Magnesium vs Valerian Root for sleep
Short answer: For sleep, more users report improvement with Magnesium — 88% of 443 reports, versus 82% of 109 for Valerian Root.
Magnesium has 82 meta-analyses and 210 randomized trials on PubMed; Valerian Root has 2 and 8.
Based on 2,448 reports about Magnesium and 233 about Valerian Root. Not medical advice.
| Magnesium Supplement | Valerian Root Supplement | |
|---|---|---|
| Users say it helped | 73%helped1,004 reports · high confidence | 57%helped119 reports · high confidence |
| Verdict | Mostly positive | Mixed |
| Research | AResearch: Strong | BResearch: Moderate |
| Meta-analyses / RCTs | 82 / 210 | 2 / 8 |
| Mainly used for | ||
| Sleep % reporting improvement | 88% (443) | 82% (109) |
| Anxiety % reporting improvement | 90% (295) | 86% (36) |
| Mood % reporting improvement | 82% (119) | 100% (2) |
| Energy % reporting improvement | 75% (83) | — |
| Focus % reporting improvement | 81% (47) | — |
| Common side effects | diarrhea, drowsiness, stomach issues, vivid dreams | vivid dreams, drowsiness, brain fog, tolerance |
| Typical dose reported | 500 mg / daily | 500 mg / before bed |
This review confirms that the quality of literature is substandard for physicians to make well-informed recommendations on usage of oral magnesium for older adults with insomnia. However, given that oral magnesium is very cheap and widely available, RCT evidence may support oral magnesium supplements (less than 1 g quantities given up to three times a day) for insomnia symptoms.
BMC Complement Med Ther, 2021 ↗“Fixing my magnesium deficiency was life-changing. No more headaches, brain fog, sleep issues, back pain, or blood flow issues.”
In conclusion, valerian could be a safe and effective herb to promote sleep and prevent associated disorders. However, due to the presence of multiple active constituents and relatively unstable nature of some of the active constituents, it may be necessary to revise the quality control processes, including standardization methods and shelf life.
J Evid Based Integr Med, 2020 ↗“I really like lemon balm especially if combined with valerian root! Helps me sleep and relax at night.”
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Percentages come from first-hand user reports and are not clinical outcomes. Talk to a doctor before starting, stopping or combining anything. How we rate