There’s nothing quite like a warm glass of milk before bed to help you sleep better. The downside is that you might have to contend with people calling you a big baby, which you certainly are not!
A hot cup of herbal tea would be a better option to help you wind down after a long day and, more importantly, earn a bit of street cred.
What tea is good for sleep? We reviewed some of the most soothing nighttime brews on the market to bring you our all-time favorites.
Custom text 1: Best Overall | Custom text 1: Best Tasting | Custom text 1: Best for Anxiety | Custom text 1: Best for Women | Custom text 1: Best for Stress Relief |
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Our Score: 9.8 | Our Score: 9.7 | Our Score: 9.7 | Our Score: 9.6 | Our Score: 9.6 |
Ingredients: Valerian root, passionflower, peppermint, lemon balm | Ingredients: Chamomile, hibiscus, spearmint, peppermint, orange blossoms, rose blossoms, spice | Ingredients: Chamomile, valerian root, Tilia Estrella | Ingredients: Passionflower, chamomile, lemon balm, valerian root, stevia leaf, catnip herb | Ingredients: Passionflower, chamomile, licorice, cardamom, cinnamon |
Unit count: 16 tea bags | Unit count: 20 tea bags | Unit count: 20 tea bags | Unit count: 18 tea bags | Unit count: 16 tea bags |
Flavor: Nighty Night Extra | Flavor: Sweet Dreams | Flavor: SleepyTime Extra | Flavor: Sleep & Dream | Flavor: Bedtime |
How We Tested and Compared These Products
When testing the various brands of sleepy teas on the market, there were two main things we were interested in.
First, we only sampled teas that were made from all-natural organic ingredients. Second, they needed to work. Anything with valerian root, chamomile, and passionflower was a definite winner in our books.
Best Overall: Traditional Medicinals Nighty Night Organic Tea
Product Overview:
- Ingredients: Valerian root, passionflower, peppermint, lemon balm
- Unit count: 16 tea bags
- Flavor: Nighty Night Extra
Traditional Medicinals Nighty Night Extra organic herbal tea is top on our list of favorites. It is made of a potent mix of valerian root, accompanied by complementary herbs such as passionflower, peppermint, and lemon balm, all known for their relaxing, mellowing, and anxiety-reducing properties.
What We Like About It
We found Nighty Night to be surprisingly effective in making you go – “nighty night.” Not only did it make us sleepy within 45-60 minutes of drinking it, but we also managed to sleep through the night, which is quite a feat.
The peppermint and lemon balm flavors are refreshing, making it the perfect bedtime drink to sip on after a long day.
What We Don’t Like
If you’ve tasted valerian root before, you know how overpowering its earthy aroma and flavor can be. While the peppermint does a decent job of masking it, let’s just say it will take some time to get used to.
What Previous Buyers Had to Say
Many consumers report feeling calm and relaxed shortly after drinking it. One user who suffers from chronic anxiety noted remarkable improvement after drinking one cup of Nighty Night Extra daily for a week.
Best Alternatives
Best Tasting: Bigelow Sweet Dreams Herbal Tea
Product Overview:
- Ingredients: Chamomile, hibiscus, spearmint, peppermint, orange blossoms, rose blossoms, spice
- Unit count: 20 tea bags
- Flavor: Sweet Dreams
Bigelow’s Sweet Dreams is the next best tea for sleep if you can’t get your hands on Nighty Night Extra. Each tea bag contains a mix of carefully selected ingredients guaranteed to mellow and help you wind down for the evening.
What We Like About It
Right off the bat, the moment you steep the tea bag in piping hot water, the aroma that hits you is nothing short of divine.
The aromatic scent of orange and rose blossom, along with the delicate, perfume-like fragrance of chamomile, has a calming, comforting effect on the senses. It is great for reducing anxiety and helping you fall asleep quickly.
What We Don’t Like
If you drink it too close to bedtime, you might wake up in the middle of the night to use the bathroom – sometimes twice!
What Previous Buyers Had to Say
One user stated that they suffer from chronic sleep deprivation due to PTSD. They reported remarkable results after a week or so of drinking the tea every night.
Best for Anxiety: Celestial Seasonings SleepyTime Wellness Tea
Product Overview:
- Ingredients: Chamomile, valerian root, Tilia Estrella
- Unit count: 20 tea bags
- Flavor: SleepyTime Extra
Chamomile and valerian root – a potent combination of herbs designed to knock you out cold. Celestial Seasonings’ SleepyTime herbal tea contains these ingredients alongside soothing herbs like peppermint and spices like Tilia Estrella.
What We Like About It
Aside from the whimsical artwork on the packaging, which we found quite delightful, SleepyTime tea is all-natural and organic with no artificial flavors or additives. We found it to be extremely effective in reducing anxiety and promoting deep restorative sleep.
What We Don’t Like
You can barely taste or smell the peppermint. It has a somewhat earthy flavor and perfume-like aroma to it. It doesn’t taste bad, just – different.
What Previous Buyers Had to Say
Many users with chronic insomnia found that using 2-3 SleepyTime tea bags in a single cup delivered the best results for more restful sleep.
Best for Women: Hey Girl Herbal Bedtime Tea
Product Overview:
- Ingredients: Passionflower, chamomile, lemon balm, valerian root, stevia leaf, catnip herb
- Unit count: 18 tea bags
- Flavor: Sleep & Dream
Everything about Hey Girl’s Sleep & Dream herbal blend tea is designed to make you feel pampered and relaxed. The flavor notes in this tea are sweet and fragrant due to the passionflower, chamomile, and lemon balm ingredients.
What We Like About It
Our favorite thing about it is all the different benefits this herbal blend offers. The passionflower reduces anxiety; the chamomile and valerian root promote deep restorative sleep; the lemon balm and catnip herb reduce stress and help with digestion; the stevia leaf is a natural sweetener.
What We Don’t Like
We wish it had more teabags in a pack.
What Previous Buyers Had to Say
The ladies who take this herbal tea regularly like the fact that it helps them sleep better without making them feel tired and groggy when they wake up the next morning. The men love it too!
Best for Stress Relief: Yogi Bedtime Herbal Tea
Product Overview:
- Ingredients: Passionflower, chamomile, licorice, cardamom, cinnamon
- Unit count: 16 tea bags
- Flavor: Bedtime
Nothing works better to calm you down and help you unwind after a long stressful day like Yogi’s bedtime tea.
It contains the perfect blend of passionflower, chamomile, licorice, cardamom, and cinnamon, which work collectively to soothe and help you relax for a better nights sleep.
What We Like About It
For starters, it tastes amazing, and the aroma of this bedtime tea is to die for. It doesn’t have any artificial sweeteners or flavors, making it the perfect sleep aid. We also like that it is vegan-friendly, gluten-free, kosher, and organic.
What We Don’t Like
You might need to use 2-3 bags in a cup to get the desired effect.
What Previous Buyers Had to Say
Many users like the mild and subtle flavors of this tea. Those who aren’t fans of valerian root teas prefer this particular blend of Yogi tea.
How to Choose the Best Tea for Sleep – Buyer’s Guide
Here’s how to pick the perfect sleeping brew for you.
Ingredients
Ensure the tea you choose for a restful sleep has the right combination of ingredients to give you the desired effects.
If you’re looking for a brew to help calm your anxiety, relieve stress, and sleep, find a tea with chamomile, lemon balm, passionflower, and valerian root in its list of ingredients. These are guaranteed to knock you out for the night.
Flavor
If you drink tea every night, you might as well enjoy the flavor. The predominant ingredient in most sleepy teas is valerian root. While it is potent and will get you to sleep, it isn’t the best-tasting ingredient out there, to put it mildly. If you can’t stand it, consider an option that doesn’t contain it.
Quality
Last but not least, you want a nighttime tea made of high-quality ingredients. Check the packaging to ensure it doesn’t contain artificial flavors, additives, or preservatives. It should also be all-natural and organic for the best results.
Bottom Line
What tea is good for sleep? Any options we’ve reviewed in this guide will knock you out cold. They are all-natural and organic and will help you relax and enjoy a good night’s rest.
In the meantime, have you considered listening to relaxing music to help you sleep? Here are some of our faves.
FAQ
How long before bedtime should I drink?
You should drink your tea at least two hours before you turn in for the night. This will give you ample time to use the bathroom before you hit the sack, so your sleep isn’t interrupted.
How many cups of sleepy tea should I drink?
There’s no magic number. It comes down to your body’s tolerance and how long before bedtime you’re drinking it. One cup of tea at least two hours before bedtime is usually sufficient.
If you need a higher amount, consider using 2-3 teabags in a single cup rather than multiple tea bags in separate cups of water.
What is the best tea for sleep?
Anything with chamomile, lemon balm, passionflower, and valerian root in its list of ingredients is usually a good choice.
