Passionflower and Chamomile Tea: What to Know

Quick answer

We found no trial that tested passionflower and chamomile together. Of the two, only passionflower has a placebo-controlled tea trial: a week of evening tea made from 2 g of herb gave a modestly better sleep rating, graded early. Passionflower can cause drowsiness, and NCCIH says it should not be used in pregnancy.^1,2,3

Key facts

NCCIH says passionflower tea may be safe for up to 7 nights, and a daily extract for up to 8 weeks.²
NCCIH calls chamomile likely safe in the amounts found in teas and foods.⁴
Both herbs contain the flavonoids apigenin and luteolin.^5,6
In a 2025 analysis of products sold in Europe, five of six passionflower food supplements failed identity or content tests.⁷

What the two have in common

We found no trial that tested the two herbs as a pair. Passionflower has traditionally been used as a sedative, and chamomile appears in ancient medical writings from China, Egypt, Greece and Rome. Chemically they overlap: both contain the flavonoids apigenin and luteolin.^2,4,5,6

In laboratory work, a dry passionflower extract bound to GABA receptors and blocked GABA uptake in rat brain tissue. How it acts in people is still under discussion.⁵

Apigenin from chamomile also acted on GABA receptors in laboratory and animal work. So laboratory research points both herbs at the same calming system in the brain. No one has tested what that means in people, for either herb alone or for the two together.⁸

What each has shown for sleep

Each herb's sleep evidence is small and graded early, and none of it involves the other herb.

May modestly improve self-rated sleep quality over a week of evening tea*^1,5,9,10

Early evidence

In a double-blind crossover trial, 41 healthy adults aged 18 to 35 drank a cup of passionflower or placebo tea each evening for a week. Sleep quality was rated about 5% better with passionflower, but it was the only one of six sleep diary measures that differed. Two extract trials found longer total sleep time: about 23 minutes longer in a sleep lab in 110 adults with a diagnosed sleep problem, and longer self-reported sleep in 65 stressed adults who slept poorly, in an industry-funded trial.

Amount studied: A tea of 2 g of dried herb in 250 mL of water, each evening for 7 days

May modestly improve self-rated sleep quality in adults who sleep poorly*^3,8,11,12

Early evidence

A 2024 review of 10 trials with 772 people found that chamomile lowered scores on a standard sleep quality questionnaire by about 1.9 points in pooled data from five trials, but results varied widely between trials. Night waking was better in two of three trials, while sleep length, sleep efficiency and daytime functioning did not change. In a double-blind US pilot trial in 34 adults who had slept poorly for at least six months, 270 mg twice a day for 28 days did not differ significantly from placebo on sleep diaries. Only one trial in the review checked the product it used.

Amount studied: Extract capsules of 400 to 540 mg a day for four weeks; chamomile tea for two weeks in one trial

NCCIH says a small amount of research suggests passionflower might lengthen total sleep time in adults with sleep difficulty, but its effects on how long it takes to fall asleep and on staying asleep are mixed.²

The tea the trials used

The tea was 2 g of dried passionflower in 250 mL of water, drunk once each evening for 7 days.^1,5

In the tea trial, people drank the tea in the evening, partly to avoid sleepiness during the day.⁵

Tea studies ranged from a two-week course of chamomile tea in new mothers to 9 tea bags a day for one week in a small study of blood clotting.^3,13

No trial tested a tea made from both herbs, so there is no studied recipe for the blend. The passionflower amount above is the only tea dose of either herb with a placebo-controlled sleep result.¹

The two side by side

Passionflower and chamomile compared^{2,3,4,5,8,10,12,13}
	Passionflower	Chamomile
Part used	Leaves, stems and flowers	Flowers, sometimes leaves
Tea in trials	2 g of dried herb in 250 mL, each evening for 7 days	A two-week course in new mothers; up to 9 bags a day for a week in a clotting study
Extract in trials	600 mg at bedtime for 30 days	400 to 540 mg a day for four weeks in sleep trials
NCCIH's safety view	Tea may be safe for up to 7 nights, extract for up to 8 weeks	Likely safe in tea and food amounts, possibly safe as a short-term supplement
Our Sleep formula	100 mg of extract, from stem, leaves and flower	100 mg of extract, from the flower

What's in ours

What’s in ours

Sleep: Passion Flower Extract, 100 mg per serving, from the label

What’s in ours

Sleep: Chamomile Extract, 100 mg per serving, from the label

Our Sleep formula holds 100 mg of extract of each herb, with no extract ratio on the label. The sleep findings used 2 g of passionflower as tea or 400 mg or more of chamomile extract a day, so we make no claim for either herb in it.^1,8

Side effects, medicines and who should ask first

Possible side effects include drowsiness, dizziness and confusion.²

Drowsiness is where the two overlap. NCCIH also says there are theoretical reasons chamomile might interact with sedatives. If you take a sedative or a sleep medicine, ask your doctor before drinking either tea.^2,4

Taken around the time of surgery, passionflower might slow the nervous system too much when combined with anesthesia or other medicines used before and after surgery. NCCIH advises talking to your health care provider if you take it within 2 weeks of a scheduled surgery.²

In one published case, a woman developed severe nausea, vomiting, drowsiness and an abnormal heart rhythm after taking passionflower at usual doses, and needed hospital monitoring.¹⁴

Side effects are uncommon. Nausea and dizziness have been reported.⁴

In 12 healthy volunteers who were not taking blood thinners, a week of chamomile tea (9 bags a day) or extract capsules did not change standard blood clotting tests.¹³

Ask your pharmacist or doctor first

Interactions between chamomile and warfarin have been reported. In one published case, a woman taking warfarin was admitted to hospital with internal bleeding after using chamomile tea and lotion. The warfarin label asks for more frequent INR blood tests whenever an herbal product is started or stopped.^4,15,16,17

Reported in studies

Do not use passionflower if you are pregnant: NCCIH says it may cause uterine contractions²
Ask first if you have surgery or a procedure with anesthesia in the next 2 weeks²
Ask first if you take warfarin or another blood thinner, birth control pills or other hormone medicines⁴
Skip chamomile if it has caused an allergic reaction before, and ask first if ragweed, chrysanthemums, marigolds or daisies give you allergies⁴
Ask first if you are breastfeeding, or before giving either herb to anyone under 18^2,6

Questions people ask

Can you drink passionflower and chamomile tea every night?

The blend itself has not been studied. NCCIH says passionflower tea may be safe for up to 7 nights and a daily extract for up to 8 weeks, so nightly use beyond that is unstudied, while chamomile is likely safe in tea amounts. Do not drink passionflower tea in pregnancy.^2,4

Which has more evidence for sleep, passionflower or chamomile?

Neither has much. Passionflower's tea trial found a sleep quality rating about 5% better after a week, one of six diary measures. Chamomile's comes mostly from extract capsules, and pooled results varied widely between trials.^1,11

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Sources

*These statements have not been evaluated by the Food and Drug Administration. This product is not intended to diagnose, treat, cure, or prevent any disease.

This page is information, not medical advice. Talk to your doctor or pharmacist about your own situation.