VALERIAN FOR SLEEP DISORDERS
SUMMARY
WHAT WE KNOW
Valerian has long been used for sleep disorders and anxiety and has also been used for other
conditions, such as headaches, depression, menopausal symptoms, sedation, irregular
heartbeat, and trembling. The research is not yet good enough to confirm those claims.
But the risk is minimal.
MENTAL HEALTH IMPLICATIONS
Research suggests that valerian may be helpful for sleep disorders, but there is not enough
evidence from well-designed studies to confirm this. Three of the eight sources discussing
valerian decline to recommend its use for sleep disorders, citing inadequate evidence, despite
its traditional use in the United States, Europe and Japan. Brown et al II’s 2013 statement would
raise the dissent to 50% -- 4 of 8. In the sleep laboratory, the effects of valerian were not
significantly different from those of placebo, and a 2007 meta-analysis concluded that no
rigorous studies had found any significant effect of valerian on sleep.
There is not enough scientific evidence to determine whether valerian works for anxiety (the
sources are split 3 to 3 on the use of valerian for anxiety) or for other conditions, such as
headaches, depression, menopausal symptoms, sedation, irregular heartbeat and trembling.
Despite the lack of persuasive clinical evidence of efficacy in treating insomnia, sleep quality
remains to be studied, and subjective reports still hold out hope. Valerian may not be ideal for
acute treatment of insomnia, but some evidence and analysis suggests that it may be effective
in the promotion of natural sleep after several weeks of use. Since it appears relatively safe as
long as drug interactions are avoided, valerian may be a CAM support to help with sleep even if
it can’t cure chronic insomnia.