Can Chai Tea Help You Sleep?

Last updated on July 24th, 2022 at 11:48 pm

You may think of Chai as a flavor of tea with cinnamon or cardamom notes. But this is just the Americanized version of the tea. In India where it originated, the word chai means tea and so it’s not just a flavor of tea, it is tea. 

India took the British way of making tea, black with milk and sugar and added in spices like ginger, cinnamon, and cloves. Did you know that India is one of the largest producers of tea in the world? 

Although there are different variations of chai, the basic ingredients are the same. It consists of tea, milk, spices and sweetener. Chai not only tastes good but actually contains some great health benefits as well. 

Along with all the things that Chai can benefit your body, can it help you sleep?

Chai tea contains caffeine and so it doesn’t help you sleep but rather is mentally clarifying and energizing.

Chai is often used as a substitute for coffee because it can provide energy and wake you up without the jitteriness that coffee causes. Most chai tea has around 25mg of caffeine  but that varies based on what you put in it and how strong you make it. 

Chai has about one third the amount of caffeine that a cup of coffee has in it. When you drink chai, it can give you that stimulating effect while also reducing your caffeine intake. 

Knowing this, chai probably won’t be all that helpful to sip right before you go to sleep. It doesn’t contain a lot of caffeine so it may not disrupt your sleep unless you are really sensitive to caffeine. 

But, it isn’t tea that will help you sleep. Chai is often consumed for a pick-me-up throughout the day because it puts you in a calm and relaxed but focused state. It helps to keep you awake and focused so it is recommended to drink your last mug of chai 3 to 7 hours before your bedtime. 

If you are in the habit of drinking chai before bed and just can’t resist it, try steeping it for a shorter time. Doing this can decrease the caffeine content by 80 percent. 

So, even though chai won’t help you sleep because it contains caffeine, it probably won’t disturb your sleep since those caffeine contents are low.

Which Tea Is Good For Sleep?

Sleep is important for you to stay healthy, but many people have trouble sleeping or staying asleep. One thing that can help to relax you when bedtime comes are herbal teas. 

Which teas are good to help you sleep?

Teas that help you sleep at night are herbal teas such as chamomile, peppermint, ginger, valerian root, lavender, lemon balm, passion flower, and magnolia bark.

Chamomile contains an antioxidant called apigenin which promotes calm and sleepiness. This type of tea can also help anxiety and depression, blood sugar levels, heart, digestive, immune health, and inflammation. 

Chamomile is known to be a sleep inducer. Its calming effect relaxes your body and mind, initiating sleep. 

Another good bedtime tea is valerian root. This tea increases your levels of gamma-aminobutyric acid or GABA, to help you destress and fall asleep. 

Valerian root can help with menopausal hot flashes, menstrual condition, restless leg syndrome, and stress and anxiety. It is also an effective sleep aid that improves sleep so when you drink it before bedtime you won’t experience any drowsiness in the morning when you wake up. 

Then there is Lavender tea which reduces anxiety and helps you to relax, promoting sleep. This tea can help anxiety and depression, menstrual cramping, and skin health. 

Lavender was originally native to the Mediterranean region but it is now grown world-wide. Made from the small purple buds of the flowing lavender plant the tea is said to relax, settle nerves and aid sleep. 

Lemon balm is another type of tea that increases levels of GABA in your brain. It also acts as a mild sedative and helps you sleep. 

Lemon balm tea is said to help with cognitive function, cold sores, indigestion, nausea, headaches, toothaches, menstrual cramping, stress and anxiety. 

Since the Middle Ages lemon balm tea has been improving sleep for those who are having trouble falling asleep at night. I will discuss more tea that helps you sleep later on in this article.

Is Sleepytime Tea Safe?  

One tea that is great for helping you sleep is Sleepytime Tea. This tea contains chamomile, spearmint, lemon grass, tilia flowers, blackberry leaves, orange blossoms, hawthorn berries, and rosebuds. 

But is Sleepytime Tea safe to drink?

Sleepytime tea is safe to drink and helps you to relax and sleep better.

Sleepytime tea contains chamomile which has been studied for its sleep-inducing effects. By drinking Sleepytime tea before bedtime, you can calm your mind and body and fall asleep faster. The ingredients in this tea are great for when you wanna get some restful sleep. 

Even the act of drinking tea is relaxing. 

Another tea that helps you to sleep is Passionflower. Thai tea also increases those levels of GABA that we talked about earlier, lowering brain activity to help you relax and sleep soundly. It also helps with anxiety, menopausal hot flashes, and stomach conditions. 

Like the rest of these teas, it is effective in improving sleep even being compared to medication that is prescribed to treat insomnia. 

The last tea I will mention in this article is Magnolia bark. This contains a compound honokiol which has a sedative effect that can help you to fall asleep and stay asleep. 

Magnolia bark can also help anxiety and depression, inflammation, and symptoms of menopause. 

Magnolia was traditionally used by the Chinese to alleviate various symptoms and increase sleepiness. 

Other teas like peppermint and ginger are also teas to help you sleep. Before drinking some of these teas that I mentioned in this article to help you sleep, you should consult your doctor because they should not be mixed with certain medications.

Final Thoughts

There are some herbal teas that help you sleep. Teas such as chamomile can relax you for an improved sleep. As for chai tea, it has caffeine in it. Though a low amount, drinking it before you sleep could possibly end up keeping you awake. 

It is not known to be a sleep-aid tea but rather a coffee substitute. So drink chai when you need a little pick-me-up and stick to those herbal teas before bedtime.