I often get asked this when out and about at Food Markets and quite simply the answer is...
It depends on what tea you are drinking.
Now, I'm a massive fan of a good regular cup of breakfast tea and over the years I would drink it all day and just before bed but according to the experts that's not a good idea.
One of the main components in green tea and black tea is caffeine and we all know that caffeine is not great when trying to settle and calm ourselves for sleep. One cup of black tea contains around 47mg of caffeine. When you compare that to the 97mg in coffee as a comparison you would think that would be a great option. However, the level of caffeine peaks in your system around 1 hour after consuming it and can stay at this level for up to 8hrs!!! So when you're drinking your cup of tea before bed and if you're lucky enough to have your 8 hours sleep then chances are that the caffeine will still be in your system when you wake up! Not cool...
So what can you drink instead?
Now then, if you're reading this then chances are you are having trouble drifting off to sleep or you may be waking up in the night. Usually, the reasons for this are stress, mind racing, anxiety and even tummy troubles. Obviously the best way to ease this would be to alleviate the reason why you aren't sleeping but sometimes that's not possible so here are my top teas to drink before bed.
1.) Peppermint- Caffeine free and great for tummy troubles.
2.) Valerian root- Long been used for anxiety and calming this herb is great for taking the 'edge off' before bed.
3.) Chamomile- Soothing and mild this herb has been used for centuries to aid sleep.
Find all of these herbs in one great blend here