Quick answer

No official daily amount exists for chamomile. The extract trials we read used 400 to 1,500 mg a day, and two sleep trials used 400 to 540 mg a day, split into two doses, for four weeks. No study has settled on a number of cups of tea, which NCCIH rates likely safe.^1,2,3,4

Key facts

The US sleep trial used 270 mg of a standardized extract twice a day.²
A nursing home trial used 200 mg capsules twice a day for 28 days.¹
A menopause trial used 100 mg capsules four times a day for 12 weeks.⁵
The largest daily amount in a long trial was 1,500 mg, taken as 500 mg three times a day.³

The amounts used in studies

Chamomile amounts in human studies^1,2,3,5,6,7
Study	Form	Amount	How long
Sleep, 34 adults in the US	Standardized extract	270 mg twice a day	28 days
Sleep, 60 adults aged 60 or over	Extract capsules	200 mg twice a day	28 days
Menopause, 80 women	Extract capsules with 1.2% apigenin	100 mg four times a day	12 weeks
Long trial, 179 adults	Extract capsules	500 mg three times a day	12 weeks, then 26 more for some
Clotting tests, 12 adults	Tea	9 tea bags a day	7 days
Sleep, 80 new mothers	Tea	Not given in the summary we read	2 weeks

In the trials we read, chamomile extract capsules ranged from 400 mg to 1,500 mg a day, split into two to four doses.^1,2,3,5

None of the extract trials we read compared one large daily dose with several small ones, so there is no evidence either way on whether splitting the amount matters.^1,2,3,5

Chamomile dosage for sleep

Two placebo-controlled sleep trials of chamomile extract used 400 to 540 mg a day, taken as two doses, for four weeks.^1,2

May modestly improve self-rated sleep quality in adults who sleep poorly*^1,2,7,8

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

The two extract trials point in different directions. With 200 mg twice a day, older adults scored better on sleep quality than with flour capsules. With 270 mg twice a day under double-blind conditions, sleep diaries did not differ significantly from placebo. Neither trial was large enough to show how much is needed, or whether more would do more.^1,2

How much chamomile tea per day

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.^6,7

No trial we read tested how many cups it takes to notice a change. Product strength is seldom measured: of the 10 sleep trials in a 2024 review, just one tested its product. NCCIH rates the amounts commonly found in teas as likely safe.^4,8

Extract, powder and what a label tells you

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.^2,5

Many labels give the weight of extract without the extract ratio or a marker compound. Without those, there is no way to tell whether 100 mg of one product matches 100 mg of the extract used in a trial. We found no trial of plain chamomile flower powder, so there is no studied amount for powder.^2,5

What's in ours

What’s in ours

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

A serving of our Sleep formula, two capsules, has 100 mg of chamomile extract. That is a quarter of the lowest daily amount in the sleep trials.^1,2

How much is too much

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

The longest trial gave 1,500 mg of extract a day for 12 weeks, then continued it for 26 more weeks in a randomized group, with side effect rates similar to placebo.³

Ask your doctor before going above the amounts studied, or before long daily use⁴
Ask first if you take warfarin, birth control pills or sedatives, or if you are pregnant or breastfeeding⁴
Stop if you notice signs of an allergic reaction, and get urgent help for swelling or trouble breathing^4,9

Questions people ask

How many chamomile capsules should I take a day?

It depends on how much extract each capsule holds. Two sleep trials used 400 to 540 mg of extract a day, split into two doses, and up to 1,500 mg a day in a longer trial. Follow the label, and compare its extract amount with those figures.^1,2,3

Is 1,500 mg of chamomile a day too much?

It is the highest daily amount in the trials we read. In a trial lasting up to 38 weeks, side effects at that amount were similar to placebo. No upper limit has been set, so ask your doctor before going beyond studied amounts.^3,4

Should I take chamomile once or twice a day?

The two extract sleep trials split the daily amount into two doses, and the US trial gave the second about an hour before bed. No trial we read compared one daily dose with two.^1,2

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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.