Chamomile has a very long tradition as a herb that calms and helps you sleep. A new meta-analysis of controlled studies of chamomile has now scientifically supported that traditional use.
The meta-analysis included studies of people–some with sleep problems and some without–whose sleep quality was measured on the Pittsburgh Sleep Quality Index (PSQI).
The pooled results showed that chamomile significantly improves sleep quality as measured by the PSQI.
Chamomile did not improve the length of time sleeping, but a review of the studies suggests that it did improve how quickly people fell asleep and how often they woke up during the night.
It is possible that the results might have been even better if the studies had just included people who actually had sleep problems.
This study scientifically supports chamomile’s long, traditional use as a calming and sedative herb that can improve the quality of your sleep.
Complementary Therapies in Medicine. Sep 2024;84:103071.