.JPG){kind=link}
HealthWatchlist verdict: Chamomile has some encouraging sleep research, including a recent inhalation trial. Results vary by preparation and outcome: tea, capsules and essential oil are not equivalent, and a placebo-controlled insomnia trial did not show a clear benefit.
Which chamomile preparation are we talking about?
A cup of chamomile tea, a measured extract capsule and inhaled essential oil expose the body to different substances in different amounts. Research on one cannot automatically justify another. The useful question is whether the preparation you are considering helped people with a similar sleep problem.
This review focuses on sleep. Our chamomile and anxiety review covers the separate evidence for anxiety symptoms, including extract studies that should not be counted as sleep trials.
A recent inhalation trial gives a positive signal
A randomised trial of 80 adults aged 18–35 tested chamomile oil inhalation for 15 days. The comparison group continued its usual routine. Sleep-quality and insomnia-severity scores improved more in the aromatherapy group.
This is direct human evidence for inhalation, but the control did not receive a matching bedtime ritual or alternative scent. Participants could tell whether they were receiving the intervention. Expectation, attention and a regular wind-down routine could contribute to questionnaire improvements.
No adverse events were reported during this brief trial. That does not establish long-term safety, suitability in pregnancy or effects in children and older adults. The authors themselves called for replication with an active control.
Capsule trials do not all agree
In a double-blind pilot trial of 34 adults with chronic insomnia, chamomile extract was compared with placebo for 28 days. There were no statistically significant differences in the main sleep-diary outcomes, including total sleep time, sleep efficiency and time taken to fall asleep.
Some exploratory measures favoured chamomile, while total sleep time showed an effect favouring placebo. Those mixed patterns should not be turned into a claim that chamomile capsules successfully treat chronic insomnia.
A separate trial in 60 older adults reported better sleep-quality scores after four weeks of chamomile extract than after placebo. It used a different population and preparation, with single blinding. It supports further research without cancelling the negative insomnia result.
| Evidence | What it suggests | Important limit |
|---|---|---|
| Essential-oil inhalation | Positive questionnaire results over 15 days | Usual-routine control; short follow-up |
| Extract capsules | Some positive findings in older adults | Chronic-insomnia placebo trial was negative |
| Chamomile tea | Some immediate postpartum benefits | Group differences were no longer evident at later follow-up |
What about chamomile tea?
A trial in 80 postnatal women with poor sleep compared two weeks of chamomile tea with usual postpartum care. Some sleep-related and depressive-symptom measures improved immediately after the intervention. At the later four-week assessment, the groups had similar scores.
This is a specific, short-term study in women after childbirth. It does not prove that a nightly cup treats long-standing insomnia in the wider population, nor establish that tea prevents postnatal depression. The drink may be an enjoyable routine without being a reliable treatment.
What the reviews add
A 2024 systematic review of ten studies and 772 participants found a pooled improvement in sleep-quality scores, but substantial variation between studies. Sleep duration, efficiency and daytime functioning did not show consistent improvement. Most safety monitoring was passive, making rare harms difficult to assess.
An earlier systematic review also distinguished improved sleep quality from insufficient evidence for insomnia itself. The reviews include overlapping trials; their participant totals should not be added together as if every review represents a new experiment.
Safety and a practical next step
NCCIH warns about chamomile allergy and interactions, including reported interactions with warfarin. People allergic to related plants may be more susceptible to a reaction. Check with a pharmacist before using concentrated extracts alongside regular medicines, and seek advice during pregnancy or breastfeeding.
Do not drink essential oil or put it into tea. If a scent causes wheezing, coughing or discomfort, stop using it. A pleasant smell is optional, and there is no reason to persist with one that makes bedtime less comfortable.
The NHS recommends assessment when sleep problems persist or affect daily life. Treatment may include cognitive behavioural therapy addressing the thoughts and habits that maintain insomnia. A simple sleep diary can help you describe the problem without assuming an oil must be the answer.
Our assessment
Finding: mixed results. Evidence strength: limited human evidence. Chamomile deserves a more nuanced verdict than “no studies”, but the evidence does not support a guaranteed insomnia remedy. Preparation, population and the outcome being measured all change the conclusion.
How this review was researched
Research checked on 14 September 2026. We searched PubMed for the named preparation and outcome, read the retrieved study abstracts and relevant reviews, and checked the linked health guidance. This is an editorial review, not an exhaustive systematic review. We identify studies of mixtures, other preparations and different patient groups rather than treating them as interchangeable evidence.
Related reading
References
- Effects of chamomile oil inhalation on sleep quality in young adults with insomnia: A randomized controlled trial.
- Preliminary examination of the efficacy and safety of a standardized chamomile extract for chronic primary insomnia: a randomized placebo-controlled pilot study.
- The effects of chamomile extract on sleep quality among elderly people: A clinical trial.
- Effects of an intervention with drinking chamomile tea on sleep quality and depression in sleep disturbed postnatal women: a randomized controlled trial.
- Effects of chamomile (Matricaria chamomilla L.) on sleep: A systematic review and meta-analysis of clinical trials.
- Therapeutic efficacy and safety of chamomile for state anxiety, generalized anxiety disorder, insomnia, and sleep quality: A systematic review and meta-analysis of randomized trials and quasi-randomized trials.
- NCCIH: Chamomile
- NHS: Insomnia