A few years ago I wrote about a variety of different measures that might be useful for the treatment of insomnia, a condition which can be deeply upsetting and frustrating and which can have a vast impact on daily functioning.
The herb Valeriana officinalis, or valerian, as it is commonly known, was used by the ancient Greeks over 2000 years ago as a treatment for nervous unrest and sleep disorders. A recent review (1) paper has looked in detail at research studies, for the treatment of insomnia with the herb valerian, that were published between 1950 and 2009. The data indicated that the use of valerian, on its own, or in combination with hops, is associated with improvements in some sleep parameters such as quality of sleep and time to fall asleep.
Interestingly in one study (2) published in 2002 the effects of valerian extract (600mg daily) was compared to oxazepam (10mg daily), a medical drug prescribed for insomnia (marketed under brand names such as Alepam, Medopam, Murelax, Noripam, Opamox, Ox-Pam, Purata, Serax and Serepax), for 6 weeks in over 200 patients. The study found that valerian treatment was at least as efficacious as oxazepam with both treatment groups reporting improvements in sleep quality (1,2).
If you have been having problems sleeping recently please read my previous blog post on insomnia as it is full of information that you might find useful. If you decide to try taking valerian please follow the dosage recommendations carefully and do not exceed these. There are many valerian products available on the market.
The results from the numerous studies were varied (1) and the methodological quality also varied – so the authors of the review paper conclude that “Further randomised, double blind, placebo controlled trials are needed before such herbal treatments can be confidently recommended for the treatment of primary insomnia”. Valerian is considered safe when consumed within the recommended dosage range and when taken for short term treatment of insomnia. If your insomnia persists for more than two weeks then it is advisable to see your medical doctor since insomnia can be linked to other medical conditions.
One reason for the varied results from the use of valerian may stem from the fact that absorption of valerian in to the body and its distribution through the body as well as the way it is metabolised may vary from individual to individual (3). The study of what the body does to a substance (e.g. absorption, distribution, metabolism), in this case valerian, is called pharmacokinetics. A recent study looked at the activity of valerian in the body in a group of women who were given valerian to aid sleep. The research scientists found that “In conclusion, large variability in the pharmacokinetics of valerenic acid may contribute to the inconsistencies in the effect of valerian as a sleep aid”. This might mean that some people find valerian much more useful as a sleep aid than others – again, further research will be necessary to look into the usefulness of valerian for treatment of insomnia, however trying the herb for a week to see if it is helpful to you might be an option to consider or to discuss with your medical doctor. As mentioned earlier there are many valerian products available such as “Bio Health Valdrian – Valerian Root” and “Higher Nature Valerian Sleep Aid“ Always read the labels and consider checking with your doctor before taking the supplement.
(1) Salter S & Brownie S. 2010. Treating primary insomnia – the efficacy of valerian and hops. Aust Fam Physician. 39(6):433-7.
(2) Ziegler G et al. 2002. Efficacy and tolerability of valerian extract LI156 compared with oxazepam in the treatment of non-organic insomnia: a randomized, double-blind, comparative clinical study. Eur J Med Res. 7:480–6.
(3)Anderson GD et al. 2010. Pharmacokinetics of valerenic acid after single and multiple doses of valerian in older women. Phytother Res. 24(10):1442-6.
Written by Ani Kowal
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