Brews to help you snooze

A herbalist discusses natural ingredients that aid sleep

IF YOU have trouble unwinding at the end of a busy day, you could try having a cup of herbal tea.

Some teas are specifically encouraged to be consumed right before bedtime and claim to help you in your quest for some shut-eye.

But is there a solid link between some types of herbal teas and sleep?

Key ingredients

Herbalist Katie Pandy is an adviser to one of the world’s leading tea companies.

Here, she explains some of the most common ‘sleep tea’ ingredients.

“What you find in chamomile is the essential oil, chamazulene, and that actually has a relaxing effect on the nervous system,” she says.

“There’s also another constituent in there called apigenin, which is also relaxing to the nervous system.

“The combination of the two

is not necessarily affecting sleep specifically, but its secondary action is making you feel really relaxed.”

So while chamomile has been used as a relaxant, there’s no actual scientific evidence that it aids seep.

However, Pandy reveals there is one herb that has a direct link to sleep: valerian.

The roots of this plant are used for medicinal purposes and can make you feel very sleepy. This ingredient does appear in some bedtime teas, but only in small doses.

According to Ivan Dickons, from Belgian pharmaceutical company Tilman, it’s not very easy or practical to use valerian in tea form. He suggests ingesting this ingredient in capsule form.

“It’s the best documented (sleep herb) at this time,” Dickons says.

While clinical trials have found concentrated valerian capsules to be successful in aiding a deep sleep, what does this mean for the small amounts found in tea bags?

The verdict

Turns out, you’d have to drink eight cups of pure valerian tea to get the same effect as one concentrated capsule. And the bad news doesn’t end there — the pure tea isn’t sold because of its vile smell and taste.

It seems that bedtime teas are more of a marketing ploy, however, if you need help relaxing, they can absolutely help your mind and body to unwind. For anything further, it’s best to see your GP.

For more expert tips visit lifestyle.com.au.