Melatonin vs Valerian Root for sleep
Short answer: For sleep, users rate them about the same: 78% report improvement with Melatonin (915 reports) and 82% with Valerian Root (109 reports).
Melatonin has 688 meta-analyses and 1,128 randomized trials on PubMed; Valerian Root has 2 and 8.
Based on 1,370 reports about Melatonin and 233 about Valerian Root. Not medical advice.
| Melatonin Supplement | Valerian Root Supplement | |
|---|---|---|
| Users say it helped | 42%helped726 reports · high confidence | 57%helped119 reports · high confidence |
| Verdict | Mixed | Mixed |
| Research | AResearch: Strong | BResearch: Moderate |
| Meta-analyses / RCTs | 688 / 1,128 | 2 / 8 |
| Mainly used for | ||
| Sleep % reporting improvement | 78% (915) | 82% (109) |
| Anxiety % reporting improvement | 44% (16) | 86% (36) |
| Mood % reporting improvement | 32% (37) | 100% (2) |
| Energy % reporting improvement | 32% (25) | — |
| Focus % reporting improvement | 38% (8) | — |
| Common side effects | drowsiness, vivid dreams, fatigue, depression | vivid dreams, drowsiness, brain fog, tolerance |
| Typical dose reported | 0.5 mg / bedtime | 500 mg / before bed |
Overall, eszopiclone and lemborexant had a favorable profile, but eszopiclone might cause substantial adverse events and safety data on lemborexant were inconclusive. Doxepin, seltorexant, and zaleplon were well tolerated, but data on efficacy and other important outcomes were scarce and do not allow firm conclusions. Many licensed drugs (including benzodiazepines, daridorexant, suvorexant, and trazodone) can be effective in the acute treatment of insomnia but are associated with poor tolerability, or information about long-term effects is not available. Melatonin, ramelteon, and non-licensed
Lancet, 2022 ↗“I have taken it nightly for 19 years. Doses ranging from .1 to 10mg. Right now I take 3mg per night. It helps me sleep.”
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