• Anxiety
• Sleep Disorders
• Complementary and Alternative Medicine
• Nutrition

Calm Your Mind: The Benefits of Chamomile Tea for Anxiety and Sleep

If you’ve been dealing with overwhelming anxiety or spending each night tossing and turning, you’re not alone. It can be exhausting when a racing mind gets in the way of restful sleep every night.

Something as simple as a cup of tea could help ease your tension, relieve anxiety, and promote a night of peaceful sleep.

Chamomile tea has been used for centuries as a natural remedy to reduce anxiety and improve sleep quality. With its calming properties, this herbal tea might be the soothing solution you need.

In this article, we’ll explore how chamomile tea helps with anxiety and sleep and several other health benefits.

What is Chamomile Tea Made From?

Chamomile tea is made from the dried flowers of the German chamomile (Matricaria recutita) and Roman chamomile (Chamaemelum nobile) plant.The flowers have small, white petals with a yellow center that resembles daisies. 

Dried flowers from the chamomile plant are typically steeped in hot water to release their soothing properties and mild flavor.

Chamomile comes in different forms including:

• Chamomile extract: This is a concentrated liquid made from the essential components of the chamomile flower. Depending on the extraction process, it can be alcohol-based or alcohol-free.

• Chamomile essential oil: A highly concentrated form of chamomile produced from the steam distillation of chamomile flowers. This process extracts the essential oils from the flowers to create a liquid for oil aromatherapy.

• Dried chamomile flowers: These flowers are steeped in hot water to create a soothing tea. 

• Chamomile capsules and supplements: Chamomile is also sold as a supplement in capsule or tablet form. Capsules typically contain powdered chamomile or chamomile extract.

• Creams and lotions: Chamomile is often incorporated into topical creams, lotions, and balms because of its soothing effect and anti-inflammatory properties. In this form, chamomile can be used to soothe irritated or sensitive skin and heal mild allergic reactions.

Chamomile Tea and Anxiety

Chamomile tea contains apigenin — a bioflavonoid that binds to specific receptors in the brain — particularly GABA receptors. These receptors are the same ones targeted by anti-anxiety medications such as benzodiazepines to reduce nervous system activity. 

By interacting with these receptors, chamomile may produce a mild sedative sensation to help reduce feelings of nervousness, tension, and anxiety.

If you have an anxiety-related health condition such as generalized anxiety disorder (GAD), drinking chamomile tea or consuming its extracts may help ease symptoms like the onset of panic attacks.

Chamomile is also known for its anti-inflammatory properties. Inflammation can cause symptoms like muscle tension, headaches, or upset stomach.

Chamomile Tea and Sleep

Chamomile is one of the most well-known natural sleep aids, largely because of its mild sedative properties. Several factors contribute to its effectiveness in promoting restful sleep:

Reducing sleep onset time

Chamomile tea can be particularly helpful in helping you to fall asleep faster because of its sedative properties. People who drink chamomile tea may experience improved sleep quality. This can be especially beneficial for those dealing with insomnia.

Enhancing sleep quality

Chamomile not only helps you fall asleep but it can also improves your sleep quality. It helps you stay asleep longer by decreasing anxiety and calming the mind. Staying relaxed is a key factor in maintaining uninterrupted sleep.

Regulating circadian rhythm

Chamomile tea can also support the body’s natural internal clock, known as your circadian rhythm. Circadian rhythm regulates the sleep-wake cycles in the body. Chamomile helps the body maintain a natural sleep pattern by inducing relaxation and lowering stress to ease the mind and promote a consistent sleep schedule.

Relaxing the muscles

This type of tea may have a mild muscle-relaxing effect, which can help reduce physical tension in the body. Tensing up the body during sleep can make it more difficult to stay asleep.

The Other Health Benefits of Chamomile Tea

Chamomile tea offers a range of health benefits in addition to anxiety and sleep. Listed below are additional health benefits to adding chamomile to your routine.

Preventing inflammation

Chamomile contains several compounds — including flavonoids like apigenin — that have powerful anti-inflammatory properties. This can help reduce inflammation throughout the body. Inflammation can increase your risk of illness and infection.

Chamomile tea may help alleviate swelling and pain associated with health conditions such as osteoarthritis and rheumatoid arthritis.

Improving digestive health

Chamomile tea helps soothe the stomach and intestines, making it useful for managing conditions such as irritable bowel syndrome (IBS) and gastritis. This type of tea may also calm inflammation in the digestive tract — alleviating discomfort, bloating, and cramps. 

This herbal tea is commonly used as a natural remedy for digestive problems due to its calming effects. Chamomile and other herbal teas can relax smooth muscles in the gastrointestinal tract. This can relieve symptoms of indigestion and gas. 

Chamomile tea may help reduce acid levels in the stomach. This provides relief from symptoms of gastroesophageal reflux disease (GERD) and acid reflux.

It has anti-inflammatory and antibacterial properties that may help prevent stomach ulcers caused by Helicobacter pylori (H.pylori) — a common bacterial infection linked to stomach ulcers.

Boosting immune health

Chamomile tea contains antioxidant compounds that support the immune system by preventing cell damage. Antioxidant compounds in chamomile tea help neutralize free radicals — unstable molecules that can damage cells and contribute to illness.

Regular consumption of chamomile tea may help fight infection because of its antimicrobial and antiviral properties.

Drinking chamomile tea may also help alleviate a sore throat.

Enhancing skin health

Chamomile has been used topically and consumed as a tea to promote healthy skin. Its anti-inflammatory, antibacterial, and antioxidant properties make it useful for:

• Soothing skin irritation: Chamomile can help reduce redness and irritation on the skin. Applying cooled chamomile tea to the skin may alleviate symptoms associated with eczema, psoriasis, and dermatitis. 

• Healing wounds: Antioxidants in chamomile tea can promote tissue regeneration and accelerate the healing of minor cuts and wounds. Chamomile compresses are sometimes placed on the skin for this reason.

• Reducing acne breakouts: The anti-inflammatory and antibacterial effects of chamomile may help reduce acne breakouts by calming inflamed skin and fighting bacteria that causes acne.

Protecting heart health

Chamomile’s antioxidant properties may improve heart health by lowering bad cholesterol levels. This may also reduce the risk of heart disease. 

The tea's mild sedative effects may lower cardiovascular risk factors like high blood pressure (hypertension) and stress.

Relieving menstrual pain 

Chamomile tea has been traditionally used to relieve menstrual cramps and other premenstrual syndrome (PMS) symptoms due to its muscle-relaxing and anti-inflammatory properties.

The tea may help reduce the severity of menstrual cramps by relaxing and smoothing muscles in the uterus. It may also relieve mood swings, irritability, and other emotional symptoms associated with PMS.

Regulating blood sugar

Chamomile tea may reduce the risk of diabetes and help people with diabetes keep blood sugar levels stable. Regular consumption of chamomile tea may also improve insulin sensitivity.

Additionally, drinking chamomile tea may help reduce blood sugar spikes after meals and improve overall blood glucose control in people with diabetes.

How to Incorporate Chamomile into Your Routine

Steps to make a cup of chamomile tea includes the following:

• Boil at least one cup of water

• Pour one cup of boiling water over two to three heaping teaspoons of dried flowers

• Steep for 10 to 15 minutes

It is recommended to drink three to four times daily between meals for optimal health benefits.

Here are some other practical tips for incorporating chamomile tea into your routine:

• Before bed: Drink a cup of tea 30 to 45 minutes before bed to calm your body and mind and prepare for restful sleep.

• Midday stress relief: If you experience anxiety during the day, a cup of chamomile tea during a work break or lunch can be a natural way to de-stress and reset your focus.

• After meals for digestion: Chamomile tea can be sipped after meals to help with digestion and soothe the stomach.

• Your morning routine: While chamomile tea is often associated with sleep, it can also be consumed in the morning to promote a calm and peaceful start to the day.

• Combined with other herbal teas: Chamomile tea can be blended and enjoyed with other herbal teas, such as peppermint, lavender, or ginger.

• Enjoy it cold: Chamomile tea can also be brewed and served as an iced tea. Cold-brew chamomile tea is a refreshing option for summer, and lemon, mint, or honey can be added to enhance the flavor.

• Make a chamomile-infused bath: You can prepare a chamomile-infused bath to soothe cuts, eczema, insect bites, and skin irritation. Use one-quarter pound of dried flowers or add five to ten drops of essential oil to a full tub of water.

Where Can I Learn More About My Health and Well-Being?

Through LifeMD, you can consult a licensed healthcare provider about additional ways to manage your anxiety.

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