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Valerian: A well-reasearched sedative herb

From a scientific perspective, valerian is certainly the best-documented herbal sleep aid. Over the past 20 years, more than 200 studies on valerian have been published in the scientific literature, especially in Europe, including more than 10 controlled clinical studies. Experimental data indicates a scientific basis for valerian’s mild sedative qualities.

A recent randomized, double-blind, placebo-controlled study evaluated the effects of a valerian extract in 16 patients, when given a single dose of valerian and after a multiple-dose treatment for four weeks. According to the study’s authors, subjective parameters were assessed using questionnaires and included sleep quality, morning feeling, daytime performance, the time it took to fall asleep and the total sleep time. Objective parameters included sleep-stage analysis, arousal index and other procedures using established scientific protocols for studying sleep.

A single dose of valerian didn’t produce any observable effects on either sleep structure or the patients’ subjective sleep assessment. After multiple-dose treatment for four weeks, however, sleep efficiency increased with valerian. Researchers confirmed significant differences between valerian and the placebo in slow-wave sleep (also referred to as non-REM, or non-dreaming, sleep, which occurs earlier than REM sleep and makes up much of the sleep cycle). Compared with the placebo, participants fell asleep much more quickly after long-term administration of valerian. Valerian had a low number of adverse effects. The authors concluded that the valerian treatment “demonstrated positive effects on sleep structure and sleep perception of insomnia patients and can therefore be recommended for the treatment of patients with mild … insomnia.”

One of the most appealing aspects of using valerian is that it doesn’t interact with alcohol and doesn’t leave the user feeling groggy in the morning. Some individuals may experience a stimulant effect or develop a headache from the use of the herb. If used as a sleep aid, take a half-teaspoon or so of the herb after dinner and another dose one hour before bedtime.

Hops are the fruiting bodies of a vine grown commercially in the Pacific Northwest for flavoring beer. Given their bitter flavor, hops traditionally have been used as a diuretic and as an aromatic bitter to stimulate digestion. Use of hops as a sedative is a relatively recent development. A condition called hop-picker fatigue has been identified, in which hop pickers were observed to tire easily, presumably because of contact with the plant’s resin or perhaps from inhaling its essential oil. Sedative action has been attributed to a volatile compound in hops that would be present in hop pillows (although absent from extracts), which provides a rational basis for the traditional use of hop-filled pillows to help aid sleep.

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