If you have trouble sleeping, you probably have already tried a lot of hacks and tricks to improve your night’s rest. But did you know that there is a specific drink you can drink to improve your sleep quality? So, no more intricate sleep routine; all you need is some green tea at the right time of day and you’ll sleep like a baby!
Sleep better
According to Micheal Breus, leading sleep specialist known as “The Sleep Doctor” and clinical psychologist, green tea is the drink that will help you sleep better. He told Well + Good: “Drinking green tea throughout the day—yes, rather than at night—may be helpful for reducing fatigue and increasing sleep quality. This is because of a compound in green tea called L-theanine, which helps your brain relax by reducing stress-related hormones and neuron excitement.”
Caffeine
When you drink your green tea several hours before you go to bed, you won’t experience that caffeine high that usually get with drinking green tea. But it does matter what type of green tea you’re drinking. Breus explains: “Make sure you’re drinking a lower-caffeine green tea, if possible—some blends of green tea, particularly matcha, have high caffeine content. This may keep you awake if you drink it too late.”
L-theanine
So, what is this magic substance that will help you doze off in no time? Breus says that L-theanine makes you feel relaxed because it influences your brain in a certain way. He explains that the L-theanine increases serotonin and dopamine levels and those can help you fall asleep faster. But by drinking green tea, you’re not just improving your sleep. You might also be making your brain more healthy. “L-theanine also reduces levels of chemicals in the brain that are linked to stress and anxiety … This suggests that L-theanine can protect brain cells against stress and age-related damage over time,” Breus told Well + Good.
So, time to stock up on some green tea and reap the benefits tonight!
Source: Well + Good | Image: Unsplash, Ann Danilina