Chamomile Tea for Sleep: Does It Work and Is It Safe?
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Chamomile tea for sleep is about as traditional as bedtime remedies get. A warm, caffeine-free cup in the evening feels calming, and plenty of people swear by it. This guide covers what the research says about chamomile and sleep, the difference between tea and extract studies, who should be careful, how to use it well, and when poor sleep needs more than a cup of tea.
The short answer: chamomile may modestly improve how well you rate your sleep, and a 2024 review found it particularly helped with waking during the night. It didn't make people sleep longer, and a small trial in people with chronic insomnia found no clear benefit over placebo. A cup of chamomile tea is likely safe for most adults and makes a good caffeine-free wind-down drink. Avoid it if you're allergic to daisy-family plants, and check with a pharmacist if you take warfarin or other regular medicines.
What is chamomile?
Chamomile is a daisy-like flowering plant. The dried flowers are steeped to make herbal tea, and extracts are sold as capsules. It has long been used as a calming evening drink. Much of the research uses concentrated extracts rather than the tea you'd make at home, which is worth keeping in mind when you read headlines.
What the research says
Here are the main pieces of evidence.
The 2024 meta-analysis. A review of 10 clinical trials with 772 participants found chamomile significantly improved scores on the Pittsburgh Sleep Quality Index. It helped most with waking after sleep onset, that is, staying asleep. It didn't improve sleep duration, sleep efficiency or daytime functioning (Kazemi and colleagues, Complementary Therapies in Medicine).
The 2019 meta-analysis. A review of 12 randomised trials found a significant improvement in sleep quality after chamomile and called it safe for sleep quality, but found little evidence for an effect on insomnia itself (Hieu and colleagues, Phytotherapy Research).
An insomnia trial. A small double-blind pilot gave 34 adults with chronic primary insomnia 270 mg of chamomile extract or placebo twice a day for 28 days. There were no significant differences in total sleep time, time to fall asleep or night waking. Chamomile cut time to fall asleep by about 16 minutes on average, but the difference wasn't statistically significant. Side effects were no different from placebo (source).
Specific groups. A trial in 60 older adults found 200 mg of chamomile extract twice daily for 28 days improved sleep quality, and a trial in 80 women after childbirth found two weeks of chamomile tea brought short-term improvements in sleep quality and depression symptoms.
The US National Center for Complementary and Integrative Health sums it up cautiously: evidence for chamomile in insomnia remains minimal (source).
Tea vs extract
| Chamomile tea | Chamomile extract capsules | |
|---|---|---|
| Used in studies | A few, such as the postnatal trial | Most trials, often 200 to 270 mg twice daily |
| Strength | Varies with the tea and how long you steep it | Measured dose |
| Safety | Likely safe in amounts found in tea | Possibly safe short term |
| Extra benefit | A warm, caffeine-free ritual | Convenience |
| Best for | A wind-down habit | Talk to a pharmacist first |
Who should be careful
Chamomile is likely safe in the amounts found in tea, but it isn't for everyone. According to NCCIH:
- Daisy-family allergies. If you're allergic to ragweed, chrysanthemums, marigolds or daisies, you're more likely to react to chamomile.
- Warfarin. Chamomile can interact with this blood thinner. Other interactions, including with sedatives, are possible.
- Pregnancy and breastfeeding. Little is known about safety, so ask your GP or midwife.
Better Health Channel also reminds readers that herbal products aren't automatically safe because they're natural, and that you should tell your doctor or pharmacist about any herbal medicines you take (source). If you think a medicine or supplement has caused a side effect, you can report it to the Therapeutic Goods Administration (TGA).
How to use chamomile well
If you'd like to make chamomile part of your evening:
- Make it part of a routine, not a rescue. The same cup at the same time each night signals winding down. See bedtime routine for adults.
- Drink it 60 to 90 minutes before bed, so you're not up at 3am needing the toilet. See waking up to pee at night.
- Use it to replace something worse, like a late coffee, tea or alcohol. See caffeine and sleep and does alcohol help you sleep.
- Keep the lights low and phone away while you drink it.
- Don't stack remedies with sleeping tablets or sedating medicines without checking with a pharmacist.
When to see your GP
See your GP if you've had trouble sleeping three or more nights a week for months, if poor sleep is affecting your mood, work or driving, or if you snore loudly and wake unrefreshed. Cognitive behavioural therapy for insomnia (CBT-I) has much stronger evidence than any herbal tea; see CBT for insomnia. This guide is general information, not medical advice.
Where the Sovune Nudge fits
We make the Sovune Nudge, a vibrating alarm wristband, so we're not neutral. Chamomile is about winding down; the Nudge is about a calm wake-up, which suits anyone building a quieter sleep routine.
- Silent. No speaker, no sound and no light in the room except a small display when you press the button.
- Wakes you with vibration on your wrist, starting as a gentle tap and building through three intensity levels.
- Set on the band itself. No app, no phone, no Bluetooth, so your phone can stay out of the bedroom.
- Under 20 grams, with a soft adjustable strap.
It comes with a 30-day money-back guarantee.
Quick answers
Does chamomile tea actually help you sleep? It may modestly improve sleep quality, especially staying asleep, but it doesn't seem to make you sleep longer.
How long before bed should I drink chamomile tea? Many people have it about an hour before bed, which leaves time for a toilet trip before lights out.
Can I drink chamomile tea every night? Tea-strength chamomile is likely safe for most adults. Check with a pharmacist if you take warfarin or other regular medicines.
Is chamomile safe in pregnancy? Little is known, so check with your GP or midwife before using it regularly.
For every type of silent alarm compared, see our complete guide to vibrating alarms in Australia.