flavors and combinations until you find the right one for you.
