Valerian root is the most commonly used herb to help people fall asleep.
In a national survey in 2002, about 2 million adults in the US reported using valerian in the past week.
The root of Valerian is native to North America, Asia and Europe going back thousands of years to ancient Greece, Rome, and China.
In the 1940s this herb was listed on the US National Formulary as a sleep aid and anxiety remedy. 
In the last decade phytochemicals isolated from the valerian root (e.g. valerenic acid) have been shown to bind GABA receptors.
This is significant because when this occurs it opens up the GABA channel helping nerves relax.
A clinical trial published in Menopause evaluated valerian root to determine if it can improve sleep quality and was published in the journal Menopause.
Here are the study details:
- Women aged 50 to 60 years old were enrolled in the study
- Valerian root extract in a capsule (530 mg) was taken twice daily for 4 weeks
- Subjects were evaluated using the Pittsburgh Sleep Quality Index (PSQI)
Here are the results after 4 weeks:
- A statistically significant change was reported in the quality of sleep of the intervention group in comparison with the placebo group (P < 0.001).
- Mean PSQI before Valerian was 9.8 and after Valerian was 6.02
- 30% of the participants in the intervention group and 4% in the placebo group showed an improvement in the quality of sleep (P < 0.001).
Take away message: The results of this study add to the evidence that valerian root can improve the quality of sleep in women with menopause who are experiencing sleeplessness (i.e. insomnia). After 4 weeks an improvement in sleep quality was observed in women. Valerian root may be one tool that could be used to help improve sleep quality.
Reference: Effect of valerian on sleep quality in postmenopausal women: a randomized placebo-controlled clinical trial. Menopause. 2011; Volume 18 (Issue 9): Pages 951-5.
His research on plant medicine has led to more than 45 publications and abstracts.This research has been presented at international meetings in the USA, France, Turkey, Peru, Israel, Austria, and Italy.
Categories: Clinical Trials, Plant Extracts, Sleep