A recent study looked at factors that can promote better sleep, at a time when it has been scientifically proven that lack of sleep can lead to serious health consequences.
The study, published in the journal Nature Human Behavior, found that there are several types of tea that can play a role in sleep quality, efficiency and duration, reports Al-Rai daily.
Specifically, green tea, German chamomile, lavender (a mountainous plant native to North Africa and the mountainous regions of the Mediterranean), rose, jasmine, and passionflower (a perennial plant that is included in dozens of sedatives) had a strong effect on sleep.
The study found that “nearly six in 10 (57 percent) adults in the UK feel relaxed when they drink tea, and the other half feel calmer.”
The researchers pointed to the presence of “active compounds” in tea that can help sleep, such as polyphenols, L-theanine, theaflavins, and therubigins, and said that these compounds have direct effects on the brain, helping to activate pathways that reduce stress and create calm and relaxation.
And they warned of the dire health effects of lack of sleep, stressing that “sleep less than six hours a night increases levels of C-reactive protein, which indicates that the body is fighting inflammation.”
Additional research has suggested that less than seven hours of sleep each night is associated with an increased risk of diseases, including type 2 diabetes, obesity, high blood pressure, depression, and impaired immune function.
Also, in the short term, poor sleep affects cognitive and task performance, increases feelings of fatigue, and impairs the ability to make decisions.
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