Index of Herbs

Concern guide

Herbs for Sleep

Gentle herbs that may help you unwind and sleep better, from ashwagandha to chamomile, with what the research shows.

7 herbs reviewed

Updated October 7, 2026

Most of us know the feeling of a restless night: trouble drifting off, waking in the small hours, or getting up before the alarm without feeling rested. Short spells after stress, travel, or illness are common and usually settle on their own. When poor sleep lingers for weeks or months, it is called chronic insomnia, and it often travels with worry, low mood, pain, or other health conditions.

Herbs can be a gentle part of a good sleep routine, especially for mild or occasional sleep trouble. They work best alongside healthy habits: regular sleep and wake times, a cool, dark, quiet bedroom, and less caffeine, nicotine, and alcohol late in the day. For chronic insomnia, the recommended first-line treatment is cognitive behavioral therapy for insomnia (CBT-I), a structured program that helps reset sleep patterns and quiet the worry that keeps people awake, and a calming herb can sit comfortably beside it. Herbs do not treat sleep apnea, restless legs, or depression, which each deserve their own care.

The herbs below are ordered by strength of evidence for sleep, then by how commonly they are used. Ratings run from good clinical evidence to long traditional use, and for sleep the best-supported herbs currently sit at promising. Sleep research on herbs is still emerging: trials tend to be small and short, test different extracts, and mostly measure how well people feel they slept, and a 2015 review of single-herb trials found no clear winner over placebo yet. The full monographs cover doses, side effects, and interactions.

02 The shortlist

The herbs, from best studied to time-honored

How to read the ratings

  • Good clinical evidence
  • Promising clinical evidence
  • Early or mixed evidence
  • Long traditional use

Ratings show how much research backs each herb for this particular concern. Every herb links to its full monograph, with preparations, safety notes, and sources.

  1. 01 Ashwagandha

    Promising clinical evidence

    Withania somnifera

    Ashwagandha is best known for stress, and sleep is the other big reason people reach for it. A 2021 meta-analysis of extract trials found improvements in sleep measures, larger in people with insomnia and with use beyond eight weeks, and NCCIH accepts a possible benefit for some preparations. Trials are still small and products vary, so a standardized root extract is the closest match to the research. The key caution is rare but serious liver injury: jaundice, dark urine, or itching means stopping and getting tested.

    Read the ashwagandha monograph →

  2. 02 Passionflower

    Promising clinical evidence

    Passiflora incarnata

    Passionflower is a traditional European calming herb, accepted by EMA for mild stress and to aid sleep. In a two-week trial of 110 adults with insomnia, an extract increased total sleep time on overnight recordings, and a nightly tea slightly improved self-rated sleep quality in 41 healthy young adults; other sleep measures in the insomnia trial did not differ from placebo, so larger trials would help. It can cause drowsiness and dizziness and should not be used in pregnancy.

    Read the passionflower monograph →

  3. 03 Valerian

    Early or mixed evidence

    Valeriana officinalis

    Valerian is the best-known sleep herb in Europe and the most studied. Many people taking it report sleeping better, and EMA accepts specific extracts for mild sleep problems over two to four weeks, though results vary between trials, it tends to work gradually rather than overnight, and the American Academy of Sleep Medicine suggests clinicians not use it for chronic insomnia. After long, regular use it is best tapered rather than stopped suddenly, because withdrawal symptoms can occur.

    Read the valerian monograph →

  4. 04 Lavender

    Early or mixed evidence

    Lavandula angustifolia

    Lavender is loved as a soothing scent and is accepted in Europe as a traditional aid to sleep and mild stress. Its most encouraging sleep finding comes from Silexan, a standardized oral lavender oil capsule: in a 221-person anxiety trial, sleep-quality scores improved alongside anxiety. Lavender scent at bedtime is pleasant, but its benefit for sleep is less certain, with small trials and no sleep benefit in a Cochrane review in dementia. Essential oil sold for diffusers should never be swallowed.

    Read the lavender monograph →

  5. 05 Chamomile

    Long traditional use

    Matricaria chamomilla

    Chamomile tea is the classic bedtime cup, and as part of a calming evening routine it may help some people unwind. Its sleep reputation rests mainly on long tradition, since NCCIH describes the research on insomnia as limited and chamomile’s official European uses are digestive and skin complaints. The main caution is allergy: people sensitive to ragweed or other daisy-family plants can react, rarely severely.

    Read the chamomile monograph →

  6. 06 Hops

    Long traditional use

    Humulus lupulus

    Hops are accepted in Europe as a traditional remedy for mild stress and to aid sleep, and they are often paired with valerian. In the largest valerian-hops trial, 184 adults with mild insomnia saw modest improvements in sleep diaries over four weeks, and a smaller trial suggested hops add to valerian’s effect, though sleep laboratory recordings showed no differences and hops alone have not yet been tested for insomnia. Hops contain a plant estrogen, so people with hormone-sensitive cancers should ask a doctor first.

    Read the hops monograph →

  7. 07 Lemon Balm

    Long traditional use

    Melissa officinalis

    Lemon balm is a gentle, lemon-scented herb accepted in Europe as a traditional remedy for mild stress and to aid sleep, and it is often blended with valerian in bedtime products. In a small pilot of 20 stressed adults, insomnia scores fell by 42%; the study had no control group, so larger trials would help. It may cause drowsiness, and anyone with thyroid disease should discuss regular extract use with a doctor.

    Read the lemon balm monograph →

03 Caution

Using these herbs safely

Most of these herbs are well tolerated in short-term use, and a few sensible precautions help keep it that way. Some sleep problems need a clinician rather than a herb. Loud snoring, gasping or pauses in breathing at night, and heavy daytime sleepiness suggest sleep apnea, which no herb treats. An uncomfortable urge to move the legs in the evening or at night, eased by moving, suggests restless legs syndrome, which has its own causes and treatments. Insomnia that lasts more than a few weeks, sleeplessness with low mood or anxiety, and new sleep problems in older adults with falls or confusion all deserve a medical assessment. Thoughts of self-harm need urgent help from emergency services or a crisis line.

Because these herbs are calming, every one of them can add to drowsiness. Combining them with alcohol, benzodiazepines, Z-drugs such as zolpidem, opioids, gabapentinoids, or sedating antihistamines such as the diphenhydramine in many over-the-counter sleep aids can deepen sedation and next-morning impairment; valerian, passionflower, hops, lavender, and lemon balm all carry this warning. Stacking several sleep herbs, or adding melatonin, adds to the same effect, so it is worth checking combinations with a pharmacist and holding off on driving until you know how you feel the next morning. A herb should never be used to replace or taper off a benzodiazepine or Z-drug without a prescriber’s plan, because benzodiazepine withdrawal can cause seizures.

A few herbs have specific cautions worth knowing. Ashwagandha is rated a likely cause of rare liver injury, and valerian has very rare liver reports, mostly with combination products. Kava, sometimes sold for sleep, is studied mainly for anxiety and has been linked to rare but severe liver injury, including liver failure and transplant; it also adds to the effects of alcohol and sedatives and impairs driving, and anyone who has taken kava and develops yellow skin or eyes, dark urine, or pale stools needs urgent medical care. Valerian can cause withdrawal symptoms if stopped abruptly after long use, passionflower has a case report of heart rhythm disturbance, ashwagandha and lemon balm may affect the thyroid, and hops contain a plant estrogen. Several of these herbs should be stopped before surgery, so let your surgical team know about all of them.

Pregnancy and breastfeeding: EMA does not recommend valerian, passionflower, hops, lavender, or lemon balm because safety has not been established, ashwagandha should be avoided in pregnancy because of miscarriage concerns, and medicinal-strength chamomile is best avoided. European monographs do not recommend valerian, passionflower, hops, lavender, or lemon balm under age 12, and persistent sleep problems in children need a pediatric assessment rather than a sedative. Product quality varies, so it pays to choose carefully: valerian content differs between brands, oils sold as lavender may come from other species, and gummies and blends often do not state the plant part or dose used in trials. Essential oils should be stored out of children’s reach.

04 Questions

Frequently Asked Questions

The most promising options are ashwagandha, where a 2021 meta-analysis found improvements in sleep measures, especially with more than eight weeks of use, and passionflower, which modestly increased total sleep time in a trial of 110 adults with insomnia. Valerian is the most studied and is accepted in Europe for mild sleep problems, though results vary between trials. No herb yet has strong evidence, and for chronic insomnia herbs work best alongside CBT-I, the recommended first-line treatment.

There is little research on this pairing, so the best first step is a quick check with a pharmacist, who can review every ingredient in a multi-herb blend. Both can cause drowsiness, so taking them together may add to next-day grogginess, and the effect grows if a sleeping pill, sedating antihistamine, or alcohol is also involved. NHLBI notes that research has not proven melatonin to be an effective insomnia treatment.

Most work gradually over a few weeks rather than on the first night. EMA says the effect of valerian builds over time and recommends two to four weeks of use, and valerian-hops combinations are also taken for four weeks. In ashwagandha trials, sleep benefits were larger with more than eight weeks of use. Sleep problems that persist for more than two to four weeks deserve a doctor’s review.

Check with a prescriber or pharmacist first, because the effects can add up. Valerian, passionflower, hops, lavender, and lemon balm can all add to the sedation from alcohol, benzodiazepines, Z-drugs such as zolpidem, and sedating antihistamines like diphenhydramine. One man taking lorazepam developed tremor and dizziness after adding valerian and passionflower. A benzodiazepine should never be stopped or swapped for a herb without a taper plan.

Chamomile is the classic bedtime tea, and passionflower, lemon balm, lavender, and hops are all accepted in Europe as traditional remedies to aid sleep. In one small trial, a nightly cup of passionflower tea slightly improved self-rated sleep quality. Blending several calming herbs can add to drowsiness, people allergic to ragweed or daisies should be careful with chamomile, and EMA does not recommend passionflower, lemon balm, lavender, or hops in pregnancy or under age 12.

05 References

Sources

These references support the claims in this guide. Each herb’s monograph carries its own full source list.

  1. Insomnia Treatment

    National Heart, Lung, and Blood Institute (NIH), 2022

    Describes CBT-I as the usual first treatment for long-term insomnia, lists healthy sleep habits, and notes that melatonin has not been proven to treat insomnia.

  2. Clinical practice guideline for the pharmacologic treatment of chronic insomnia in adults

    Journal of Clinical Sleep Medicine, American Academy of Sleep Medicine (PubMed 27998379), 2017

    Basis for the statement that the American Academy of Sleep Medicine suggests clinicians not use valerian for chronic insomnia.

  3. Herbal medicine for insomnia: a systematic review and meta-analysis

    Sleep Medicine Reviews (PubMed 25644982), 2015

    Supports the overview that no single-herb sleep remedy, valerian included, has yet shown a clear advantage over placebo across 14 trials.

  4. Valerian

    National Center for Complementary and Integrative Health (NIH), 2025

    Supports the mixed rating for valerian, the warning against combining it with alcohol or sedatives, withdrawal after long use, and very rare liver injury.

  5. Effect of Ashwagandha (Withania somnifera) extract on sleep: a systematic review and meta-analysis

    PLoS One (PubMed 34559859), 2021

    Supports the some rating for ashwagandha, with larger sleep improvements in people with insomnia and with more than eight weeks of use.

  6. Effects of Passiflora incarnata Linnaeus on polysomnographic sleep parameters in subjects with insomnia disorder: a double-blind randomized placebo-controlled study

    International Clinical Psychopharmacology (PubMed 31714321), 2020

    The 110-person insomnia trial behind the modest total sleep time finding for passionflower.

  7. Valerian-hops combination and diphenhydramine for treating insomnia: a randomized placebo-controlled clinical trial

    Sleep (PubMed 16335333), 2005

    The largest valerian-hops trial, showing modest sleep diary improvements but no sleep laboratory differences in 184 adults.

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