The Bottom Line About Drinking Green Tea At Night

The internet is full of misinformation about the benefits of drinking green tea before bed. The fact is: you shouldn’t drink green tea before bed. 

Green tea has a plethora of amazing health benefits, and you should definitely add it to your daytime routine. But when it comes to your bedtime routine, we recommend skipping it. 

Green tea is still made from caffeinated tea leaves. It doesn’t have as much caffeine as black tea, but it still has about a third of the amount. Drinking any kind of caffeine before bed might disrupt your sleep — this includes green tea. 

So, unless you’re completely immune to caffeine, you don't want to drink green tea before bed. This is especially true if you’re caffeine-sensitive or caffeine-intolerant. Even decaffeinated teas have a little caffeine — they aren’t 100% caffeine-free.

And, yes, you’ve probably heard green tea contains L-theanine — a calming element — but its effects don’t necessarily calm you down for sleep. Actually, it’s quite the opposite!

Does Green Tea Calm You Down?

Yes, green tea calms you, but not in a way that benefits your sleep cycle. L-theanine is an amino acid found in every kind of real tea — not just green tea. But people are becoming more and more aware of the word L-theanine thanks to green tea.

A handful of years ago, matcha grew in popularity as a health-boosting drink — and indulgent dessert ingredient — in America. Matcha is a type of green tea made from whole, ground tea leaves. It may contain more caffeine than traditional green tea because you consume the entire tea leaf.

Some avid coffee drinkers started switching to matcha because it gave them a more stable energy boost than coffee. Unlike coffee, tea gives you the energy you want from caffeine, but it doesn't make you crash. This is because caffeine interacts with L-theanine found in tea, which has a calming and soothing effect on your body and mind. 

The thing is, L-theanine isn’t specific to matcha or green tea — it’s found in all teas. But it’s important to note that it’s beneficial because it balances the caffeine. Green tea gives you an energy boost — but doesn’t give you the caffeine crash you commonly experience with coffee. 

All that being said, drinking green tea before bed still isn’t a good idea. If you really want to enjoy tea before bed, we have some healthier alternatives you can try.

What is the Best Tea To Drink Before Bed?

If green tea — or any tea for that matter — isn’t good to drink before bed, then what kind of tea can you drink? Herbal teas!

Herbal teas are technically not tea at all — they aren’t made with tea leaves. But they are made with a combination of spices, herbs, and botanicals that might do a much better job at soothing and comforting you before bed. Herbal teas are also known as tisanes, and they are 100% caffeine-free — with few exceptions. 

Common herbal teas include flavors like chamomile or mint. Rooibos teas are also a healthy and vibrant option as a tea for bed. Rooibos bushes are grown and harvested in South Africa and are a wonderful caffeine-free tea alternative. 

If you can handle a little caffeine in the evenings, you might get away with drinking decaffeinated tea. But, if you’re sensitive to caffeine, stay away from decaffeinated teas — like we said before, they still have trace amounts of caffeine. 

Overall, if your goal is relaxation and sleep, it’s best to stick with caffeine-free teas. Period. 

We have a wonderful blog featuring some of the best herbal teas that may help you sleep better.

When Is the Best Time To Drink Green Tea?

So, we already tackled the “drinking green tea before bed” myth — you shouldn’t drink it. But that doesn’t mean you should avoid green tea altogether. Green tea has so many amazing health benefits and is a fantastic addition to your regular daytime routine.

Caffeine has a half-life of about four to six hours. This means about half the caffeine is still in your body around five hours after you drink it. 

If you drink your caffeinated tea too close to bedtime, you might have trouble sleeping. It’s best to drink your green tea in the morning or early afternoon. 

If you drink your tea in the morning, wait at least a few hours after you wake up. This way, your body’s natural sleep-awake cycle reaches its natural equilibrium. Don’t overwhelm your body with a caffeine fix first thing in the morning, otherwise, it can throw off your energy throughout the day. 

If you want to enjoy green tea in the afternoon, try to finish your caffeine consumption well before bedtime. If you go to sleep around 10:00 or 11:00 pm, you’ll want to finish drinking your green tea around 2:00 to 4:00 pm — or around six to eight hours before bed.

If you have a high tolerance for caffeine, you might be able to enjoy green tea with dinner or dessert without many adverse effects. But we still recommend cutting out all caffeine once the evening rolls around. You might find that in reality, you’re not getting as good a night’s sleep because you’re drinking caffeine too late in the day.

Where to Find the Best Teas and Teaware

Now you know that drinking green tea before bed isn’t the best idea. But herbal teas are a wonderful alternative if you’re indeed looking for a relaxing cuppa before bed. If you need to know where to find good teas, no worries, we have you covered. 

The high-quality green teas in this collection are made with premium leaves sourced from small family-owned farms. You’ll find everything from sencha to jasmine pearls to satisfy your green tea cravings — they also offer a wonderful little caffeine boost to get you through the afternoon. 

If you want an herbal tea to calm and soothe before bed, this tisane collection has a robust variety of beautiful flavors you’ll love. From authentic rooibos blends to mint chamomile medleys, you’ll find the perfect herbal tea for your bedtime routine.

For the best-tasting tea, check out Teabloom’s exclusive and extensive collection of handcrafted teaware. Their borosilicate glass pieces are as beautiful as they are practical — and they make every teatime experience incredible. 

Make your tea routine perfect with Teabloom today.

www.Teabloom.com