Sometimes we may want to drink tea in the evening. But which one is the most suitable? Can we lose sleep if we choose the most stimulating variety of tea?
The tea in its various types, is today one of the most popular drinks in the world, and greater benefits to the human body. The properties it has are innumerable and its use is already millenary and it has been extended to compete with coffee for the second place among the most consumed beverages in the world, only surpassed by water.
However, despite its boom in different cultures, there are many doubts in most about the hours in which tea should or should not be taken. On whether it is appropriate to drink tea at night there are many arguments and contradictions that arise in this regard and conflicting opinions, especially when we talk about the type of tea and the objective we have when drinking it.
All teas are derived from the tea plant (called Camellia Sinensis) and the classification between the different types is mainly based on their manufacturing process, and more specifically on the oxidation process of each tea. There are six basic types of tea according to their colors, but these in turn can be classified into different sub types.
This leaves us with a single accurate answer: Drinking tea at night will be adequate depends on the type of tea that is taken and the benefits we hope to obtain from ingesting this drink.
Do not confuse tea with infusion
Many people speak of the benefits of tea to fall asleep and fight insomnia, an increasingly common condition in these times. But generally it falls into a mistake. Something that should be clear about natural sleep remedies is that a tea is not the same as an infusion. There is a lot of confusion in this regard.
Some people often call infusions tea and for that reason they mistakenly use it to try to sleep better at night. A chamomile tea is not the same as a chamomile infusion.
Although both can be comforting, tea (unlike infusion) contains theine as an essential substance, and this is as stimulating as caffeine, that is, probably far from helping to fall asleep it can have an opposite effect and therefore it is not recommended to take it at night.
Tea can also be relaxing and have benefits at night
However, this does not mean that you cannot or should not drink any tea in the evening. Taking it at those times can also have several benefits. For example, tea in general has a diuretic effect and also helps to maintain satiety and control the anxiety of consuming other undesirable foods. This will be very helpful for people looking to lose weight.
On the other hand, there are other advantages to drinking tea at night, among these is the relaxation and relief of muscle aches, since many teas have an anti-inflammatory effect. Another benefit is improving the digestive process while we sleep, and other applications in which we can have a more natural solution and avoid having to resort to drugs.
What teas can you drink and which ones should you avoid before going to sleep?
Despite the theine and its stimulating effect, for many people a hot tea is relaxing and they have it as part of their routine to sleep better. But as we already mentioned, everything will depend on the type of tea and its properties, so we must know them well.
Most suitable teas to drink at night
- Rooibos: It helps to restore the forces expended during the day, and despite being considered a tea it does not contain theine, and it helps to balance the nervous system, so it is ideal to relax before going to sleep.
- Oolong tea: Also known as blue tea, it has a pleasant aroma, calming and digestive effect and contains a minimum amount of theine, so it can be consumed without problems before going to sleep.
Teas to avoid at night
- Black tea: It is the one that has a greater stimulating effect because it has more theine. It is the one that provides more energy on the nervous system, so it is ideal to take it in the morning and avoid it at night.
- Green tea: Although it is the most popular for its excellent nutritional and diuretic properties, and is widely used at all times by those seeking to lose weight, it is not recommended to consume this tea at night. It can cause insomnia due to its energizing effects. It is best to take it at least three hours before going to bed.
