How long does chamomile take to work?

Many people feel calmer within 20–40 minutes of a cup. For sleep, drink it 30–60 minutes before bed.

Can children drink chamomile tea?

A weak chamomile tea has long been given to fussy or colicky children. Ask the child's clinician first, use a weak preparation, and don't give it when there is a ragweed or daisy allergy.

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Chamomile

The Essentials

Chamomile is an apple-scented evening tea with mild GABA-binding activity from apigenin. Randomised trials support it for generalized anxiety and for sleep onset in older adults.

For most adults, an ordinary cup is gentle enough for daily use. Children need a weaker preparation and adult guidance.

Drink it thirty to sixty minutes before bed, once the lights are low and the day is winding down.

Chamomile (Matricaria chamomilla) is one of the world's most-used calming herbs. Its apple-scented flowers contain apigenin, a flavonoid (a family of protective plant compounds) that acts on some of the same calming pathways targeted by anti-anxiety medicines, though much more gently.