What Is the Best Tea To Drink at Night?

Drinking tea before bed can help you drift off sooner and sleep better. So, what is the best tea to drink at night? Read on to find out.

beautiful Caucasian woman sitting by the fireplace in cozy sweater and drinking tea - What is the best tea to drink at night
Drinking tea at night can help you relax

When I’m stressed or just can’t seem to shut my mind off, I love to head to the kitchen to make a cup of tea before bed. Sometimes, it can be tough to pick the best one to help me relax. So, I decided to do a bit of digging to determine what is the best tea to drink at night.

What To Look For in a Tea To Drink at Night

The key to an effective bedtime tea is the ingredient list. Unfortunately, many teas have hidden stimulants, sweeteners, or caffeine that will do the exact opposite of what you’re hoping for. 

nutritional facts
Check for the ingredients list

There are a lot of sleep-inducing ingredients you can find in tea, including:

If you’re wondering what is the best tea to drink at night, you should look at your tea’s ingredient list.

How To Pick the Best Tea To Drink at Night

When choosing a bedtime tea, you should consider ingredients, benefits, and any potential side effects the tea might have. A tea that claims to help you sleep could have unintended effects, so it’s essential to know precisely what you’re getting. 

Look for any combination of the ingredients listed above in your teas. This is the best way to avoid drinking something that’ll keep you awake. 

serene caucasian adult man lying in bed with alarm clock in foreground
A good bedtime tea will offer more than just drowsiness

In addition, read up on the intended benefits. A good bedtime tea will offer more than just drowsiness. You’ll want full-body relaxation and stress relief combined with a natural sleep aid. 

Finally, don’t be afraid to choose a tea based on taste. Some teas, such as valerian root, can have an unpleasant smell or flavor due to the pure herbs. You can always look at combining teas or using a blend to mask a bad taste. 

You might also be interested in our round-up of the best tea for non-tea drinkers.

Best Tea for Bedtime

Although you can find many bedtime teas on grocery shelves, some work far better than others. Here are a few of the best teas to help you destress and drift off to sleep. 

Pukka Night Time

One of the best nighttime teas is Pukka Night Time. It’s a herbal blend of oat flower, lavender, lime flower, tulsi leaf, and valerian, which is the perfect mix for a nightcap. None of the flavors are overwhelming, so you’ll be able to enjoy this tea without getting hit too hard with a floral taste. 

Pros

  • Organic
  • Valerian root for sleep
  • Good price

Cons

  • Valerian flavor isn’t for everyone 
  • Not very strong
  • Long steep time
Pukka Organic Tea Bags Night Time Herbal Tea
$29.99 ($0.50 / Count)
  • Organic Tea Bags
  • Night Time Herbal Tea with Chamomile, Lavender & Valerian
  • 20 Count (Pack of 3) 60 Tea Bags
  • 3 Pack, 60 tea bags
  • Naturally caffeine free and ethically sourced.
We earn a commission if you make a purchase, at no additional cost to you.
03/07/2024 12:05 am GMT

Celestial Seasonings Sleepytime Extra

Celestial Seasonings Sleepytime Extra is a tasty bedtime tea that calms you down and settles your mind. It has a nice, light flavor that isn’t overwhelming. What’s best is that you can find it right in many grocery stores. If you like the traditional Sleepytime tea, this is a great step up because it has the added benefit of valerian.

Pros

  • Tastes great
  • Inexpensive
  • Good blend of ingredients 

Cons

  • Not ideal if you like strong tea 
  • Bags aren’t biodegradable
  • Needs to steep for a while
Pukka Organic Tea Bags Night Time Herbal Tea
$29.99 ($0.50 / Count)
  • Organic Tea Bags
  • Night Time Herbal Tea with Chamomile, Lavender & Valerian
  • 20 Count (Pack of 3) 60 Tea Bags
  • 3 Pack, 60 tea bags
  • Naturally caffeine free and ethically sourced.
We earn a commission if you make a purchase, at no additional cost to you.
03/07/2024 12:05 am GMT

Traditional Medicinals Nighty Night Extra

Traditional Medicinals Nighty Night Extra is an herbal blend that eases anxiety and helps you fall asleep. You’ll find several critical sleep-inducing ingredients, including valerian root, Passionflower, and lemon balm. In addition, it’s flavored with a touch of licorice, peppermint, and caraway fruit, which helps conceal the strong taste of valerian. 

Pros

  • Valerian root for sleep
  • Not habit-forming
  • Helps you stay asleep 

Cons

  • Smells a bit unpleasant
  • Not very strong
Traditional Medicinals Organic Nighty Night Valerian Relaxation Tea
$8.61 ($0.54 / Count)
  • Promotes a good night’s sleep with the extra power of valerian.*
  • Non-GMO verified. All Ingredients Certified Organic. Kosher. Caffeine Free.
  • Consistently high quality herbs from ethical trading partnerships.
  • Taste: Earthy, minty and satisfyingly herbal.*
  • Contains one box containing 16 sealed tea bags
We earn a commission if you make a purchase, at no additional cost to you.
03/08/2024 05:35 am GMT

Testing Criteria

Choosing which teas to test out was tricky since there are so many offerings. So, I started out based on my own experiences, then I examined the ingredients and benefits of the more popular tea brands.

The teas I chose have varied combinations of relaxing ingredients. I also looked at teas with good flavor profiles that wouldn’t cause consumers to have negative experiences before bed.

Why You Can Trust Me

I’ve been a tea drinker my entire life and firmly believe that there’s a tea for every ailment. I’ll drink peppermint for nausea, chamomile to relax, and traditional black tea for a bit of caffeine in the morning.

Conclusion

So, what is the best tea to drink at night? It’s really up to you. The options listed here offer varied ingredients that help induce sleep and relax your mind, making them all ideal for nighttime teas.

However, if you’re hoping to fall into a deep slumber and sleep through the night, a tea with valerian root, like Traditional Medicinals Night Night Extra, will be your best bet. You can find it in certain grocery stores and your favorite online grocers.

You can find out more about what tea helps you sleep by following the link.

Author

  • Aisling O'Connor

    Aisling is an Irish food and drinks writer and journalist fueled by coffee and herbal tea. She followed up her journalism degree with nutrition studies. Find Aisling on LinkedIn.