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Botanicals & Herbs

Chamomile

Also known as: Matricaria chamomilla, German chamomile, Chamomilla recutita

The bedtime tea flower — genuinely calming, with modest evidence for sleep, anxiety, and skin soothing.

  • By IngredientWiki Editorial Team
  • Fact-checked by IngredientWiki Editorial Team
  • Updated 2026-09-26
  • 2 min read

In short

Chamomile is a daisy-family flower whose dried blossoms make the world's most popular herbal bedtime tea. Its active compound, apigenin, binds to benzodiazepine sites in the brain — the same receptors targeted by anti-anxiety drugs — which explains chamomile's gentle calming effect. Trials support modest benefits for sleep quality and generalized anxiety, and chamomile creams have real evidence for skin irritation. Effects are subtle, which is exactly how the flower works.

  • Dried flowers of Matricaria chamomilla (German chamomile)
  • Active flavonoid apigenin binds benzodiazepine receptors
  • Best evidence: mild sleep and anxiety support
  • Avoid if allergic to ragweed or daisy-family plants

What is Chamomile?

Chamomile is folk medicine's gentlest ambassador: a flower that never overpromises and therefore rarely disappoints. Modern pharmacology gave the tradition a mechanism — apigenin, chamomile's signature flavonoid, docks onto GABA-A receptors, the brain's main inhibitory switches, producing calm without sedation. Clinical trials have since found small but consistent benefits for sleep and anxiety, plus anti-inflammatory and wound-healing support for skin.

Where it comes from

Natural sources

  • Flower heads of German chamomile (Matricaria chamomilla)
  • Roman chamomile (Chamaemelum nobile) used similarly in Europe
  • Dried for teas; essential oil for aromatherapy

How it's made

Supplements use dried flower powder, standardized extracts (often 1.2% apigenin), or the isolated compound.

What it does in products

  • Apigenin binds GABA-A receptors (calming)
  • Anti-inflammatory flavonoids (chamazulene, bisabolol)
  • Mild antimicrobial and wound-healing support
  • Smooth-muscle relaxation (digestive cramps)

Benefits

Sleep quality

moderate evidence

Trials in older adults and postpartum women report modest improvements in sleep quality with chamomile tea or extract — a gentle, low-risk bedtime aid.

Generalized anxiety

moderate evidence

An 8-week trial of 500 mg extract three times daily found significant reductions in anxiety scores — small study, but mechanistically consistent with apigenin's receptor profile.

Skin irritation and wound care

moderate evidence

Chamomile creams speed healing of minor wounds and soothe inflamed skin — one of the better-evidenced botanical topical ingredients.

Digestive comfort

emerging evidence

Traditional use for stomach cramps has some support from chamomile's muscle-relaxing flavonoids, though rigorous trials are few.

Side effects & safety

Allergic reactions in daisy-family sensitivity (uncommon)Ragweed-allergic people may react — rashes or, rarely, anaphylaxis.
Drowsiness at high extract doses (uncommon)Mild; avoid combining with sedatives or alcohol.

Safety considerations

  • Large amounts are traditionally discouraged in pregnancy due to uterine-stimulating concerns; occasional tea is generally considered fine — ask your provider.
  • Adds to the sedative effect of sleep medications and alcohol.
  • May slow clotting at high doses — caution with warfarin.
  • Not for: Ragweed/daisy-family allergy
  • Not for: Planned surgery (stop high doses 2 weeks prior)

How it's used

In supplements

Tea: 1–2 cups of steeped flowers before bed. Extracts: 220–1,500 mg daily; the anxiety trial used 500 mg three times daily. Effects are gentle and build over days to weeks.

Regulatory status

  • Dietary supplement under DSHEA; chamomile is GRAS as a food and flavoring ingredient.
  • GRAS (generally recognized as safe) for food use.

Popular products containing Chamomile

  • Chamomile Herbal Tea — The classic bedtime teaCelestial Seasonings · Supplement
  • Chamomile Extract CapsulesNature's Way · Supplement
  • Chamomile TeaTraditional Medicinals · Supplement

Product names and brands are shown for reference and belong to their respective owners.

Tea vs extract: matching dose to goal

A cup of chamomile tea delivers roughly 10–20 mg of apigenin — enough for a gentle evening wind-down, which is how most people use it. Clinical anxiety trials used extracts at hundreds of milligrams of flavonoids, a dose unreachable by tea alone. The practical rule: tea for bedtime ritual and mild sleep support; standardized extracts for measurable anxiety effects.

Frequently asked questions

Does chamomile tea actually help you sleep?

Modestly, yes. Trials show small improvements in sleep quality, and the ritual itself — a warm, caffeine-free evening drink — contributes. It is not a sleeping pill; think of it as lowering the volume on a busy mind.

How much chamomile tea should I drink before bed?

One to two cups, steeped 5–10 minutes, about 30–60 minutes before bed. Stronger brews (more flowers, longer steep) deliver more apigenin.

Who should avoid chamomile?

People allergic to ragweed, chrysanthemums, marigolds, or daisies should avoid it — cross-reactions are common. Those taking sedatives or blood thinners should check with a doctor.

The bottom line

Chamomile is a quietly effective, low-risk botanical for sleep and mild anxiety, with bonus skin-soothing credentials. Tea handles bedtime; standardized extracts handle anxiety trials. Just confirm you are not daisy-family allergic first.

References

  1. Chamomile. NCCIH (National Institutes of Health). https://www.nccih.nih.gov/health/chamomile
  2. Chamomile for generalized anxiety (randomized trial). Journal of Clinical Psychopharmacology (PubMed). https://pubmed.ncbi.nlm.nih.gov/22894890/
  3. Apigenin compound summary. PubChem (National Library of Medicine). https://pubchem.ncbi.nlm.nih.gov/compound/5280443
  4. Chamomile and sleep — literature search. PubMed (National Library of Medicine). https://pubmed.ncbi.nlm.nih.gov/?term=chamomile+sleep+quality+randomized