Herbal Tea for Sleep: What the Research Shows About the Tea
What trials and regulators say about herbal tea for sleep, tea by tea, with plain labels for the strength of evidence, the sedative cautions and when to see a clinician.
Content last updated . This page has not been medically reviewed.
Safety first. Natural products can cause side effects and interact with medicines. Read herbal tea and extract safety before you use anything on this page.
Read this first: who should be careful
- Sedatives, alcohol and driving. NIH says valerian should not be taken along with alcohol or sedatives. [1] The EU monographs for lavender flower and hops say they may impair the ability to drive and use machines. [2][3]
- Surgery. NIH says passionflower might interact with some anesthesia drugs, so avoid it before surgery unless a health care provider recommends it. [4] Tell the surgical team about every herbal tea; see supplements before surgery.
- Pregnancy and breastfeeding. The EU monographs for valerian root, passion flower, hops, lavender flower and lemon balm all say safety has not been established, so use in pregnancy and breastfeeding is not recommended. [5][6][3][2][7] NIH says passionflower should not be used in pregnancy because it may induce uterine contractions. [4] See pregnancy and breastfeeding.
- Allergy. NIH says chamomile can cause allergic reactions, including severe ones, and that people allergic to ragweed, chrysanthemums, marigolds or daisies are more likely to react. [8]
- Medicines. Ask a pharmacist before combining a sleep tea with any medicine; never change a prescribed medicine on your own. See how interactions work.
The short answer
Several herbal teas are traditional bedtime drinks, and EU regulators accept some of them "to aid sleep" on the basis of long use. Trials of the tea itself are few, small and mostly short. No source we read ranks one tea as best, and this page does not either. A tea made from the true tea plant is a different drink: it contains caffeine, and the NHS advises not drinking tea or coffee for at least 6 hours before bed. [9] See caffeine in herbal teas.What the research found, tea by tea
Traditional use and research are separate here. "EU traditional use" is a regulatory category: the effect is judged plausible from at least 30 years of use, even though clinical trial evidence is insufficient. [6]| Tea (plant, part) | What the sources found | Strength of evidence | Form and people studied |
|---|---|---|---|
| Passionflower (Passiflora incarnata L., above-ground parts) | In a 41-person crossover trial with placebo tea, sleep quality ratings were better after a week of passionflower tea; the authors call the findings initial. [10] NIH says a small amount of research suggests oral passionflower might improve total sleep time, with mixed effects on falling and staying asleep. [4] | Promising but limited | Tea; healthy adults aged 18 to 35 with mild sleep fluctuation, self-rated diaries |
| Chamomile (Matricaria chamomilla L., flower heads) | After 2 weeks of chamomile tea, postnatal women with poor sleep scored better than a usual-care group, but scores were similar by 4 weeks. [11] A meta-analysis of 12 trials of chamomile found better sleep quality, but only one trial looked at insomnia and found no change. [12] NIH says chamomile has been used traditionally for insomnia, often as tea, but there is no conclusive evidence from clinical trials. [13] | Mixed | Tea in the postnatal trial; mixed chamomile forms in the meta-analysis |
| Valerian (Valeriana officinalis L., root) | NIH says the evidence for sleep problems is inconsistent, and a 2017 American Academy of Sleep Medicine guideline recommended against valerian for chronic insomnia in adults. [1] The EU's "well-established use" status covers a specific dry extract, while other preparations are traditional use only. [5] | Mixed (not tea) | Mostly extracts and capsules |
| Lemon balm (Melissa officinalis L., leaf) | The EU monograph lists mild stress and sleep aid as traditional use; a small study showed a possible improvement but design shortcomings prevented firm conclusions. [7] Proper evidence not found for a trial of lemon balm tea for sleep: our PubMed search for lemon balm tea or infusion trials returned 7 records, including one tea trial in people with premature ventricular beats, and none tested sleep. [14] | Traditional use only | Leaf preparations; tea trial not found |
| Lavender (Lavandula angustifolia Mill., flower) | The EU monograph lists mild stress and sleep aid as traditional use based exclusively on long-standing use. [2] A trial of lavender tea in 80 sleep-disturbed postnatal women reported less fatigue and depression and more bonding than usual care after 2 weeks, but the abstract does not report a sleep result and the gains were gone by 4 weeks. [15] Proper evidence not found for lavender tea trials of sleep in the general adult population. [14] NIH's comments on sleep concern aromatherapy with lavender oil, not tea. [16] | Traditional use; one small trial of other outcomes | Tea; postnatal women |
| Hops (Humulus lupulus L., flower) | The EU monograph lists mild stress and sleep aid as traditional use. [3] Proper evidence not found for a trial of hops tea for sleep: our PubMed search for hops or Humulus lupulus with tea or infusion and sleep or insomnia returned 2 records, a menopause formula pilot and a 2000 review of herbal sedatives. [14] | Traditional use only | Flower preparations |
| A multi-herb East Asian tea formula | Compared with a waitlist group (not placebo tea), 40 people with mild-to-moderate insomnia had larger drops in insomnia scores after 4 weeks. [17] | Preliminary; one pilot, not placebo controlled | A formula, not a single herb |
Plant names
Accepted names were checked against GBIF; the EU chamomile monograph uses the synonym Matricaria recutita L. [18]What other sources say about sleep problems
The NHS says insomnia usually gets better by changing sleeping habits, and that sleep aids from a pharmacist, some containing valerian or lavender, cannot cure insomnia and should not be used longer than 1 to 2 weeks. [9] For habits and for the evidence on other aids, see insomnia, natural sleep aids compared and the plant pages for chamomile tea, passionflower tea, valerian tea, lemon balm tea, lavender tea and hops tea.Frequently asked questions
What is the best herbal tea for sleep?
The sources we read do not identify one. Passionflower tea has one small placebo-controlled trial, chamomile results are mixed, and valerian evidence is inconsistent. [10][13][1]
Does chamomile tea help you sleep?
NIH says there is no conclusive evidence from clinical trials, though one trial of chamomile tea in postnatal women found short-term gains that were gone by 4 weeks. [13][11]
Is valerian tea safe with alcohol or sleeping pills?
NIH says valerian should not be taken along with alcohol or sedatives. Ask a pharmacist before combining it with any medicine. [1]
Is it safe to drink sleep tea while pregnant?
The EU monographs for valerian, passion flower, hops, lavender and lemon balm say safety in pregnancy has not been established. [5][6][3][2][7] Ask a midwife, doctor or pharmacist.
When should I see a doctor about poor sleep?
The NHS suggests a GP visit if better sleep habits have not helped, if trouble sleeping has gone on for months, or if it is affecting daily life. [9]
More details: evidence, limits and cautions
The details behind this page: cautions, limits of the evidence and where sources disagree. Open any note to read it.
Limits and when to ask a clinician
- Most tea trials are small and rely on self-rated sleep, and some have no placebo comparison. [10][11]
- The EU monographs say to consult a doctor or qualified practitioner if symptoms persist beyond about 2 weeks. [6][7]
- The NHS says to see a GP if changing sleeping habits has not helped, if trouble sleeping has lasted months, or if insomnia is making daily life hard to cope with. [9]
- Kava is sometimes sold as a calming drink; NIH says its use has been linked to liver injury that is sometimes serious or even fatal. [13] See kava, kratom and blue lotus teas.
References
- National Center for Complementary and Integrative Health (NIH). Valerian: Usefulness and Safety. Last updated May 2025. Read 2026-10-23.
- European Medicines Agency, Committee on Herbal Medicinal Products (HMPC). Community herbal monograph on Lavandula angustifolia Miller, flos, EMA/HMPC/734125/2010, 27 March 2012. Read 2026-10-23.
- European Medicines Agency, Committee on Herbal Medicinal Products (HMPC). Community herbal monograph on Humulus lupulus L., flos, EMA/HMPC/682384/2013. Read 2026-10-23.
- National Center for Complementary and Integrative Health (NIH). Passionflower: Usefulness and Safety. Last updated April 2025. Read 2026-10-23.
- European Medicines Agency, Committee on Herbal Medicinal Products (HMPC). Valerianae radix (valerian root): herbal medicinal product, public summary and EU herbal monograph on Valeriana officinalis L., radix. Read 2026-10-23.
- European Medicines Agency, Committee on Herbal Medicinal Products (HMPC). Passiflorae herba (passion flower): herbal medicinal product, public summary and Community herbal monograph on Passiflora incarnata L., herba. Read 2026-10-23.
- European Medicines Agency, Committee on Herbal Medicinal Products (HMPC). Melissae folium (melissa leaf): herbal medicinal product, public summary and Community herbal monograph on Melissa officinalis L., folium. Read 2026-10-23.
- National Center for Complementary and Integrative Health (NIH). Chamomile: Usefulness and Safety. Last updated November 2024. Read 2026-10-23.
- NHS (UK). Insomnia. Page last reviewed 19 March 2024. Read 2026-10-23.
- Ngan A, Conduit R. A double-blind, placebo-controlled investigation of the effects of Passiflora incarnata (passionflower) herbal tea on subjective sleep quality. Phytotherapy Research. 2011;25(8):1153-1159. Read 2026-10-23.
- Chang SM, Chen CH. Effects of an intervention with drinking chamomile tea on sleep quality and depression in sleep disturbed postnatal women: a randomized controlled trial. Journal of Advanced Nursing. 2016;72(2):306-315. Read 2026-10-23.
- Hieu TH, Dibas M, Surya Dila KA, et al. Therapeutic efficacy and safety of chamomile for state anxiety, generalized anxiety disorder, insomnia, and sleep quality: a systematic review and meta-analysis. Phytotherapy Research. 2019;33(6):1604-1615. Read 2026-10-23.
- National Center for Complementary and Integrative Health (NIH). Sleep Disorders: What You Need To Know. Read 2026-10-23.
- National Library of Medicine. PubMed search records via NCBI E-utilities, searched 2026-10-23; record titles read, counts as stated in the page text. Read 2026-10-23.
- Chen SL, Chen CH. Effects of lavender tea on fatigue, depression, and maternal-infant attachment in sleep-disturbed postnatal women. Worldviews on Evidence-Based Nursing. 2015;12(6):370-379. Read 2026-10-23.
- National Center for Complementary and Integrative Health (NIH). Lavender: Usefulness and Safety. Read 2026-10-23.
- Mun S, Lee S, Park K, et al. Effect of Traditional East Asian Medicinal herbal tea (HT002) on insomnia: a randomized controlled pilot study. Integrative Medicine Research. 2019;8(1):15-20. Read 2026-10-23.
- GBIF Secretariat. GBIF Backbone Taxonomy species match, queried 2026-10-23 for each plant named on these pages. Read 2026-10-23.
Education, not medical advice. This page is for general information. It does not diagnose or treat any condition and is not a substitute for care from a qualified health professional. Natural does not automatically mean safe. Ask a clinician or pharmacist before changing your care, especially if you take medication, are pregnant or breastfeeding, or have a health condition.