11 Best Teas That Make You Sleepy

When I was young, my grandmother used to make several cups of tea throughout the day. She made tea in the morning, at noon, and at night.

And if you wanted the best teas that make you sleepy, she always knew what to whip up.

I can still hear her stainless-steel teapot whistling over the stove. In fact, in the winter, she used to set the tea kettle on top of the fireplace to heat the water!

They were simple people, my grandparents. But most of what I’ve learned about tea was learned from my grandmother.

There Are a Million Teas in the World – So How Do You Pick the Best Teas That Make You Sleepy?

The key to finding the best tea is to try as many different types as possible.

But of course, that’s easier said than done. There are literally hundreds of options.

If you’re anything like me, you’re too busy to constantly try new types of tea on an almost daily basis.

Which is why we’ve gone to the liberty of putting this post together for you.

In this post, you’re going to learn about the 11 best teas that make you sleepy.

These are the best bedtime teas in the world. If you need some help falling asleep at night, and actually need a tea that will relax you—any one of these options will do the trick.

Pro Tip: Most of the items on this list are going to appear as ingredients on the tea label. For best results, find a good tea blend that blends some or all of these different ingredients together.

1. Chamomile Tea

Chamomile tea actually comes from a species of daisy-like plants in the Asteraceae family.

No, they are not exactly daisies. But they look very similar. And as it turns out, they make excellent tea!

Chamomile tea contains no caffeine, which makes it an excellent choice before bedtime.

It also helps to boost the immune system, soothes the stomach, relieves minor cold symptoms, and reduces stress.

If you’re looking for a gentle, tasty, herbal tea to help you get to sleep fast, chamomile is a first-stop choice.

2. Valerian Root Tea

Valerian root has been used all throughout history to promote better sleep and tranquility. That’s why it is often referred to by its nickname— “nature’s valium.”

The Valerian root itself is native to Asia and Europe, and was used for years as an ingredient in traditional herbal medicine.

It contains several compounds that are known to promote sleep, reduce anxiety, and help you to relax.

Valerian root tea is made from the roots and underground stems of the plant.

It has a woodsy taste and a distinctive odor that isn’t exactly ‘alluring,’ so you will usually find that Valerian teas contain other ingredients to make it taste better.

But it’s an excellent option if you need some help falling asleep.

3. Green Tea

Green tea is probably one of my favorites. There was one particular winter where my drink of choice every afternoon was a cup of green tea—though I drank it for the health benefits, not necessarily as a sleep aid.

Still, it did the trick. I found it tasty, relaxing, and calming.

Green tea is actually really interesting when you get down to the nuts and bolts (or leaves and stems) of it. It’s made from a plant called Camellia Sinensis, which is the same plant that black tea is made from.

The main difference between green tea and black tea is in how the plant is prepared.

Green tea is known as being healthier than black tea. It is believed to have anti-cancer benefits, and may help to lower cholesterol.

The only downside to green tea is that it does contain caffeine. For this reason, it isn’t always a good choice right before bed.

If you’re sensitive to caffeine, you may want to opt for something a little different.

4. Lavender Tea

Lavender tea may be the most popular sleep-aid tea in existence.

Lavender itself is actually a very powerful herbal remedy. It can be used to treat stomach issues, pain, headaches, sprains, sores, and even toothaches.

But it also helps you to relax, unwind, and sleep when consumed before bed.

Interestingly, lavender is an herb in the mint family. It grows brilliant purple flowers, and is believed to have served as an herbal remedy going back over 2500 years.

In ancient times, it was considered a ‘holy herb.’

Today, it is very popular as an essential oil.

But lavender tea is still one of the top sleep aid teas on the market—and for good reason.

It actually works really well.

5. Lemongrass Tea

Lemongrass, also called ‘citronella,’ is a perennial type of grass that is native to tropical and sub-tropical climates with a lemony, citrusy aroma and flavor. The world’s largest producer of the herb is India—though it also grows in Asia, Australia, and Africa.

Used for years as a folk remedy to boost immunity, relieve pain, and promote sleep, it is a pretty common ingredient in many herbal tea blends. Though it is also featured in tea of its own as well.

Lemongrass tea is a great choice for drinking before bed for a number of reasons.

It has a wonderful citrus aroma and flavor, and is also very calming on the nerves.

On top of this, it has anti-inflammatory properties, may help to promote healthy digestion, and also makes a decent diuretic (it helps you to urinate more often).  

6. Lemon Balm Tea – One of the Best Teas That Make You Sleepy

Lemon balm tea is a lemon, citrus-scented herb that also comes from the same family as mint.

It is a fantastic mood-improver. It also has incredible relaxation benefits.

If you tend to suffer from anxiety in the evening before going to bed, Lemon Balm may be a perfect option for you. It’s also known to help boost cognitive function, and helps to keep insomnia at bay.

It’s gentle on the stomach, and can even be used to fight nausea.

And—last but certainly not least, it helps to soothe stress symptoms.

All things considered, there are few teas on this list that pack in as many raw benefits as lemon balm tea.

7. Passionflower Tea

This woody vine plant boasts beautiful, unusual blossoms. It got its name from the Roman Catholic priests of the 1500s. They believed that the woody vines, petals, sepals, and rays of the plant bore important symbolism to the death and passion of the Christ.

Thus its name—the Passionflower.

There are about 500 recorded species of the plant. In the past, it was used by Native Americans to treat several different types of conditions; including boils, wounds, liver problems, and earaches.

As a tea, Passionflower has a reputation as a calming agent. It can help to soothe racing thoughts, relieve anxiety, and combat insomnia.

Passionflower also boasts some other benefits as well. It can help to soothe an upset stomach, and packs in a few antioxidants.

Overall, a solid pick if you’re looking for the best teas that make you sleepy!

8. Magnolia Bark Tea

Magnolia Bark has been used for centuries as a traditional medicine supplement in China, where it grows natively.

The bark, leaves, and flowers can all be used to create herbal medicines—though the bark is most commonly associated with brewing tea.

Magnolia Bark is useful for treating a number of ailments, including depression and anxiety.

This is mostly due to the presence of two very powerful polyphenols in the plant—honokiol and magnolol.

Among other benefits, Magnolia Bark tea is believed to be useful as an anticancer, anti-inflammatory, and antimicrobial agent.

Did we also mention that it helps to prevent oxidative stress?

Oh—and it also helps you sleep!

9. Peppermint Tea

Peppermint Tea is probably one of the most distinctive tea flavors on our list.

For obvious reasons.

Peppermint has a very strong, distinctive, and refreshing flavor.

Many people don’t know that peppermint is actually a ‘hybrid’ plant. It is a cross between watermint and spearmint.

You can consume peppermint fresh, in capsules, in oils and of course, in tea!

As far as health benefits go, Peppermint is useful for its calming effect… Though it is also well-known for being able to help with menstrual pain, depression, anxiety, muscle/nerve pain, indigestion, and even the common cold.

All things considered, it is a wonderful plant and it makes a wonderful tea—though the distinctive peppermint taste may not be to everyone’s liking.

10. Kava Tea

This is one of the more interesting items on our list.

Kava tea is made from a plant called Piper Methysticum.

One of the biggest things to understand about Kava is that there are some safety concerns with it.

Kava has actually been banned from the market in Europe and Canada, mostly due to concerns that it can harm the liver. There have even been some deaths attributed to Kava use.

But despite these concerns, it remains available in the U.S. market. And there are many who swear by its benefits.

People drink Kava tea to help calm the emotions, relieve stress, treat anxiety, decrease restlessness, and sleep better. It is also known to help with problems like headaches, benzodiazepine drug withdrawal, epilepsy, depression, and psychosis.

It can even be taken to help treat common cold symptoms!

Read up and do your research before taking it. But some people find that Kava makes an excellent before-bedtime beverage.

11. Apple Cinnamon Tea

There are many types of apple cinnamon tea on the market—and the vast majority of them do not contain caffeine, making them a tasty, relaxing beverage to drink before bedtime.

When I was a child, this was actually one of my favorite types of tea to drink around the holidays. You can make your own from apples and cinnamon—or you can buy a pre-made tea blend and just add water.

It actually tastes very similar to hot apple cider—though it is a bit more gentle and not quite as ‘hard’ as cider.

It’s awesome.

In Conclusion – The Best Teas That Make You Sleepy

There you have it! The 11 best teas to drink before bedtime!

Of course, these are not the only teas on the market. And as stated before, you will probably end up buying a tea blend—as most teas do not contain just one ingredient.

But in any case, these are the ingredients to look for.

The only thing left now is to go try some for yourself!

Do you have another tea that you think is one of the best teas that make you sleepy?

Let us know!