No tea before bed? Here’s the exception

Sleep has an incredibly powerful part to play in everyone’s self-care routines. In fact, we’d even go as far as saying that getting a good night’s kip is the most important form of self-care.

It is after all the very foundation of health and wellbeing, with the effects of not getting enough having a direct impact on many areas of our lives.

A lack of sleep is bad for your short and long term health. It will affect your mood, stress levels, and focus, as well as have dire consequences for your physical wellbeing.

Poor sleep on a regular basis has been linked to an increased risk of a long list of serious health concerns. Obesity, heart disease, diabetes, and a shorter life expectancy all go hand-in-hand with sleepless nights.

Whether you’re taking early nights only to find sleep eludes you or you’re a night owl that doesn’t hit the hay until the early hours, your nighttime routine may have a lot to answer for.

Almost everyone knows that tea, coffee and soft drinks are nighttime no-nos if upping your sleep quantity and quality is on the agenda.

But just how much of an impact does indulging in your caffeine fix later in the day have on your sleep? Is there a way to enjoy an evening brew without this backlash?

How does drinking caffeine affect your sleep?

Caffeine is found in a wide range of drinks and foods, not just your usual tea, coffee and soft drinks. It has a dramatic impact on the brain, and while its alertness-promoting effects can be useful to fight daytime fatigue, come nighttime it’s an entirely different story.

We’ll let the Sleep Foundation explain more:

“Inside the brain, caffeine blocks adenosine receptors. Adenosine is a sleep-promoting chemical that is produced in the brain during our waking hours.

Normally, adenosine builds up in the brain the longer we’re awake. The more it builds up, the sleepier we become. When caffeine blocks this process, we remain alert and vigilant.”

These fatigue-fighting effects may peak within 30 to 70 minutes, but caffeine stays in the bloodstream for between 3 and 7 hours.

Drinking a caffeinated drink or eating foods that contain caffeine later in the day can have a major impact on your ability to fall asleep and stay asleep due to the disruption it causes to your body’s circadian rhythm or ‘body clock’.

As caffeine is a diuretic, you’re also more likely to wake during the night to visit the loo.

Caffeine is a common denomination in various sleep problems, including insomnia, sleep-disordered breathing (SDB) and obstructive sleep apnoea (OSA).

When should you stop drinking caffeinated drinks?

Opinions vary when it comes to pinpointing the exact cut-off time for caffeine. Caffeine is after all absorbed more quickly and more slowly by some individuals than others.

Those who smoke cigarettes for example, have more rapid caffeine absorption. While pregnant women and those taking oral contraceptives have a slower absorption rate.

According to the latest research, however, people should avoid drinking or consuming caffeine before 2pm or at least 7 hours before bed. The best time to enjoy the perks of caffeinated drinks is between 10am and 12pm.

Our Nourishing Night Tea – the exception to the rule?

If you love a pre-bedtime brew, then our Nourishing Night Tea is made for you. Unlike caffeinated alternatives, our Nourishing Night Tea actively relaxes the body and soothes the senses to prepare you for the best night’s sleep.

There are more benefits to enjoying a cup of this potent herbal blend every night. It can help improve digestion and nutrient absorption, as well as helping to boost the incredible healing power that your body needs to unlock overnight for great health and wellness.

Our Nourishing Night Tea not only tastes delicious, but the combination of organic chamomile flowers and leaves, organic lavender flowers, and organic passion flowers also helps calm the mind and body for a potentially deeper sleep, lower anxiety, and improved mood.

Your skin will also benefit from this nighttime nourishment. When used on a regular basis, our night tea helps to increase skin and connective tissue, speed up the healing process and minimise breakouts, and it’ll leave you feeling more body confident from day to night.

Ready to see the benefits of our Nourishing Night Tea for yourself? Find out more about this sleep saviour right here.