Does Chamomile Tea Have Caffeine?

No. Pure chamomile tea is 100% caffeine-free, because it is made from the flowers of the chamomile plant, not the tea plant that produces caffeine. That is why chamomile has been the world's favourite bedtime drink for centuries: you can enjoy it right before bed, and its natural compounds actively help you relax and sleep.* [1] [2]

There is exactly one thing to watch for. Some products labelled "chamomile tea" blend chamomile with green or black tea, and those do contain caffeine. Below is how to tell the difference, why chamomile is caffeine-free in the first place, and how it compares to the drinks that keep you awake.

Why Chamomile Tea Is Caffeine-Free

Chamomile is a herbal infusion, also called a tisane, not a "true" tea. Caffeine comes from one specific plant, Camellia sinensis, whose leaves give us green, black, white and oolong tea. Chamomile (Matricaria chamomilla) is a completely different plant, a small daisy-like flower that never contained caffeine to begin with.

The key idea: anything made from the Camellia sinensis leaf contains caffeine. Anything made from flowers, roots or other herbs, including chamomile, peppermint, rooibos and hibiscus, does not.

When you steep chamomile flowers, you extract a rich mix of calming compounds instead: apigenin, a flavonoid that binds to calming GABA-A receptors in the brain, plus aromatic oils such as alpha-bisabolol and chamazulene.* [1] [3] So instead of a stimulant, you get the opposite: a cup that helps you wind down.

Naturally Caffeine-Free, Not Decaffeinated

Chamomile is naturally caffeine-free, which is not the same as decaf. Decaffeinated tea starts as real caffeinated tea and has most of the caffeine removed, but the process leaves a trace behind, usually a few milligrams per cup. Chamomile never had any caffeine to remove, so it is a true zero.

If you are sensitive to caffeine, cutting it out completely, or simply want a drink you can enjoy at 10 pm without a second thought, that distinction matters. Chamomile is not a reduced-caffeine drink. It is a no-caffeine drink.

The One Exception: Chamomile Blends That Do Have Caffeine

The only "chamomile tea" that contains caffeine is a blend that adds green, black, or white tea. Some brands add tea leaves for flavor or antioxidants, and once a tea leaf is in the mix, so is caffeine.

The rule is simple. Scan the ingredients:

• If you see green tea, black tea, white tea, oolong, matcha or just "tea," it contains caffeine.
• If you see only chamomile and other herbs, flowers, roots or spices, it is caffeine-free.

Our Sleep Restore Tea blends chamomile with valerian root, peppermint, spearmint, lemongrass, hibiscus, rosehip and blue cornflower, with no tea leaf at all, so it is 100% caffeine-free. That is exactly what you want at night.

How Chamomile Compares to Caffeinated Drinks

Chamomile tea has zero caffeine. Here is how it compares per standard 8 oz (240 ml) cup: [4]

Drink	Caffeine (approx. per cup)
Brewed coffee	95 mg
Black tea	47 mg
Green tea	28 mg
Decaf tea	2 to 5 mg
Chamomile tea	0 mg

Numbers vary with brewing strength, but the pattern holds: chamomile is the only drink on the list you can enjoy at bedtime without gambling on your sleep. That matters, because caffeine taken even six hours before bed can cut more than an hour from your total sleep. [5]

Can You Drink Chamomile Tea Before Bed?

Yes. Chamomile is one of the best things you can drink before bed, because it is caffeine-free AND it actively supports sleep.* Its apigenin binds to the benzodiazepine sites on GABA-A receptors, the brain's calming system, producing gentle relaxation.* [1] [3] A 2024 meta analysis of 10 clinical trials found chamomile improved sleep, especially helping people stay asleep and wake less during the night.* [2]

For the full picture, see Does Chamomile Tea Help You Sleep? and our complete guide to tea for sleep.

Is Chamomile a Good Choice If You Are Avoiding Caffeine?

Chamomile is the go-to tea for anyone cutting caffeine. It delivers the warm, comforting ritual of a hot drink with none of the stimulant. People reach for it in the evening, when swapping out an afternoon coffee, or whenever they want to relax without the jitters.

If you are pregnant or nursing, check with your doctor before making any herbal tea a daily habit. That is about the herbs themselves, not caffeine, which in chamomile is zero. More in Is Chamomile Tea Safe?

Looking for other caffeine-free bedtime options? See The Best Caffeine Free Teas for Sleep.

The Avodah Moment: Your Caffeine-Free Last Cup

Avodah means devotion and service. All day, the cups you drink keep you going: the morning coffee, the afternoon pick-me-up, the drinks that fuel your devotion to everyone else. The last cup of the day can do the opposite.

Make it caffeine-free. Make it chamomile. Brew it, cover it, and let the honey-sweet steam rise while you breathe slowly. Then sit with it, hands wrapped around the warmth, and let your body hear the message: you are done for today, and you are allowed to rest.

You cannot pour from an empty cup. This is where you fill yours.

Shop Sleep Restore Tea

The Bottom Line

Pure chamomile tea has no caffeine, full stop. It is made from flowers rather than the caffeinated tea plant, so it is a true zero rather than a decaffeinated near-zero. The only caffeine that ever sneaks into a "chamomile tea" comes from a blend that adds green or black tea, so read the label. Everything else is a soothing, sleep-supporting cup for any time of day, especially the last one before bed.*

Frequently Asked Questions

Is chamomile tea caffeine-free?

Yes, completely. Pure chamomile is a herbal infusion made from flowers, not the caffeinated tea plant, so it contains no caffeine.

Does chamomile tea have any caffeine at all?

No, none. Unlike decaf tea, which keeps a small trace, chamomile never contained caffeine, so it is a true zero.

Can I drink chamomile tea at night?

Yes. Being caffeine-free, and rich in calming apigenin, is exactly why chamomile is the world's classic bedtime tea.*

Will chamomile tea keep me awake?

No. It does the opposite. The only way a "chamomile" tea could keep you awake is if it is blended with green or black tea, so check the ingredients.

Does chamomile tea help you sleep?

Yes. Its apigenin binds to the brain's calming receptors, and a 2024 meta analysis found chamomile improved sleep, especially helping people stay asleep.*

Is chamomile tea the same as decaf tea?

No. Decaf tea has had most of its caffeine removed and keeps a trace. Chamomile is naturally caffeine-free from the start.

References

1.          Srivastava JK, Shankar E, Gupta S. Chamomile: a herbal medicine of the past with bright future. Mol Med Rep. 2010;3(6):895-901. https://pmc.ncbi.nlm.nih.gov/articles/PMC2995283/

2.          Kazemi A, Shojaei-Zarghani S, Eskandarzadeh P, Hashempur MH. Effects of chamomile (Matricaria chamomilla L.) on sleep: a systematic review and meta-analysis of clinical trials. Complement Ther Med. 2024;84:103071. https://www.sciencedirect.com/science/article/pii/S0965229924000591

3.          Viola H, Wasowski C, Levi de Stein M, et al. Apigenin, a component of Matricaria recutita flowers, is a central benzodiazepine receptors-ligand with anxiolytic effects. Planta Med. 1995;61(3):213-216.

4.          U.S. Department of Agriculture, Agricultural Research Service. FoodData Central: brewed coffee, brewed black tea, brewed green tea. https://fdc.nal.usda.gov/

5.          Drake C, Roehrs T, Shambroom J, Roth T. Caffeine effects on sleep taken 0, 3, or 6 hours before going to bed. J Clin Sleep Med. 2013;9(11):1195-1200.