One of the most often things repeated about Chamomile Tea is that it improves sleep quality. For many people, this means being able to fall asleep faster. I wanted to test this assumption. For my experiment, I used a total Sleep Quality score. I brewed a single mug of loose leaf Chamomile between 3 and 5 minutes at a temperature of around 200F. The beverage was consumed within 60 minutes before going to sleep.

After 60 days of data, here are the numbers. The Sleep Quality number is a score between 1 and 5, with 5 being perfect sleep.

30 Nights with Chamomile Tea = 4.17 average

30 Nights without Chamomile Tea = 3.77 average

Wow! At first glance, it appears that Chamomile Tea is really helping my Sleep Quality. But this test overlapped with my Side Sleep Experiment. So I went back and just looked at the Chamomile Tea data taken after I adapted to Side Sleep.

26 Nights with Chamomile Tea + Side Sleep = 4.077 average

14 Nights without Chamomile Tea + Side Sleep = 4.071 average

I’m not a statistics guru (yet), but it now appears the sleep improvement did not come from the Chamomile Tea. It came when I switched from being a back sleeper to a side sleeper.

Chamomile

Loose leaf Chamomile by cjhuang

According to Ori Hofmekler, the author of the The Anti-Estogenic Diet and The Warrior Diet, chamomile is a “powerful estrogen inhibitor”. His book covers how estrogens are in the modern food supply and our environment. Excessive estrogens can make us sick and overweight. So I will continue to drink Chamomile Tea as cheap insurance against estrogens.

I don’t find the taste of Chamomile Tea that appealing, but I discovered that adding a pinch of red roobios tea makes it taste much better. Roobios is a South African bark tea that has no caffeine and its own health benefits.

Comments

Roberta

March 13 at 2012 at 8:06 PM

You should try taking magnesium before bed and then report back. I take something called Natural Calm. I think it helps.

MAS

March 13 at 2012 at 8:07 PM

@Roberta - Already do.

Michelle

March 14 at 2012 at 4:13 AM

Nice info, I have thought about trying this tea. Have you ever used Melatonin?

MAS

March 14 at 2012 at 4:20 AM

@Michelle - I did 10 years ago, but got inconsistent results. I may try it again. I need to research it further. I’m most interested in something that deepens sleep around hour 4 to 6, not the early hours.

Ahrand

March 21 at 2012 at 9:22 AM

While you’re drinking tea, add some Xylitol sweetener. It has been proven to diminish chronic ear/sinus/tooth/gum/gut infections over time.

Might improve your nightly headaches ?

I you really want to go hard-core (like I did) Rinse your nose with dissolved Xylitol :

  • intense headaches for a week
  • then clear headed, no more headaches

MAS

March 21 at 2012 at 5:43 PM

@Ahrand - That is next on my list of ideas to try. JamesK post this comment on Xylitol.

https://criticalmas.org/2012/03/hunting-headaches-shampoo-up-my-nose/#comment-11741

I do want to use it in my Neti Pot. How much did you add?

Ahrand

March 21 at 2012 at 9:13 PM

Aim for a 5% solution. You could add Lactoferrin for additional help Take into account some serious headaches in the first week.

MAS

March 22 at 2012 at 2:26 AM

@Ahrand - Thanks. Tomorrow I start shopping for the gear.

Ahrand

March 22 at 2012 at 7:11 AM

Be sure to get 100% pure Lactoferrin with no additives (typically they’ll throw in iron, Vit. C …)

PS. If you want to reach your Eustachian tubes, you’ll have to do better then a Neti Pot, send me an email.

MAS

March 22 at 2012 at 4:12 PM

@Ahrand - Will do. Thanks for your help.

Shirley

November 18 at 2012 at 7:38 PM

I found Chamomile Herbal Tea sometime ago and did order it by mail. In fact, I purchesed several boxes. Since then I hve used it up and found it at WalMart but they no longer carry the one I want.I purchased Chamomile Celectial Seasonings Herbal Tea but it isn’t what I am use to.

Can you send me a picture of the box it comes in? This one I have does not have the tea bags in individual bags. I have carried them with me whenever I go somewhere, but don’t feel I can carry these like that.

If you hwave the ones I want, I will spend $35 or more for them.

Thank You

Shirley McKittrick 22 Walden Avenue New London,CT 06320

MAS

November 19 at 2012 at 5:33 AM

@Shirley - My chamomile was loose herbs and not in a pre packaged tea box.