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For most people, starting the day off with a strong cup of coffee is essential. However, for those of us who can’t tolerate caffeine, it can be hard to find good substitutes — especially if you have issues with anxiety. According to Harvard Medical School, the caffeine from coffee can mimic anxiety symptoms, making any baseline anxiousness even worse.
Like many others, tea became my go-to. Herbal and decaffeinated teas are perfect for my body to handle and even ease some of my symptoms. Now I drink a cup of tea in the morning and at night to manage my stress and help me fall asleep. You can too.
This curated list took into account the best brands and selections of teas with ingredients that have been scientifically tested to ease stress and anxiety. I considered customer reviews, price, ingredients and my own experience. Here are the best teas for relaxation and sleepiness.
Ingredients: Peppermint, spearmint and tarragon
Tazo is one of the top tea brands on the market and one of my personal favorites. Not only does it produce quality caffeinated teas, but it also offers plenty of noncaffeinated and herbal tea selections.
Tazo’s Refresh Mint tea is an infusion of peppermint, spearmint and a little tarragon. Mint is a natural anxiety and stress aid. A pilot study on peppermint (PDF), in particular, suggests mint tea also enhances memory and improves sleep quality.
This tea comes in a pack of six, and each box contains 20 tea bags.
- For the best brewing: Boil water (212 degrees Fahrenheit), pour a cup of water over the tea bag and let steep for 5 minutes.
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Each Buddha Teas box comes with 18 tea bags.
- For the best brewing: Boil water, pour over the tea bag and let steep for 3 to 5 minutes.
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Ingredients: Organic passionflower
Buddha Teas uses clean ingredients, unbleached tea bags, 100% recycled and recyclable cartons, no artificial flavors, colors, preservatives or GMOs. Its organic passionflower tea is also noncaffeinated.
Passionflower is a powerful yet natural sleep aid. Recent studies suggest that it has the potential to treat sleep disorders that are often associated with anxiety, such as insomnia. However, consult a doctor if you are pregnant or nursing, as passionflower may be unsuitable for you.
Each Buddha Teas box comes with 18 tea bags.
- For the best brewing: Boil water, pour over the tea bag and let steep for 3 to 5 minutes.
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Ingredients: Ginger root, natural lemon and ginger flavors, blackberry leaves, linden, lemon peel and lemon grass
Twinings, a tea company based in London, has been providing tea products for over an impressive 300 years. Its quality teas are often moderately priced. Twinings Lemon and Ginger tea is described as zesty, warming and lightly spicy (due to the ginger).
Ginger root has many health benefits to the body. Ginger reduces anxiety — in one study, ginger extract seemed to treat anxiety as effectively as Diazepam. It also serves as an antioxidant and anti-inflammatory and may even lower blood sugar in those with diabetes.
One large box comes with 100 tea bags.
- For the best brewing: Boil water, pour over the tea bag and let steep for 4 minutes.
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