Does the Evening Tea Really Help to Fall Asleep?

There is the morning coffee to wake up and the evening tea to fall asleep better. Valerian, verbena, CBD... Do these plants really keep their promises? Three sleep specialists answer.

Image of head snuggled up against the pillow on starry and navy blue background, promises of "peaceful" and "relaxing" nights ... The packages of herbal teas of the supermarket are often presented as real allies of sleep. Pure product of phytotherapy, they contain, according to the brands, various aromatic plants whose active principles would support the endormissement and would avoid the night awakenings. But what is it really?

Little scientific evidence

Hops, orange blossom, chamomile, verbena, lavender, marjoram, passionflower, linden... These plants appear in the composition of most of our tea bags but for the moment, no rigorous scientific study has demonstrated their effectiveness on sleep, confirms Nicolas Authier, psychiatrist and pharmacologist (1). "No reimbursed medication for sleep has been developed from these substances because there is not enough evidence, he stresses. Herbal tea, like all other herbal products, is based on observational studies and not on real scientific evaluations".

The most successful clinical trials, but with a "very low level of evidence" at the end, concern lavender, eschscholtzia (nicknamed the California poppy) and valerian, points out Patrick Lemoine, a psychiatrist specialized in sleep (2). "It is suggested that these plants would stimulate the activity of gabaergic neurotransmitters, also called Gaba. These play a role on our nervous activity and "slow down" our brain, which can contribute to the sleep", reports the doctor.

Only disadvantage (and not of the least), the most studied plant and with "the very moderate effectiveness", the valerian, "really smells the feet", learns us professor Pierre Philip, head of the university service of sleep medicine of the CHU of Bordeaux (3). It is thus necessary to be motivated enough to consume it in its raw form."

Placebo effect

If the active principle of the herbal tea does not act on the quality of our nights, health professionals do not rule out a potential "placebo effect". "If the consumer is more sensitive to the natural character of the products resulting from the plant, it will believe more in their effectiveness", observes the psychiatrist and pharmacologist Nicolas Authier. It is the case in particular of the herbal teas in the CBD, which make emulators in the angry ones of the pillow. "Its anxiolytic action has not yet been demonstrated, especially on a low dosage as contained in the herbal teas. Here, the placebo effect works for some, because it is reinforced by the marketing of the "cannabis well-being", underlines the health professional.

In addition to this placebo effect, one should also not forget that the evening tea is an integral part of a relaxing bedtime ritual. "Drinking an herbal tea, like reading in your living room before bed, is part of the soothing strategies that can help reduce pre-sleep anxiety, when it is present," reports sleep specialist Pierre Philip. "By ritualizing this moment, it is possible to create a reassuring cognitive attachment. On the long term, we consume them especially by need of reassurance", continues Nicolas Authier.

If the placebo effect works, be careful not to bet everything on it, insists Pr Pierre Philip. According to the doctor, the herbal tea can work the first nights but it remains a band-aid on a wooden leg. "A recent study shows that 71% of French people complain about their sleep. The cause: a spectacular increase since the first confinement of sleep disorders, and a massive variation in sleep duration between the week and the weekend."

In general, instead of herbal tea or any other substance, the specialist insists on the importance of implementing a rigorous sleep hygiene, namely getting up at the same time every day, including weekends, and implementing non-drug soothing strategies, such as cardiac coherence, relaxation or sophrology exercises.

Zero fluids before bed

By filling our bladder before bedtime, infusion can also present a significant disadvantage and "cause nocturnal awakenings", says psychiatrist Patrick Lemoine. Generally speaking, the closer it is to bedtime, the more it is necessary to moderate all liquid intake, including herbal tea and water. Not to mention that the phenomenon increases with time. As the psychiatrist explains it, "independently of the individual physiology, the more one gains in age, the more the volume of the bladder shrinks and involves more pressing needs the night, in particular at the men".