Bedtime teas get lumped together. They are not the same product and they do not have the same evidence. Chamomile is an evening drink with preliminary anxiety research. Lavender’s better-known trials often used a specific oral oil, which is not the same as smelling a cup. Valerian is the herb most often studied for insomnia, and those trials disagree. Passionflower has a small anxiety literature. Melatonin is a hormone in a capsule, not a tea.
Choose the situation that matches why you are reading. The page returns one starting point and the caveat that goes with it. If you are pregnant, nursing, or trying to conceive, it stops and tells you not to choose a product from a quiz. Sedatives, alcohol, and several of these herbs can stack into morning drowsiness.
A cup is not a treatment for insomnia. The American Academy of Sleep Medicine has advised against valerian for chronic insomnia. Use the links under the result to read the guide we already published for that botanical, including what the studies failed to show.
You choose the situation. The page returns the botanical most often discussed for that situation, plus the caveat from our existing guides. Chamomile and lavender are evening-drink or aroma options with preliminary anxiety research. Valerian is the one studied for insomnia, and that evidence is inconsistent. Passionflower has a small amount of anxiety research. Melatonin is a supplement hormone, not a tea.
A cup of tea is not a treatment for insomnia. Do not use this picker during pregnancy or while taking sedatives. Melatonin products vary in the amount that is actually in the bottle.
None of these teas has strong evidence as a sleep treatment. Valerian is the one most often studied for insomnia, and those trials disagree with each other. Chamomile is a reasonable evening drink with weaker sleep data.
No. Melatonin is a hormone sold as a supplement. The picker includes it so you can see that it is a different kind of product from chamomile or valerian tea.
Combining sedating herbs, magnesium, and melatonin can make morning drowsiness more likely, and some combinations interact with medicines. This tool suggests one starting point to read about, not a stack.