Poor sleep is a common problem which has led many people to try natural ways to improve sleep quality and quantity.
Chamomile has a long history of use in traditional medicine for improving sleep quality.
There are approximately 120 bioactive ingredients identified in chamomile including terpenoids and flavonoids.
Recently, a clinical trial tested chamomile extract over a 28 day period with the results suggested sleep was improved with chamomile extract.
The results were published in the journal Complementary Therapies in Medicine.
Here are the study details
– Design: single blind randomized placebo controlled clinical trial
– Patients: Patients were 60 years or older
– Study agent: Patients took 200 mg of chamomile extract two times daily for 28 days.
– Assessment: Patients were assessed with the Pittsburgh Sleep Quality Index
Here are more clinical trials testing plant extracts for improving sleep.
Here are the results
– Average age was 71 years old
– After 28 days of taking chamomile extract the sleep quality was significantly better than the placebo group*
– No adverse events were reported in the clinical trial
*Statistically significant
Here are comments by the authors
The findings of this study show that the use of chamomile extract can significantly improve sleep quality among elderly people. Given the high prevalence of sleep disturbances among elderly people and the adverse effects of hypnotic medications, chamomile extract can be used as a safe modality for promoting elderly people’s sleep.
Here are more clinical trials testing plant extracts for improving sleep.
Take away message
The results of this study suggest that Chamomile extract at 200 mg per day for 28 days was able to improve sleep quality but did not increase the sleep duration. More studies are needed however results are consistent with other studies suggesting chamomile may improve sleep quality.
Other ingredients have been tested for improving sleep including ashwagandha, cherries, valerian root, lemon balm, passionflower and more.
Reference
Adib-Hajbaghery et al. The effects of chamomile extract on sleep quality among elderly people: A clinical trial. Complementary Therapies in Medicine. 2017; Volume 35: pages 109-114.
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, Mental Health, Mood, Sleep