Should I Take Manuka Honey for Sleep?

EDUCATION

12 minute read

Essential Takeaways

There is some scientific evidence to suggest that honey is good for sleep. A few clinical trials exist at the time of writing, and these address sleep issues as part of other medical complaints, with honey offering promising results¹.

Manuka honey offers a range of potential health benefits which can indirectly aid sleep². Although specific studies aren’t plentiful yet, Manuka honey is a safe and valuable addition to a healthy and balanced lifestyle for most people.

It’s best to opt for UMF™ grade Manuka honey before bed to ensure that you don’t consume overly processed honey products laced with sugar or syrup. These lower grade products could interfere with sleep patterns and are unlikely to offer any of the health benefits that Manuka honey is famous for.

Disclaimer: We do not recommend the use of Manuka honey as a replacement for seeking professional medical help. Always consult medical professionals in an emergency.

One in twelve people take medicine to sleep, according to the Centre for Disease Control and Prevention³. This is worrying health professionals, who say that sleep problems can sometimes mask other health issues - and certainly exacerbate them.

Each of us has a unique relationship with sleep, but one thing is for sure - it’s fundamental to our health. Our brain is doing incredible restorative work while we rest. It’s no wonder that many of us want to sleep better and for longer, ideally without taking medications.

In this guide, we explore the research around using Manuka honey for sleep. What do we know so far? Does honey make you sleepy? And what’s the best way to use Manuka honey before bed?

In this guide to using Manuka honey for sleep

Key research highlights
Why and how do we sleep?
Why you might want to have honey before bed
Which honey is the best for bedtime?
3 ideas for how you could use honey before bed
Swap bees for Zzz’s with New Zealand Honey Co

Key Research Highlights

2024 Study

This review found that “honey, with its unique composition and soothing effects, offers a promising avenue for enhancing sleep patterns without relying on pharmaceutical drugs.”¹

2021 Study

This study demonstrated that “honey is safe and effective for improving quality of sleep with no associated adverse effects, as compared to melatonin.”²

2018 Study

This study tested a milk-honey mixture and concluded that “it can be considered as an effective and affordable intervention to enhance the sleep quality of patients with the acute coronary syndrome in coronary care units.”⁴

2012 Study

This study looked at sleep issues caused by cough and upper respiratory infections in children, and stated that “honey may be a preferable treatment for cough and sleep difficulty associated with childhood URI.”⁵

2010 Study

This study also looked at sleep issues caused by cough and upper respiratory infections in children, and found that “receiving a 2.5-mL dose of honey before sleep has a more alleviating effect on URIs-induced cough compared with DM and DPH doses [the drug alternatives].”⁶

A Quick Overview: Why and How Do We Sleep?

What’s happening to us when we get sleepy, and how might we help that along?

Let’s take a step back and look at how our brains function.

Our brains work through a complex sequence of neurotransmitters (chemical messengers) and nerve cells communicating about how we need to behave to stay alive⁷.

By releasing different chemicals based on our environment, needs, and experiences, we can feel awake and alert, excited, wary, hungry, sore, in love, tired, or many other sensations.

Sleep is fundamental to good brain function. It’s the time when those chemical pathways are strengthened or adjusted for greater efficiency⁸. We know from research that a lack of sleep can lead to high blood pressure, heart disease, diabetes, depression, obesity, and other chronic health conditions⁸.

So what happens when it’s time to go to sleep? And how does the brain know?

Here are the rough steps⁸:

Within the peanut-sized hypothalamus part of the brain, there’s a group of nerve cells called the suprachiasmatic nucleus (SCN). This is where information about light exposure is processed in line with our circadian rhythm (sleep/wake cycle). When it’s light, our bodies know it’s wake time, and when it starts to get dark, we get tired.

When the SCN responds to changing light, it produces a chemical called GABA, which reduces activity in the hypothalamus and the brainstem. The brainstem sends the muscle-relaxing signals that prevent us from acting out our dreams.

The SCN sends signals to the pineal gland and produces melatonin, the hormone that induces sleep⁹.

Other areas of our brain work together to quiet and relax our bodies, but some of these become active again during the deeper REM stage of sleep. It’s important that we get a good mix of REM and non-REM sleep to feel fully restored in the morning.
In the morning, the SCN triggers the release of cortisol to wake us up again¹⁰.

Naturally, these steps don’t take into account our modern, artificial lifestyles. Many of us are exposed to light until late in the evening, we might need to sleep during the day for work, and our lifestyles or diet might impact the natural production of the hormones we need to sleep.

So helping ourselves along a little is common these days. But are we using the right things?

Does a spoonful of honey help you sleep at night?

While there have been a relatively small number of studies on honey for sleep at the time of writing, the findings suggest promising potential.

“Results of our preliminary study demonstrate that honey is safe and effective for improving quality of sleep with no associated adverse effects, as compared to melatonin.”

Honey to improve sleep quality, 2021 study².

“The findings [of this review] suggest that honey, with its unique composition and soothing effects, offers a promising avenue for enhancing sleep patterns without relying on pharmaceutical drugs.”

Exploring honey’s potential as a functional food for natural sleep aid, 2024 study¹.

Let’s dig a little deeper into why you might want to try honey before bed.

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Why You Might Want To Have Honey Before Bed

There has been an increasing amount of research about using honey for brain health in the last few years. In fact, we dive deeper into that very topic here.

But does honey help with sleep? It’s a popular question, and interesting, considering that honey contains sugar.

There are plenty of anecdotal blogs and articles out there claiming that honey helps with sleep. And for many people, this might be true.

Here, we’re focusing on the scientific evidence available so far. Most of the studies we have available address sleep issues as symptoms of other health conditions.

However, there are a couple of recent studies suggesting a link between honey and good sleep. Let’s take a look, starting there.

“A comprehensive review of existing literature explores honey's intrinsic properties and impact on sleep quality. The findings suggest that honey, with its unique composition and soothing effects, offers a promising avenue for enhancing sleep patterns without relying on pharmaceutical drugs.”

Exploring honey’s potential as a functional food for natural sleep aid, 2024 study¹.

“Observational and anecdotal evidence supports honey as an alternative to promote better sleep. During sleep, the brain typically utilizes liver glycogen stores to provide continuous and adequate energy; foods that promote liver glycogen storage before sleep may ensure availability of this energy source and therefore lead to better sleep. Raw honey is a rapidly digestible and metabolizable dense energy source, and thus may provide this sleep time energy reserve.

Additionally, honey may promote melatonin formation due to its possible tryptophan content (a precursor to melatonin) that both helps to initiate sleep as well as promote release of hormones that facilitate whole body recovery during sleep.”

Honey to improve sleep quality, 2021 study².

“This study was proposed to detect the effect of a milk-honey mixture on improving the sleep quality of patients that are hospitalized in the coronary care unit. In this study, the sleep quality of patients after taking a milk-honey mixture was improved.

So, it can be considered as an effective and affordable intervention to enhance the sleep quality of patients with the acute coronary syndrome in coronary care units.”

Effect of milk-honey mixture on the sleep quality of coronary patients: a clinical trial study, 2018 study⁴.

“Coughing is a prevalent symptom of upper respiratory infections (URIs) that cause disturbance in the sleep of children and their parents.

There is as yet no reliable treatment to control URIs and their related cough; however, drugs such as dextromethorphan (DM) and diphenhydramine (DPH) are now mainly used in the world. The aim of this study is to compare the effect of honey, DM, and DPH on the nightly cough and sleep quality of children and their parents.

The result of the study demonstrated that receiving a 2.5-mL dose of honey before sleep has a more alleviating effect on URIs-induced cough compared with DM and DPH doses.”

A comparison of the effect of honey, dextromethorphan, and diphenhydramine on nightly cough and sleep quality in children and their parents, 2010 study⁶.

“Parents rated the honey products higher than the silan date extract for symptomatic relief of their children’s nocturnal cough and sleep difficulty due to URI [upper respiratory tract infection].

Honey may be a preferable treatment for cough and sleep difficulty associated with childhood URI.”

Effect of honey on nocturnal cough and sleep quality, 2012 study⁵.

As you can see, studies looking specifically at using honey are showing promising results.

And how about that anecdotal evidence we mentioned earlier?

Some of our customers have found that Manuka honey might be boosting their sleep, often by helping with other health conditions.

“Not having introduced anything else new into my diet, I’ve noticed clear changes since starting my Manuka honey routine. My energy levels have increased, I’m sleeping much better, and I haven’t caught any of the seasonal illnesses many around me have.”

Virginia, New Zealand | UMF™ 28+ | MGO 1450+

“In addition to its use as a sweetener and pleasant energizer, we use it in the evening as an antacid. A teaspoon before going to sleep. Excellent results."

Anonymous, verified buyer | UMF™ 10+ | MGO 263+

“This honey aids a healthy digestion and regular bowel movements. I also noticed a better sleep and more balanced mood. Tastes delicious!!!”

Anonymous, verified buyer | UMF™ 24+ | MGO 1122+

When to take honey for sleep

“Honey is best consumed before going to bed, whether fatigued or sick.”

Honey for nutrition and health benefits, 2024 study¹¹.

The best time to take honey before bed will vary for different people. We recommend building it into your wind-down routine, whatever that looks like.

Perhaps it’s mixing your Manuka honey into a cup of warm herbal tea, incorporating it into your evening meal, or licking a dollop straight off the spoon for dessert.

Find over 170 ideas for ways to use your honey here.

What does Manuka honey do to our brains during sleep?

We don’t have a specific answer to this question yet, but research into honey for brain function and sleep is increasing.

In the meantime, learn more about potential honey brain benefits in our dedicated guide.

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Which Type of Honey is Best for Bedtime?

The short answer: UMF™ certified raw Manuka honey from New Zealand.

The longer answer…

Whilst the exact benefits of honey before bed are still being investigated, this functional food has been used for generations for health and wellness¹² - so it must be doing something right.

Unfortunately, thanks to this enduring reputation, honey has become one of the most faked foods in the world.

This matters if you’re looking to use it for help with sleep because overly processing honey can remove the good stuff and may mean that you’re getting little more than a jar of sugar.

The honey you find on grocery store shelves has often been ultrafiltered and processed to remove imperfections, make it look cleaner and more appealing, and have more stock available to sell.

While this processing makes sense for commercial reasons, it has the potential to destroy the beneficial enzymes found in the honey, which are associated with its health and wellness benefits.

But that’s alright; just look for the word “pure” on the label, right? Sadly, no. The testing that a batch of honey is required to go through to be called “pure” doesn’t catch every potential contaminant or additive.

But there is one type of honey that you can always trust: UMF™ certified Manuka honey from New Zealand.

Manuka honey has uniquely potent levels of antibacterial, antioxidant, and anti-inflammatory properties¹². As a result of the buzz around this honey, a dedicated independent testing system was developed to certify authentic batches of Manuka honey.

By opting for a UMF™ certified jar of Manuka honey, you can be sure that your honey is pure, fresh, raw, monofloral, bioactive, packaged and produced in New Zealand.

The last thing you want before trying to sleep is a spoonful of sugary syrup. With UMF™ certified Manuka honey, you can guarantee that you’re getting pure, high-quality, unadulterated honey every time.

Learn more: What is UMF™ in Manuka Honey

3 Ideas for Using Manuka Honey Before Bed

Having a relaxing wind-down routine is a great way to promote sleep, and adding Manuka honey makes it feel that little bit more special.

Make a restorative Manuka honey sleep tea

Hot drinks are a common pre-bed nightly ritual, so why not incorporate Manuka honey this way. Just wait for your tea to cool before adding the honey for maximum health benefits.

Here are some of the common herbal teas associated with better sleep:

Green tea¹³.
Passionflower¹⁴.
Chamomile¹⁵.
Valerian root¹⁵.
Lavender¹⁵.
Magnolia¹⁵.

Just make sure they have no (or a very low) caffeine content.

Complete your meal with some honey and fruit

Fruits like bananas and kiwi contain glycine, an amino acid which may help to improve sleep¹⁴.

Why not have a fruit pot with some Manuka honey drizzled on top for dessert after your meal, aiding digestion¹⁶ and keeping you full for a good night’s sleep? Add a handful of nuts for extra protein and a trace of melatonin¹⁷.

Wholegrain toast or crackers with Manuka honey

If you commonly get late-night snack cravings and want a healthier alternative, consider a slide of wholegrain toast or crackers with Manuka honey slathered on top.

Carbs eaten an hour or two before bed can help to trigger serotonin and melatonin release, but it’s important that they aren’t too heavy¹⁸.

Wholegrains are a better choice for fibre, protein, and slow sugar release.

Swap Bees for Zzz’s with New Zealand Honey Co. Manuka Honey

Give your body the best with UMF™ certified Manuka honey from New Zealand Honey Co.

As well as being 100% pure, raw, fresh, and monofloral, our Manuka honeys are certified non-GMO, glyphosate-free, and packaged in recyclable, sustainable packaging.

So you can be sure that you’re getting the real deal.

See what our customers think:

“I love everything about it. I have been searching for authentic manuka honey for a long time for my son and I'm so happy that I finally found it. The taste is a bit different compared to what I've had in the past (that maybe because this is ACTUAL honey!) but my son loves it, he asks for more and more every time!”

Shruti K., verified buyer | UMF™ 10+ | MGO 263+

“This honey has a rich, supremely velvety texture, not in any way grainy and is completely smooth. Great taste compared with a lot of Manuka honey brands. Superb quality matching the expense!”