There is no doubt, tea can make you feel refreshed. But, tea can also calm you down. As long as you adjust the types of the tea and the way you drink it in a scientific way, tea drinking will not affect your sleep and actually guarantee the quality of the sleep.
People says that tea drinking will cause insomnia. This is because tea contains caffeine, which plays a role in refreshing your mind and keep you awake. But, tea drinking causes insomnia should not be generalized.
The level of caffeine contained in the tea depends on many factors, such as the type of the tea, living condition, collecting season, collecting standard, process and even the brewing. The tolerance to caffeine can vary depending on the human’s body condition and habits.
Therefore, someone will have problem fell asleep even with a small cup of tea, while others who drinks tea a lot can still sleep well even if they drink tea before sleep.
Then, what are some tips that to avoid insomnia when you drink tea before sleep?
- Drinking tea 3 to 5 hours before sleep
If you sleep at 11 pm, then you should drink tea before 8 pm or during the day (drinking tea half hour after dining), normally, there will not be obvious affect. For healthy adult, caffeine will show effect within an hour since consumption. The mild level of caffeine consumed will be disappearing in 3 to 4 hours.
- Washing tea 1 to 2 times
The caffeine is easily dissolved in hot water. Putting the tea in hot waters for about 2 minutes, approximately 70% – 80% of the caffeine will be dissolved in the water. The first two times are used to remove the caffeine, which helps with curing insomnia caused by tea.
- Drinking light tea
Caffeine only affects people with certain amount. And human body has tolerance to caffeine. For example, the Coke, coffee, chocolate all contain caffeine. Therefore, generally speaking, light tea has limited amount of caffeine. Thus, the effect it has on sleep is weakened.
- Drinking tea with higher level of fermentation
Such as fully fermented black tea. Due to the fermentation, the polyphenols transferred into theaflavins and other polyphenols oxidation products. This type of oxidation production will not cause strong reaction to the stomach. Additionally, it reduced the amount of caffeine consumed, which lower the risk of insomnia.
- Drinking tea with sweetness
The sweetness of the tea is mainly composed of soluble sugar such as monosaccharides and disaccharides, as well as the amino acids with sweet taste, such as theanine. Many research shows that theanine plays great health protection in neuro protection, sedation, and emotional regulation. This function is helpful to sleep and has no side effect, such as fresh white tea.
- Drinking ripped or old tea
The ripped or old tea is mild and less irritation. The green tea has rich caffeine and polyphenols, which poses as strong irritation to neuro. Black tea, ripped Pu-erh tea and old white tea, will not only cause insomnia. Rather, it can help with sleep. The old white tea can work better if you boil the tea.
- Eating snacks
If you have drink too much tea, you can eat some sweats or tea snacks. Then, you wouldn’t need to worry about insomnia.
Drinking tea before sleep, sometimes you just want to taste a little bit. If you have insomnia because of tea drinking, then you should try these methods.