Valerian Enhances Sleep Quality

Valerian supports quality of sleep in postmenopausal women with difficulty sleeping, according to a new study. Valerian (Valeriana officinalis) is a botanical used historically for nervousness and difficulty sleeping. Approximately 50 percent of postmenopausal women report some sleep disturbance.

In this randomized, triple-blind, placebo-controlled clinical trial, 100 post-menopausal women between 50 and 60 years of age with sleep disturbance were supplemented with either 530 mg of valerian extract or a placebo twice daily for 4 weeks’ duration. The women were evaluated using the Pittsburgh Sleep Quality Index.

The results of the study revealed that the women in the valerian group showed significant enhancement of sleep quality compared to the women in the placebo group. More specifically, 30 percent of the women in the valerian group reported significant enhancement of sleep quality compared to 4 percent of subjects in the placebo group.

The study authors concluded that valerian improves the quality of sleep in postmenopausal women who are experiencing difficulty sleeping. This study adds support to the reported effectiveness of valerian in the clinical management of sleep quality.

Reference:

Taavoni S, Ekbatani N, Kashaniyan M, Haghani H. Effect of valerian on sleep quality in postmenopausal women: a randomized placebo-controlled clinical trial. Menopause. 2011 Jul 14. Published Online Ahead of Print.