Everyone has their specific nighttime routine to wind down for the day. Maybe you turn on a lavender-scented oil diffuser as you pick out tomorrow’s clothes, perhaps you spray homemade rose water on your face, or stick a Nespresso pod in the machine so that it’s ready for the morning. If you’re the kind of person who prefers a hot drink before bed you’re not alone. After all, it’s well known that a glass of warm milk should make you feel sleepy.
But what about when it comes to drinking a hot cup of matcha (with milk or without) before bed? Well, it’s generally alright to have a cup without it disturbing your sleep cycle. Many people reach for a cup of tea at the end of the evening, and matcha is a form of green tea. A scientific study published in the United Kingdom found that green tea could actually help improve anxiety levels and quality of sleep. Beyond those two possibilities, a cup of matcha before falling asleep might even improve other bodily functions, since matcha is packed with helpful antioxidants and flavonoids.
Why matcha should be your new bedtime buddy
You may be thinking, “But matcha has caffeine in it, how is it okay to drink before I go to bed?” This is a valid concern, but not one to get stuck on. Yes, matcha has caffeine, but in comparison to an average cup of coffee, matcha contains about half as much. So, unless you’re the type of person who’s overly sensitive to caffeine, you’re most likely not going to experience much of a buzz from just 40-ish milligrams of caffeine in a cup of matcha. Let’s also not forget that there are plenty of cultures where people enjoy a cup of coffee or espresso after dinner and still fall asleep perfectly fine (since coffee can actually backfire and make you feel sleepy, too).
Matcha may contain caffeine, but it also contains a rare amino acid known as L-theanine. This amino acid slowly releases into your body, making you relaxed while simultaneously giving you energy, but not in the same jittery way that caffeine does. These qualities make matcha the preferred drink of choice for meditating Buddhist monks in Japan, providing alertness while keeping stress levels low and the body calm. Drinking a cup of matcha before bed should leave you feeling soothed and relaxed thanks to all that helpful L-theanine, like a lullaby in liquid form.
