Is Lemon Balm Tea Good for Sleep?

Partly: lemon balm tea may help you unwind before bed if a calming routine suits you, possibly through effects on calming brain signals, but its sleep benefits are unproven. Plain lemon balm tea is naturally caffeine-free and can be part of an evening routine.

What is the short answer?

Lemon balm tea is reasonable to try as a relaxing drink, but it is not an established treatment for insomnia. Studies of products containing lemon balm have had mixed results, and they do not tell us whether the tea itself improves sleep.

A comfortable bedtime routine may be helpful whether or not lemon balm has a direct effect. For a broader look at evening options, see the best drinks for sleep. If sleep problems continue or affect your daytime life, speak with a healthcare professional rather than relying on tea alone.

How might lemon balm work?

Researchers have studied whether compounds in lemon balm extracts affect GABA signaling. GABA is a chemical messenger that helps regulate nerve activity and plays a role in sleep and wakefulness. A 2021 systematic review of herbal remedies and GABA signaling found that herbal extracts may interact with this system, but their sleep-related mechanisms are not fully understood.

That proposed mechanism does not prove that lemon balm tea makes people sleep better. Extracts and tea can contain different amounts of plant compounds, and the amount in a homemade drink is not standardized. The calming experience of taking a break with a warm, caffeine-free drink may also be useful as part of a routine, without proving a specific effect of lemon balm.

What does the evidence show?

The available evidence is limited and mixed. The studies below tested combinations containing lemon balm, not lemon balm tea on its own:

• A 2013 randomized trial in 100 women with sleep problems during menopause found that a valerian and lemon balm product improved reported sleep problems compared with placebo. Because the product contained both herbs, the study cannot show how much of the effect, if any, came from lemon balm.
• A 2024 randomized trial in 64 adults with impaired sleep tested a combination of L-theanine and extracts of lemon balm, valerian and saffron against placebo over 6 weeks. The combination did not improve measured or self-reported sleep more than placebo.

Randomized trials can provide useful evidence, but combination products make it hard to isolate an individual ingredient. The studies we found also do not establish an effective amount of lemon balm tea or show that a homemade infusion works the same way as an extract. A positive result with one combination should therefore not be treated as proof that the tea works.

How can you use lemon balm tea for sleep?

If you want to try lemon balm tea, make it a comfortable part of your evening rather than expecting a predictable sedative effect. Choose plain lemon balm rather than a blend containing caffeinated tea. If drinking close to bedtime makes you wake to use the bathroom, try having it earlier in the evening.

The following makes a mild refrigerated infusion that you can warm if you prefer. It is a flavor recipe, not a dose proven to improve sleep.

Ingredients

• 2 sprigs of fresh lemon balm, about 5 g
• 1 L water, about 4¼ cups

Steps

1. Rinse the lemon balm and place it in a clean, covered container with the water.
2. Refrigerate for 2–4 hours to infuse.
3. Strain into a cup and warm the portion you plan to drink, if desired.
4. Keep the remaining infusion refrigerated and drink it within 24 hours for best flavor.

Discard the infusion sooner if it becomes cloudy, slimy or sour-smelling. Notice how you feel rather than increasing the amount to chase a sleep effect; no effective amount of lemon balm tea has been established.

Who should be careful, and when should you see a doctor?

Check with a healthcare professional before using lemon balm tea if you are pregnant or breastfeeding, or before giving it to a child, because safety information is limited. Ask first if you have a thyroid condition or take thyroid medication; possible effects and interactions are not well established.

If you take sleeping pills, sedatives or other medicines that make you drowsy, ask a pharmacist or clinician before trying lemon balm tea. Avoid combining it with alcohol, and do not drive if you feel drowsy. Do not stop or change prescribed medication without medical advice.

See a healthcare professional if trouble sleeping persists, regularly disrupts your day, or occurs with loud snoring, gasping during sleep or marked daytime sleepiness. Those symptoms deserve assessment rather than self-treatment with tea. If you are too sleepy to drive safely, do not drive.