Sleepy or awake? Green tea is one of the beverages that will be an all-time favorite. The number of fans of this beverage is increasing with each passing day.
It has made its way into the diets as well as the hearts of people who want to take care of their health.
The beverage has such a wide spectrum of health benefits that it can literally be dubbed as the elixir of life! Right from improving the function of the brain to preventing cancer, the benefits are indeed mind-blowing.
However, what kind of effect does green tea have on your sleep? Have you ever thought about it? Does green tea make you feel sleepy or does it keep you awake?
Well, you would love to drink a beverage at bedtime that helps you sleep better, isn’t it? Nobody likes to stay awake till the wee hours of the morning for nothing!
The answers to these questions may not be so simple! Before finding the answers to the questions above, let’s know what all green tea contains!
What does green tea contain?
This ancient beverage has bioactive compounds and is packed with polyphenols such as catechins and flavonoids. They are potent antioxidants that fight free radical damage.
EGCG (Epigallocatechin Gallate) is one powerful antioxidant present in green tea that can treat numerous diseases.
Apart from antioxidants, green tea also has minerals that are necessary for good health.
Caffeine is also an active ingredient present in green tea and is a well-known stimulant. The stimulant improves brain function, memory, and reaction time along with enhancing vigilance and mood.
Now, the best part about green tea is that it also has an amino acid called L-theanine that provides anti-anxiety effects. It also increases dopamine and alpha wave production in the brain.
Both caffeine and L-theanine together make a powerful combo that helps in improving the function of the brain. Even the presence of EGCG (epigallocatechin gallate) improves overall mental health.
According to research, L-theanine helps in improving sleep quality and reduces Obstructive Sleep Apnea.
Green tea gives more stable energy in comparison to coffee and also improves productivity without any side effects.
With that being said, it is also important to note that caffeine content depends on a lot of factors. This includes how the tea has been harvested, the environment, and growing conditions.
Does green tea make you sleepy?
Now, let’s come back to the main question i.e. the connection between green tea and sleep. Are you wondering how green tea helps you sleep well at night?
This sleep-inducing property of the beverage is because of the amino acid L-theanine present in it as mentioned already above.
And, if you want to make the best out of the benefits green tea has to offer, you should drink it before going to bed.
L-theanine helps in making the nerves relax and get rid of stress. Moreover, drinking green tea before retiring to bed improves sleep quality.
Studies show that sleep helps remove toxins in your brain that build up while you are awake.
There is no evidence to show if drinking tea makes you sleepy. However, consider green tea to be a great way to end a long and busy day.
Is drinking green tea before bed good for health?
Here is what drinking green tea before going to bed at night can do for you:
1. Relax and boost metabolism
The L-theanine in green tea helps in relaxing your mind, providing a soothing effect, and de-stressing your body. This way you can be in a happy state of mind and get a sound sleep.
When your sleep quality is good, your metabolism will get revved up! Green tea helps in stimulating that process and this is a huge pro!
2. Combat flu and remove toxins
Apart from helping you relax and enhancing your metabolism, green tea has a hand in keeping the flu at bay. This effect is due to the presence of the antioxidant EGCG (Epigallocatechin gallate).
So, if you want to keep the cold and flu away, you need to drink green tea. The catechins in green tea are also effective in removing toxins from your body as you sleep.
In a nutshell, green tea helps you sleep well along with providing you with loads of other related benefits.
Please note – If you are planning to consume green tea before bedtime, it is better to consume it at least 1-2 hours before going to sleep.
This is just to make sure that you sleep well and don’t have to wake up later to use the restroom. Now, you might be wondering why you are being told so?
Well, being a natural diuretic, green tea will make you urinate more than usual. Therefore, when you consume an excess of it, it can dehydrate you and result in electrolyte imbalance in the body.
Stick to a limited number of cups of green tea a day if you don’t want to affect the hydration of the body.
Can green tea make you feel sleepy and tired?
Now, there are some individuals that feel sleepy and tired at the same time after they drink green tea. Every human body is different and the reasons for feeling tired and sleepy could be as follows:
The L-theanine in green tea increases GABA, a relaxant, and mood enhancer in the body. Those who are extra sensitive to it can start feeling sleepy.- Individuals with chronic fatigue syndrome get more tired after consuming green tea.
- It can be a withdrawal symptom if you are switching from coffee to green tea. Especially if you have been taking an overdose of the former!
The L-theanine in green tea increases GABA, a relaxant, and mood enhancer in the body. Those who are extra sensitive to it can start feeling sleepy.You can change the brand of green tea you are using. And, if your problem still doesn’t get solved, then it is due to the compounds present in the tea.
So, it is always recommended that you consult your doctor before drinking green tea.
Can green tea keep you awake at night?
You may wonder whether the caffeine in green tea affects sleep quality and make you stay awake if consumed before bed? Yes, it does!
Caffeine is a chemical compound that can keep you awake if consumed late in the evening. It increases your ability to focus, makes you more attentive, and boosts the overall energy levels.
Caffeine increases the willingness to stay awake. In addition, it reduces the feelings of tiredness all of which can make it more difficult to fall asleep.
However, green tea is different from coffee when it comes to caffeine content. It has relatively low levels of caffeine and can affect the sleep of those who are caffeine sensitive.
Such people can face late-night awakeness as the central nervous system gets stimulated.
How to choose green tea with low caffeine content?
When compared to Indian and Kenyan green tea, Chinese Oolong tea contains a fairly lower amount of caffeine. Those who are concerned about their caffeine intake, especially before going to bed, can choose to drink Oolong tea.
Does green tea cause insomnia?
As discussed above, at times, green tea keeps caffeine-sensitive people stay awake at night.
Caffeine disrupts the circadian rhythm of the body which may cause insomnia. In simple terms, it affects the body clock and makes it difficult to fall asleep at the right time at night.
If you drink green tea in huge quantities (that amounts to 10 cups a day or more) that too late in the evening, there can be chances of suffering from insomnia.
Insomnia can cause brain damage, anxiety, depression, and even hallucinations.
Moreover, the chances are more if you suffer from caffeine hypersensitivity as already mentioned above.
Since the excess of anything is bad, you should not go overboard with green tea. It does have a lot of goodness in it, no doubt, but crossing the limit can do more harm than good.
What is the best time to have green tea?
Though the best time varies, you can drink green tea at the following times during the day:
- After eating your breakfast
- Half an hour before working out to burn fat
- Two hours post a meal or prior to a meal
- Throughout the day just like detox water.
Is decaffeinated green tea a good idea?
If you don’t want to consume caffeine, you can go in for decaffeinated green tea (though it won’t be completely free of naturally occurring caffeine)!
This variant of green tea has lesser amounts of antioxidants in it than the regular one but it does provide health benefits. There are many decaf varieties of green tea available online. Choose the one that suits your needs.
Try to opt for a trusted tea brand that promises very low caffeine content and is well-suited as an evening beverage.
You can buy less oxidized green tea but that would not mean that it has less caffeine in it. The main aim is to ensure that green tea does not harm your sleep.
Method of preparing green tea to reduce its caffeine content
You can reduce the caffeine content of regular green tea by making changes in the way you prepare it.
You can add the tea bag or loose tea leaves to hot water. Then discard the brew within 10 seconds of steeping.
Now, the leaves can be steeped normally with more hot water.
This way you can reduce the caffeine content of the tea.
So, enjoy your cup of green tea! And, if you are not caffeine sensitive, you can happily consume it at bedtime for blissful slumber 🙂
The Final Takeaway
You can look forward to sipping on a cup of green tea just before bedtime (1-2 hours). It will make you sleepy and improve sleep quality. However, if you are sensitive to the caffeine present in green tea, the beverage can instead make you stay awake.
Also, consuming it in really large amounts can keep you awake at night. You can opt for decaf green tea so that you get the health benefits of the brew without the side effects of caffeine.