Many products containing valerian are sold as sleep aids, or are advertised as promoting relaxation or stress relief. Although there may be evidence to support some of these claims, they haven’t been evaluated or approved as accurate by the U.S. Food and Drug Administration (FDA) or any other federal agency. Valerian has a long history as a sleep aid, with its use for this purpose dating back to ancient Greece. It has also been used over the centuries to treat nervousness, headaches, trembling, and heart palpitations, but many of these uses have very little or no support from modern scientific studies. When it comes to promoting sleep, there is evidence that valerian may be effective in certain formulations or doses. Even in this area, though, the evidence is mixed. While some studies have found a benefit from valerian on sleep-related outcomes, other studies have found no benefit at all. (1) Though its benefits are still being debated, most studies have concluded that valerian is safe to take for most people, with few serious side effects reported. Still, it’s important to take precautions when using this supplement, especially if you have certain health conditions or take a drug that may interact with it. (1,2) Here’s an overview of conditions valerian may be used to treat, what formulation or dose you may want to take, along with potential side effects and safety precautions.
Uses and Benefits of Valerian
The most common use of valerian is as a sleep aid, with some evidence showing that it may help people fall asleep faster or have fewer sleep disturbances. But the overall picture of its effects on sleep is somewhat murky. In a meta-analysis on valerian for sleep, some studies were found to show a benefit from taking the supplement. One of these studies compared taking 400 milligrams (mg) of a liquid valerian extract with a commercial capsule containing 60 mg of valerian or a placebo (inactive pill). It found that taking the liquid extract resulted in participants reporting a significant improvement in falling and staying asleep compared with the placebo. The commercial capsule caused no such improvement. In another study from the meta-analysis, participants wore sleep monitors and took either 450 mg or 900 mg of a liquid valerian extract or a placebo. The 450 mg dose was found to reduce the average time needed to fall asleep from 16 to 9 minutes, but the 900 mg dose didn’t cause any significant reduction. The 900 mg dose also caused increased drowsiness the next day. (1) But several analyses of studies looking at valerian’s effect on sleep have concluded that overall, the evidence doesn’t support a significant benefit from using the herb. The studies included in these analyses have looked at many different doses and preparations of valerian, so it’s possible that some forms or doses of valerian are beneficial while others aren’t. There’s also some evidence suggesting that for people with serious insomnia, it takes two to four weeks of taking valerian regularly for the herb to start having a beneficial effect. (2) Some evidence suggests that valerian may help reduce certain symptoms in menopausal women, including hot flashes. This benefit was found from taking 255 mg of valerian in capsules three times a day. A separate study also found that the same dose of valerian reduced menstrual pain in younger women. (3,4) While some small studies have suggested that valerian may help relieve anxiety — usually in smaller doses throughout the day, as in the studies of menstrual and menopausal symptoms — the overall picture is murky here as well. One review found only one study that compared valerian with a placebo or a drug used to treat anxiety, and found that valerian worked no better than a placebo. (5,6) For other less common uses of valerian — including treating gastrointestinal problems, ADHD, or epileptic seizures — there’s insufficient evidence to support any benefit from taking the herb, according to the National Institutes of Health (NIH). (1)
Valerian Forms, Doses, and Availability
Valerian contains a number of different chemicals that may account for its different uses and possible benefits. One category is a group of chemicals that make up its essential oil, including valerenic acid. These chemicals have been shown to have sedative properties in studies of animals, according to the NIH. (1) Another category of active chemicals in valerian is called iridoids, which have also been shown to act as sedatives but are unstable and may break down when exposed to air or moisture. The NIH notes that levels of the active components in valerian can vary widely depending on when the plant is harvested, which can result in inconsistent effects from the same dose of different products, or even different batches of the same product. (1) What dose of valerian you take will depend on the desired effect, as well as the form of valerian you’re taking. If you’re taking valerian as a sleep aid, commonly recommended doses include 300 to 600 mg of liquid extract or powder in capsules, or 2 to 3 grams of dried valerian used to make tea. A higher amount is required for tea because not all the active components in valerian are absorbed into the water. (1,7) For anxiety or menstrual or menopausal symptoms, it’s more typical to take 200 to 300 mg of valerian in capsule or extract form, three times a day, including in the evening. (5) Note, too, that these are only suggestions, because there is not enough research on the supplement to prove the benefits of a particular dose. Valerian is widely available as a dietary supplement, especially as a powder in capsules. You can find this form of valerian wherever vitamins and supplements are sold, including in many grocery stores, natural food stores, and online. Liquid extracts may be harder to come by in grocery stores, and may require a natural specialty store or an online order. Herbal tea blends that contain valerian are also widely sold in grocery stores, but many of these blends contain a lower dose of the herb than is generally recommended as a sleep aid. You can find pure dried valerian to make tea — either loose or in proportioned tea bags — online, or in some natural specialty stores.
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As with any drug or supplement, valerian carries a risk of interaction with other drugs and may enhance the effect of sedatives. You shouldn’t take valerian along with certain drugs except under medical supervision, and caution is advised when taking valerian and drinking alcohol. Because its risks haven’t been studied in certain groups, some people should avoid valerian entirely, including pregnant or breastfeeding women, young children, and people with liver disease. When valerian makes it difficult to sleep rather than helping you fall asleep, it’s known as a paradoxical reaction. It’s also possible that valerian may interact with certain drugs and supplements, including by increasing the sedative effects of some drugs. You shouldn’t take valerian if you’re pregnant or breastfeeding, since the risks to your developing or newborn baby haven’t been evaluated. You also shouldn’t give valerian to children under 3 years old. Learn More About the Risks and Side Effects of Taking Valerian There’s even less evidence on using valerian to treat anxiety in people with cancer, although some small studies have hinted that there could be a benefit in this area. Before taking valerian when you have cancer, it’s important to have a discussion with your doctor and consider how valerian might interact with other drugs you’re taking for cancer-related symptoms, such as sedatives or painkillers, antidepressants or anti-anxiety drugs, and prescription or over-the-counter sleep aids. When looking for an herbal blend or pure valerian root tea, you’ll want to consider why you’re taking valerian, the dose you’re aiming to take, and whether you want a mix of herbs to cover up what many people perceive as valerian’s unpleasant taste and smell. It’s important to prepare valerian tea in a way that maximizes its potency, and to brew and drink it at the right time for the benefit you’re seeking. Learn How to Make Valerian Tea Certain high-quality studies have shown that valerian may reduce the time it takes for people to fall asleep, especially people who identify as poor sleepers. But there’s evidence that certain forms of valerian work for this purpose and others don’t. Many large-scale analyses of studies have determined that there’s insufficient evidence to support taking valerian as a sleep aid, and this may reflect the ineffectiveness of many commercially available preparations and doses of the herb. Learn More About Using Valerian as a Sleep Aid
