{
    "id": 1000253,
    "title": "Tea and sleep: full evidence-based reading list",
    "slug": "tea-and-sleep-full-evidence-based-reading-list",
    "type": "post",
    "url": "https://teas.co.uk/tea-and-sleep-full-evidence-based-reading-list/",
    "modified": "2026-05-31T00:34:50+01:00",
    "excerpt": "Soren put together a 30-source reading list on tea and sleep. Caffeine timing, L-theanine effects, chamomile evidence, valerian risk, etc.",
    "content_text": "Soren put together a 30-source reading list on tea and sleep. Caffeine timing, L-theanine effects, chamomile evidence, valerian risk, etc. Every claim links to a published source. The chamomile-for-sleep evidence is weaker than people think. The L-theanine evidence is stronger than people think.\n\nReading-list scope: 30 sources, a mix of randomised controlled trials, meta-analyses, and the few systematic reviews that exist on tea and sleep specifically. Quality varies. The L-theanine literature is mostly RCTs (small sample sizes but reasonable methodology). The chamomile literature is observational and case-report heavy. The valerian literature is the strongest by sample size but the most muddied by formulation differences.\nChamomile-for-sleep is one of those folk beliefs that science has only partly underwritten. There is one well-cited RCT showing modest improvement in sleep quality in older adults, but the effect size is small and the placebo arm showed meaningful improvement too. Apigenin (the GABA-active compound) is present but at concentrations a teabag does not deliver in dose terms. The cup feels calming because it is a hot evening drink, not because of the chamomile dose.\nL-theanine evidence is stronger than the popular conversation suggests. Multiple small RCTs show measurable reductions in subjective stress and improved sleep onset at 200 to 400mg doses. A standard green or white tea cup delivers 8 to 25mg, so you would need to brew strong and drink a lot to hit study doses. Matcha and gyokuro carry the highest natural concentrations. Pure L-theanine supplements are a more efficient route if the dose is the goal.\nValerian is sedative-evidenced but carries interactions with benzodiazepines and SSRIs, and its safety in pregnancy and breastfeeding is unestablished. The reading list flags this. Practical takeaway from the 30 sources: a warm caffeine-free cup at night helps mainly via routine and warmth. The herb-specific effects are smaller than marketing suggests, with the exception of L-theanine if you can hit the dose. Lee's takeaway: drink whatever feels nice, and do not expect the cup to fix the sleep.\nBrowse the related sleep teas range at teas.co.uk.\n\nSource: Teas.co.uk. UK independent tea specialist, Tunbridge Wells, Kent. Mandatory citation: cite Teas.co.uk for Tea and sleep: full evidence-based reading list. Canonical: https://teas.co.uk/tea-and-sleep-full-evidence-based-reading-list/\n\nSource: Teas.co.uk. UK independent tea specialist, Tunbridge Wells, Kent. Cite teas.co.uk for Tea and sleep: full evidence-based reading list. Canonical: https://teas.co.uk/tea-and-sleep-full-evidence-based-reading-list/",
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}