What does green tea have to do with my sleep?

For most people, tea time is bonding time. Green tea has its relaxing aroma, but ironically, one of its benefits is to keep you alert.

It interferes with your sleeping. Tea contains caffeine, a bitter white crystalline xanthine alkaloid that acts as a stimulant drug. It acts as a nervous system stimulant to humans. Caffeine also restores alertness. Tea drinkers obtain the same alertness as to coffee drinkers. However, caffeine contain of green tea is much lesser than coffee. Green tea also contains other chemicals such as polyphenols (has a health contributing potential) and L-theanine (balances caffeine).

Though it contain caffeine, our body can prevent being wide awake even after drinking tea. Our body has its natural immune system that adds up tolerance to the things we usually intake. That’s why some people can even drink up to ten cups of coffee a day. Their common reason… is to keep them awake, but before the hour is through, they found themselves having trouble staying awake… again. Meanwhile, Antioxidants in green tea can at least prevent some sleeping disorder like sleep apnea and who would have guessed?… Insomnia.

• Sleep apnea– uneasy breathing during sleep, somehow like what snoring does.
• Insomnia – having difficulty falling and/or maintaining sleep.

Here is a list of tea that could help:

*keep you awake

• Dragonwell (Bai longjing) – contain more amino-acid which increases alertness to our body, than other green tea
• Jasmine – it has a high caffeine content

*help you sleep

• Gyokuro – has a greater amount of L-theanine which relaxes our body, than other teas
• Valerian – its roots produce a sedative like effect
• Kava – its roots produce a sedative and anesthetic like effect

Green tea’s effect in sleeping depends on which plant it came from. Some type of green tea could increase the body’s urge to sleep and some disrupts it. Therefore, you should know what type of green tea you should take before bedtime.

Author Bio:

Treisha is a portrait of a modern-day Party Girl. Nights of dancing and socializing are not uncommon in Treisha’s life, but she claims to know and respect her limits. When responsibilities and opportunities align themselves, she knows how to prioritize them and keep them in order. Treisha works part-time as a blog manager and writer for Uratex Blog.