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What the science says

As a historian and data geek I want to see the studies first. Here you read what is left of popular health claims, always with the sources attached.

Sleep

Botanical plate of German chamomile, Matricaria recutita

8 September 20262 min read

Chamomile tea and sleep: does it work or is it just warmth?

Chamomile contains apigenin, a compound that binds in mice to the same receptor as calming medication. In humans the evidence is far thinner.

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Silver salt cellar with a heap of coarse salt, detail from a seventeenth-century still life

8 September 20262 min read

Salt and night-time urination: why less salt helps you sleep through

A pinch of salt before bed is often recommended against waking up to pee. The research points the other way: less salt meant fewer trips to the toilet at night.

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7 September 20263 min read

Does magnesium help against insomnia? What the studies say

Magnesium is recommended everywhere for better sleep. If you are deficient it works, otherwise the effect is small. And the glycine in a bisglycinate tablet is a fifth of the dose that worked in research.

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