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"The ones I love are cinnamon, ginger, and peppermint." "There are a few teensy studies, but it’s more about what you personally find relaxing," she says. Jaclyn London, MS, RD, CDN, Nutrition Director at the Good Housekeeping Institute, agrees. Bollu says."One person might feel better with lavender tea, while another person may require chamomile and not respond to lavender." "These herbal teas act in the brain just like that," Dr. "Those detectors are super-sensitive in some people and not as sensitive in others." He compares it to how people have varied responses to caffeine: Your friend may be able to drink coffee late at night and fall asleep no problem, but if you drink a latté after 4 p.m., you're up all night. "What we know is that in our brain, the receptors for a variety of chemicals are slightly different in everyone," Dr. What the science does suggest so far is that common tea ingredients like valerian, chamomile, lavender, lemon balm, and passionflower affect different people differently. Some research indicates that the gamma-aminobutyric acid (GABA) acid in valerian root may make the brain less active and the antioxidants in chamomile could also produce a calming effect, but the small studies conducted to date haven't found conclusive evidence, says Pradeep Bollu, M.D., a board-certified sleep specialist and neurologist with MU Health Care. Making a sleep tea part of your bedtime routine can have a calming effect that may get your mind ready for bed. If you've tried everything from white noise machines to blue light glasses, weighted blankets to silk sleep masks, but still toss and turn before falling asleep at night, maybe it's time to hit the brew - an herbal brew.
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