Can Kombucha Cause Lack of Sleep?

If you’re reading this, the chances are you’re not getting enough sleep. But you might want to keep those tired eyes propped open and read on, because kombucha can help improve sleep for some. Yes, it may contain a little caffeine, but no, it won’t keep you up at night. Kombucha makes a great addition to a healthy diet, and it might just be your secret ingredient to a good night’s sleep.

1. The effects of caffeine on sleep
2. Will kombucha keep me awake at night?
3. How much caffeine is in kombucha?
4. The benefits of kombucha for sleep
5. How much kombucha should you drink?

The effects of caffeine on sleep

As we all know, caffeine and sleep aren’t the greatest of friends. Caffeine is naturally-occurring from plants such as coffee beans, tea leaves and cocoa beans that has a disruptive effect on sleep as it’s classified as a stimulant. So it might not only stop you getting to sleep, but it may also reduce the number of hours you’ll get. Fortunately kombucha contains very little caffeine so can be looked at differently here.

Will kombucha keep me awake at night?

Generally, kombucha will not keep you awake at night! But if you’re highly sensitive to caffeine you might want to steer clear of any caffeinated drinks on an evening. Avoiding late night caffeine is one of the best ways of ensuring you’re relaxed at bedtime and ready to catch some Zs. Read more about the best time to drink kombucha here.

How much caffeine is in kombucha?

When it comes to caffeinated drinks, everyone is different in terms of how much is ‘good’ and how much is ‘bad’ for their systems. Equinox Kombucha contains a very low volume of naturally-occurring caffeine as it’s made with green tea, and a lot of the caffeine is consumed by the yeast during the fermentation process, which keeps numbers down to around 7.43mg per 275ml bottle of Equinox. The caffeine level is higher in Equinox Kombucha’s Espresso Coffee Kombucha ( which contains 22mg of caffeine), but you probably expected that, right? It’s also worth remembering that caffeine levels will vary from one brand of kombucha to another, as they will between homemade batches so make sure you do your homework before drinking them.

The benefits of kombucha for sleep

Kombucha promotes good gut health, and good gut health promotes overall health and wellbeing, which in turn, helps to improve sleep. So drinking kombucha on a regular basis makes sense. But don’t just take our word for it. Research from the University of Tsukuba in Japan explains the relationship between gut microbiota and Circadian Rhythm, also known as the ‘body clock’. It sums up the idea that a healthy diet high in probiotics together with a regular eating pattern are the tools we need for improved gut microbiota rhythm.

One participant, who drank Equinox Kombucha every day for 8 weeks as part of our 2019 Wellness study, also reported better sleep as a result of their experiment:

“I have found that since drinking the kombucha I feel more alert and energised and have restful sleep most evenings.”

How much kombucha should you drink?

A lot of people ask how much kombucha should you drink – we always say that one a day seems to do the trick for us here. We never drink sugary drinks as they can disrupt sleep. Instead, we choose kombucha, having one first thing in the morning – instead of coffee, or we’ll have one to beat the afternoon slump. And here’s the twist – it’s not the caffeine in kombucha that gives you an energy boost, it’s the L-Theanine found in tea, as well as the electrolytes and minerals that hydrate and energise you.

There are countless benefits to drinking kombucha. It’ll put a spring in your step when you need it most and it’ll balance your gut microbiome to aid in deep, restful sleep. It’s a win-win. So now you know you’ve got nothing to lose, why not give it a go yourself?