Top 5 Teas For Sleep - Discover Perfect Bedtime Tea

Tossing and turning. Checking the time. Can’t fall asleep.

Everyone’s been there. Struggling to drop off to sleep, repeatedly waking up, or generally sleeping poorly can make us feel tired, grumpy, and utterly rubbish.

When we’re struggling to get to sleep, we often reach for a comforting bedtime tea. The best teas to drink to help you sleep are herbal blends, which are naturally caffeine-free. Lots contain essential oils, herbs and flowers with natural, sedative properties that can have profoundly positive effects on sleep.

Fancy a bedtime tea? Read on to discover our favourite relaxing teas for a good night’s sleep.

Chamomile tea

Chamomile tea is one of the oldest blends around. Evidence shows ancient Romans and Egyptians used chamomile to soothe stomach aches, aid sleep, and much more.

Modern research has proven what the ancients knew: chamomile tea has remarkably calming effects, making it the perfect bedtime brew. This is because chamomile plants contain chemicals that send signals to our brains, making us feel sleepy.

There are lots of other health benefits associated with chamomile tea, including reducing anxiety, aiding digestion and even relieving menstrual cramps. To help fall asleep, drink a cup of chamomile tea about 45 minutes before bedtime to maximise its sedative effect. Add a splash of honey to your cup or enjoy our chamomile blend on its own to breathe in subtle flavours of floral sweetness and apple.

Peppermint tea

Proven to help you nod off and sleep for longer, peppermint tea is another great option for a pre-bedtime drink. The essential oils in peppermint tea can help relax your muscles, setting the scene for a peaceful night of sleep.

Rich in antioxidants, there are lots of other benefits of peppermint tea too. These include its ability to calm anxiety and relieve digestive discomfort, both of which can make it much easier to fall asleep as well.

Enjoy a cup of peppermint tea about an hour before bed to soothe yourself into sleep. Make sure you choose a herbal minty blend though — peppermint green teas are popular too but contain caffeine, which isn’t likely to help you sleep.

Organic Rooibos tea

Grown only in a small part of South Africa, rooibos has been used for generations to cure all sorts of ailments. Popularised in Europe around 300 years ago, the rich taste and health benefits of rooibos make it a firm favourite around the world.

Rooibos is naturally caffeine-free and low in tannins, making it an ideal bedtime tea. Its soothing properties relax the body, aiding in digestion and making sleep come a little easier.

This full-bodied brew is a particularly great choice for black tea drinkers. Processed in a similar way to black tea leaves, rooibos has bold, nutty and earthy flavours. This means it tastes similar to a standard cuppa and can even be served with milk (unlike many herbal teas). Choose rooibos rather than decaffeinated black tea as it’s naturally caffeine-free and so won’t contain any traces of the stuff.

Our delicious rooibos tea tastes great on its own, or you can add milk, lemon or honey to deepen the flavour. If you want something a little sweeter before bed, try our vanilla rooibos - same calming properties, extra vanilla flavour.

Browse our collection of Rooibos teas here.

Rosebud tea

Roses have been used as an ingredient in herbal medicine for hundreds of years. Rose tea itself is an important tonic in Traditional Chinese Medicine as it’s said to regulate qi, or life energy.

One aspect of this is easing fatigue and calming nerves. The natural, sedative properties of rose tea can help you drop off to sleep a little quicker and can even help insomniacs improve their sleep quality. As with other herbal blends, rose tea is also high in antioxidants which can bring other benefits like boosting your immune system and fighting inflammation.

Our whole rosebud tea is a delight to make before bedtime. Brew in a glass teapot or cup and watch the buds unravel in the hot water. Then, enjoy the sweet, floral flavours of this perfect bedtime tea.

Lemongrass and ginger tea

The combination of lemongrass and ginger works together to calm your mind ready for sleep. Lemongrass is well known to relax muscles and induce sleep, potentially even helping your sleep for longer once you’ve dropped off. The warming embrace of ginger will also help you feel cosy and settled at bedtime.

As an added bonus, lemongrass and ginger tea can also settle stomach aches, relieve nausea and take the edge off sore throats, all things that could get in the way of a restful night’s sleep.

Brew our lemongrass and ginger tea for 3-4 minutes before sipping on a cup at bedtime.

Teas to help you sleep easy

Why not try brewing a warming cup of herbal tea before bedtime? The ritual of sipping a brew will quickly become part of your night-time routine, adding an additional comforting step to promote sleep. Experiment with different blends and flavours until you find your favourite bedtime tea. Just remember to only drink caffeine-free herbal tea before bed so you don’t risk being up all night.

We've taken the time to compile a full-on collection of all our favourite teas for sleep and relaxation. Why not have a browse and see what takes your fancy?