Does green tea make you sleepy?
In this article, we will answer the question “Does green tea make you sleepy?”, what are the health benefits and risks of drinking green tea at night, what is the best and worst time to drink green tea, does green tea help treat depression and anxiety, and what type of drinks can help you fall asleep.
Does green tea make you sleepy?
Yes, green tea makes you sleepy. The theanine amino acid present in amino acid helps your neurons relax, which induces sleep.
Research has shown that 3–4 cups (750–1,000 ml) of low-caffeinated green tea in a day can reverse your stress and help you sleep better.
What are the benefits of drinking green tea at night?
Beneficial compounds in green tea
Green tea contains important compounds like catechins, caffeine, and amino acids. Catechins, mainly epigallocatechin gallate (EGCG) and epigallocatechin (EGC), offer great medical properties.
Caffeine acts as a stimulant for your CNS and improves memory, reaction time, and mood. Theanine amino acid present in green tea has great benefits for your brain. Plus It helps you relax and.
All of these compounds have a synergistic effect to protect you against chronic diseases like type 2 diabetes, cancer, heart disease, etc. They also improve your cognitive functions and promote weight loss.
Due to these health compounds, drinking green tea has been linked to a reduced risk of liver, colon, breast, stomach, bladder, pancreas, and prostate cancer.
What are the health risks of drinking green tea at night?
Contains caffeine
The caffeine present in green tea is known for inducing vigilance and focus. Therefore, drinking caffeine at night may interfere with your sleep cycle especially if you are sensitive to caffeine. Theanine somewhat counters the effects of caffeine but to a limited extent.
Green tea contains about 30 mg of caffeine, which is equivalent to 1/3 of the caffeine in a cup of coffee. If you are highly sensitive to caffeine, consider having a low-caffeinated green tea at night or use room temperature water for making your tea.
May increase nighttime wakings
Green tea has a diuretic effect due to the presence of caffeine. This means drinking green tea at night will make you pee more. It is suggested to drink green tea during the day or at least 2 hours before going to bed. This will reduce the pee breaks and help you sleep better.
What is the best time to drink green tea?
In the morning
Drinking green tea first thing in the morning can help improve your attention and make you feel relaxed. Caffeine boosts your focus while L-theanine lightens you up. The synergistic effect of these compounds makes you more driven and focused from the very start of the day.
Around exercise
Several studies have shown that drinking green tea before exercise can make the fat burn faster. Moreover, consuming green tea extract after exercise can help you recover faster, by repairing and relaxing your muscles.
What is the worst time to drink green tea?
At mealtimes
Green tea contains certain anti-nutritional compounds, called tannins, that hinder the absorption of iron from the intestines. Similarly, the antioxidant, epigallocatechin-3-gallate (EGCG), binds and blocks the absorption of minerals such as iron, copper, and chromium.
The deficiency of these minerals, especially iron, can develop over time. Therefore, refrain from drinking green tea with your meals.
At night
Green tea can help some people sleep better. For others, green tea can seriously affect the sleep cycle. This is because everyone reacts differently to the same dose of caffeine.
To prevent the green tea from meddling in your sleep, drink it throughout the day or at least 6 hours before sleeping.
Does green tea help treat depression and anxiety?
Caffeine uplifts your mood while L-theanine calms you down. Both of these compounds play an important role in alleviating the symptoms of depression and anxiety. If you are switching from coffee to green tea, do it slowly. For the first week, drink only one cup of green tea. If all goes well, you can increase the quantity slowly.
What type of drinks can help you fall asleep?
Drinks like chamomile tea, Valerian tea, Lemon balm tea, Lavender tea, Passionflower tea, Magnolia bark tea, cherry juice, milk, and almond milk can help you fall asleep. The flavonoid content of herbal teas has been proven to prevent insomnia and regulate your sleep cycle.
The tryptophan amino acid present in cherry juice can improve your sleep time and efficiency. Milk also contains sleep-inducing compounds such as tryptophan, melatonin, and serotonin. The magnesium, tryptophan, and melatonin content of almond milk induce sleep.
Other FAQs about Tea that you may be interested in.
Does Earl Grey Tea have caffeine?
Conclusion
In this article, we answered the question “Does green tea make you sleepy?”, what are the health benefits and risks of drinking green tea at night, what is the best and worst time to drink green tea, does green tea help treat depression and anxiety, and what type of drinks can help you fall asleep.
