Quick answer

Chamomile is a daisy-like flower drunk as tea or taken as extract capsules. Trials using 400 to 540 mg of extract a day found small and mixed effects on self-rated sleep quality, so the evidence is graded early. Side effects are uncommon, and an allergic reaction is the main one to know about.^1,2,3,4

Key facts

Two different plants are sold as chamomile, and most research is on German chamomile.^4,5
A 2024 review of 10 sleep trials with 772 people found a small average change in sleep quality scores, with wide differences between trials.¹
No upper limit has been set, and NCCIH rates chamomile likely safe in the amounts found in teas.⁴
LiverTox has no record of chamomile causing liver injury.⁶
Interactions with warfarin have been reported, so ask first if you take a blood thinner.^4,7

What chamomile is

Chamomile belongs to the aster, or daisy, family. It was an important medicinal herb in ancient China, Egypt, Greece and Rome, and today it is one of the most popular single ingredients in herbal teas.^2,4,5

Two different plants are sold as chamomile: German chamomile (Matricaria recutita) and Roman chamomile (Chamaemelum nobile). They contain similar compounds, and most research, including NIH's fact sheet, is on German chamomile.^4,5

Chamomile teas, extracts and oils are made from the flowers, and sometimes the leaves, of the plant.⁶

Chamomile contains flavonoids such as apigenin and luteolin, and volatile oils with compounds such as bisabolol and chamazulene.⁵

Laboratory and animal studies suggest that apigenin, a chamomile flavonoid, has a calming effect through GABA receptors in the brain.²

FDA lists chamomile as generally recognized as safe for use in food as a spice, seasoning or flavoring.⁵

What the evidence shows

Each claim below carries a grade. The grade reflects how much human research there is and how well it agrees, not how large the effect is, and the amount the studies used sits beside each one. Both claims for chamomile are graded early.

May modestly improve self-rated sleep quality in adults who sleep poorly*^1,2,3,8

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

May ease hot flashes and other common complaints of menopause*⁹

Early evidence

One triple-blind trial in 80 postmenopausal women aged 47 to 62 found that 100 mg chamomile capsules taken four times a day for 12 weeks lowered scores on a menopause checklist more than placebo, including the vasomotor score, the part that covers hot flashes. It is a single trial from one center, and two women taking chamomile stopped because of mouth sores, skin spots and itching.

Amount studied: 400 mg a day of extract, as 100 mg four times a day, for 12 weeks

In a pooled analysis of three trials, chamomile did not differ from placebo on short-term feelings of nervousness.¹⁰

Chamomile is also put on the skin and used as a mouth rinse. We found no trial of chamomile taken by mouth for skin or hair in healthy people, so this page makes no skin or hair claim.⁴

How much people take

Two placebo-controlled sleep trials of chamomile extract used 400 to 540 mg a day, taken as two doses, for four weeks.^2,3

In the trials we read, chamomile extract capsules ranged from 400 mg to 1,500 mg a day, split into two to four doses.^2,3,9,11

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.^8,12

No official body has set a recommended amount for chamomile, and no trial has settled how many cups of tea a day make a difference. The dosage guide sets out each amount studied and how long people took it.

Tea, extract or capsule

Some extracts are standardized to marker compounds. The US sleep trial used an extract with set amounts of apigenin and bisabolol, and the menopause trial used capsules with 1.2% apigenin.^2,9

A standardized extract states how much of a marker compound each capsule holds. Trial results come from specific products, so they may not apply to a tea bag or to an extract made another way.^2,9

What's in ours

What’s in ours

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

Our Sleep formula contains 100 mg of chamomile extract per serving. That is below the 400 to 540 mg a day used in the sleep trials, so we make no chamomile claim for it.^2,3

Side effects, medicines and who should ask first

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

Allergic reactions can occur, including severe reactions (anaphylaxis) in some people. They are more likely in people allergic to ragweed, chrysanthemums, marigolds or daisies.^4,5

Chamomile on the skin can cause an allergic rash, and drinking the tea has made existing rashes worse in people already sensitized to it. Used near the eyes, it may cause irritation.^4,5

No upper limit has been set for chamomile. NCCIH says it is likely safe in the amounts found in teas and foods, and possibly safe when taken as a supplement over the short term.⁴

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.^4,7,13,14

Reported in studies

Ask your pharmacist or doctor first

Chamomile might have some of the same effects as estrogen. NCCIH says preliminary studies suggest that taking chamomile with birth control pills might make the pills less effective.⁴

Reported in studies

NCCIH adds more cautions. There are theoretical reasons chamomile might add to the effect of sedatives, and interactions with some medicines processed by the liver have been reported. Because chamomile might act a little like estrogen, it could also worsen conditions sensitive to estrogen, such as breast or uterine cancer.⁴

Ask your doctor first if you are allergic to ragweed, chrysanthemums, marigolds or daisies⁴
Ask first if you take warfarin, birth control pills, sedatives or any other prescription medicine⁴
Ask first if you are pregnant or breastfeeding, because little is known about chamomile's safety in either^4,5
Do not use it if you have reacted to chamomile before

Questions people ask

Is it safe to drink chamomile tea every day?

NCCIH says chamomile is likely safe in the amounts found in teas and foods, and possibly safe as a supplement over the short term. Ask your doctor first if you take warfarin, birth control pills or sedatives, or if you are pregnant or breastfeeding.⁴

Does chamomile tea make you sleepy?

It has a long reputation as a bedtime drink, but trials have not shown a clear effect. A 2024 review found no change in how long people slept, and small changes in self-rated sleep quality that varied widely from trial to trial.¹

What is the difference between German and Roman chamomile?

They are two different plants with similar compounds. German chamomile is the one most studies and NIH's fact sheet cover, so findings for it may not apply to Roman chamomile.^4,5

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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.