Herbal tea could help you fall asleep in ‘minutes’ – expert

Herbal tea could help you fall asleep in ‘minutes’ – expert

Snoring: Doctor explains how to sleep better at night

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With the festive period just gone and days of work well-spent, January can feel like the Monday of months. What’s worse, experts suggest that this cold winter month doesn’t take it easy on your sleep either. Dubbed the “worst” month for slumber, the first month of the year could be leaving many eyes open. Fortunately, a cup of herbal tea could come to the rescue and make you doze off in “minutes”.

Whether you despise January or treat it as a new start, this winter month is often linked to lifestyle changes.

If you’re not a fan of exercise or healthy snacks like carrots and hummus, you might be looking for a simpler tweak.

In fact, swapping one of your daily cuppas for a different tea mix could be an easy way to adopt a new resolution, while improving your sleep.

Nutritional coach Jess Bloom, from Nourish & Gain, said: “Chamomile tea is often used as a natural remedy for insomnia and other sleep problems.

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“It has a natural, calming effect that can help relax the muscles and reduce anxiety, which may make it easier to fall asleep.

“Studies have suggested that chamomile tea may help improve sleep quality and duration.

“One study found that people who drank chamomile tea for two weeks reported falling asleep faster with a better quality of sleep than those who did not drink the tea.”

This comes as Martin Seeley, Sleep Expert and CEO of Mattress Next Day, revealed that January is “the worst month for sleep”, leaving many Britons suffering from insomnia and disturbed sleep.

If you’ve been tossing and turning without any prospect of a good shut-eye this month, then chamomile tea might be something to try.

A cup of this herbal infusion can get you dreaming in “minutes”, according to researcher and chemist, Dr Tim Bond from the Tea Advisory Panel (TAP).

Dr Bond said: “Some research has shown that you can fall asleep very quickly after a cup of chamomile tea.

“Best estimates suggest it takes 30 to 45 minutes for chamomile tea to make you sleepy.” 

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The reason why this popular tea is able to help with your sleep comes down to its “mildly” sedative properties.

Dr Bond said: “These sedative effects may be due to the flavonoid, apigenin, present in chamomile, that binds to benzodiazepine receptors in the brain.

“Benzodiazepine receptors are those with which prescription benzodiazepine medications interact with to produce a sedative effect.

“Other compounds in chamomile may also bind to benzodiazepine receptors to create a sedative effect but the role of these other compounds is not so well understood.”

The best part is that it’s super easy to implement this tweak to your daily routine, as it requires just one cup a day.

A TAP research review found that drinking one cup of German chamomile tea every day was able to promote better quality sleep. 

“To help you get to sleep, drink a cup of chamomile tea 30 to 45 minutes before bedtime,” Dr Bond added.

However, if you’ve been struggling with sleep for months or you feel like the lack of slumber is impacting your daily life, the NHS recommends seeing a GP.

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