Sleep like a Dream: How to use Herbal Tea for a Restful Night’s Sleep

NutritionHealth
Written By Matt Porter

In today’s fast-paced world, a restful nights’ sleep has become a precious luxury that eludes many of us. Hannah from @nourish.and.thrive breaks down the why herbal tea is a great drink to promote sleepiness!

Introduction to Sleep

Tossing and turning. Feeling exhausted but somehow not sleepy. Racing thoughts that come flooding in as soon as your head hits the pillow. If any of these feelings sound all too familiar, you’re not alone; a third of adults in Western countries experience sleep problems at least once a week (1). But sleep deprivation doesn't only make us feel tired, it also has a huge impact on how our brain functions:

  • Just one night of sleep deprivation has been shown to increase anxiety by 30% (2)

  • Moderate sleep deprivation has similar effects on our cognitive performance to being drunk (3)- yikes!

Thankfully, there are lots of things we can do to improve our sleep. If you're looking for natural ways to support restful sleep, herbal tea might be just what you're after. Let's explore what sets us up for a good night's sleep, and how herbal tea can help.

The sleep-stress connection

Though the causes of difficulty sleeping can be varied and complex, one of the most common culprits is stress. A survey by the American Psychological Association found that adults with lower stress levels get more sleep on average than adults with higher stress levels (4). Stress reportedly caused 43% of those surveyed to lie awake at night. Adults with high stress were also more likely to say they aren't getting enough sleep because their minds race. 

So stress can make it tricky to get to sleep. You might be thinking 'well duh!’ But here's the real kicker...

Lack of sleep also causes us to feel more stressed! The relationship between stress and sleep is a two-way street (5), and we can get stuck in a vicious cycle. So how can we escape? 

To break free of the sleep-deprivation and stress cycle, we need to find ways of regulating our body's stress response. 

When we're stressed, our nervous system is in 'fight or flight' (sympathetic) mode, and is preparing to respond to a threat by fighting or running away. No wonder we can't sleep when we're stressed! But our nervous system is like a see-saw, and on the other side of ‘fight or flight' is our 'rest and digest' (parasympathetic) mode (6). This is what we need to activate to calm down our stress response to allow us to fall asleep with ease. 

Enter- herbal tea. Whilst herbal tea isn't a magical elixir that will instantly fix all of your sleep issues, it does have lots of properties that make it a great tool for supporting a good nights sleep. As a nutritionist, I regularly recommend it to clients as part of a relaxing bedtime routine. 

Herbal tea's calming properties

Botanicals like Lavender, Chamomile and Valerian have a rich history of use for their calming and sedative properties, dating back to Ancient Greece, Rome and Egypt thousands of years ago. Herbs and botanicals are rich in bioactive compounds called phytochemicals which have a wide range of effects on our health, including our brain and nervous system (7,8). Whilst science is still catching up, there's an increasing amount of evidence for their use that is starting to back up some of the ancient wisdom and folklore. 

A lot of the calming properties of herbs are due to their effect on a neurotransmitter called GABA (9). Known as gamma-aminobutyric acid in full, GABA has an inhibitory effect on our nervous system, helping to calm over-stimulation (10). Interestingly, several types of sedative drugs such as benzodiazepines also work via their effect on GABA (9). Though of course the effects of herbs are far less potent, especially in a natural form such as herbal tea. 

It's this ability to provide a mild calming effect on the body's stress system that gives herbal tea its relaxing and sleep-inducing properties. By helping to dampen down our stress response when it becomes overactive, herbal tea can be helpful for soothing symptoms of stress and anxiety, helping to prepare us for sleep. 

It's worth noting here that most of the scientific studies done on herbs and botanicals for sleep have looked at herbal extracts, typically taken in capsules. This is so that the dosage is standardised, and so that study participants can be blinded to whether they are taking the herb or a placebo; something that's rather tricky to do with tea! A few studies have looked at herbal tea, and have found meaningful beneficial effects.

Herbal infusions (what we refer to as herbal tea) are a great way to use herbs and botanicals because they are a time-tested and gentle way to harness their benefits. Though herbal tea alone is unlikely to make significant sleep disorders like insomnia vanish, they are a great way to support your body to prepare for restful sleep.

A mindful bedtime ritual

Another way that herbal tea helps us to relax before bed is the mindful nature of the process. Especially if you're using loose leaf tea. Gently scattering the dried leaves and flowers into your infuser or tea pot, pouring in the boiling water and watching the botanicals swirl. Then inhaling the comforting aroma as it steeps can make the process itself a mindful ritual to bring peace to your evening. 

Plus, some of the benefits of herbs can be found through inhaling their aroma; with some studies using patches to look at the benefits of inhaling the vapour (11). So, curling up with your carefully steeped mug of herbal tea and taking a deep breath might be just what you need to help you drift off for the night. 

Will herbal tea help me sleep?

No diet or lifestyle change is a magic bullet, and herbal tea is no different. But in a world of ever-increasing stress and busyness, herbal tea's calming properties can make it a great mindful ritual to help you unwind for a better nights sleep. 

Fancy giving it a go? Our Sweet Dreams blend contains a dreamy mix of herbs renowned for their sleep-inducing properties, including chamomile, lemon balm, valerian and lavender.

Sweet Dreams
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Matt Porter https://Porterhill.co.uk
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