Valerian and Hops: Natural Herbal Products That Can Improve Sleep

Valerian and hops are herbs that have been well studied and found to improve the overall quality of sleep.  However, it can be difficult to find formulas that contain the necessary concentration of either herb to affect your sleeping pattern.

In the field of sleep improvement, there are many herbal medicine products that have been clinically proven to have positive effects on sleeping.  Two commonly used Western herbs are Valerian and Hops.  While both have studies to say they improve the quality of sleep, there are discrepancies regarding the proper dosages of these herbal medicines as well as whether or not the claimed amount of active substance is actually present in certain products.  Furthermore, Valerian and Hops have not been shown to increase the quantity of sleep.  Herbal medicine may help you sleep, and products may list ingredients like Hops and Valerian, but are the manufacturers using the correct plant species?  Here’s how to receive some unbiased information regarding herbal medicine.    

There is an independent testing company (consumerlab.com) that does testing and comparisons on many herbal medicine products.  Any manufacturer can submit their products for a fee.   A study by Nancy Walsh at Consumer Lab summarizes the results from previous clinical sleep trials that were carried out on Valerian, a popular Western herb used for insomnia.  In the trials where 600 mg of Valerian extract were used, “Sleep quality improved significantly…”  [1]   Unfortunately, many valerian products on the market today come in significantly lower doses, averaging anywhere from 150 to 400 mg per capsule.  Typical dosage on most products will recommend 2 capsules before bed.  Yet products with only 200mg per capsule would need a minimum dosage of 3 capsules to mimic the effects of successful sleep studies.   Nancy Walsh summarizes an examination of 17 Valerian products, of which only 9 received a passing score.  The reason for this may be that, “…the wrong species of valerian (there are many) was used,”[2].   The results of this test can be found at www.consumerlab.com/results/valerian.asp.  The test also found that one product was contaminated with lead while two other products had cadmium contamination. Results were confirmed in independent laboratories.

For centuries, Valerian has been used as a means of combating insomnia.    Although  the herb Valerian has been shown to be safe, taking it at a high dosage for a long period of time can lead to severe benzodiazepine-like withdrawal symptoms (including cardiac complications and delirium) if one stops taking it suddenly. [3]Following the manufacturer’s suggested dosage for herbal medicine is recommended and/or speak to a knowledgeable herbalist.

Hops (Humulus Lupulus ) is another commonly used Western herbal medicine that is often combined with Valerian root extract to improve the quality of sleep.  A recent study showed that this combination can be used as an effective sleeping aid.[4]  However, it is difficult to find a consistent recommended dose, as recommendations range from 100-500 mg daily.  Hops has been classified as GRAS (generally recognized as safe) by the FDA and only rarely causes side-effects, which are mild if present at all (Clarocet Ingredient Reference Library).

Valerian and hops are two herbs with a track record for improving the overall quality of sleep.  However, it is a “Buyer Beware” dilemma since products are required to list their herb ingredients yet are not required to prove they are manufactured using the correct plant species.  Dosage is also unregulated and although required on the label it is often listed entirely too low to actually be effective.  Possibly herbal medicine manufacturers are just cautious for fear of litigation.  Check the consumerlab.com test site often to get unbiased reports and make sure you understand what matters:  dosage and species make the difference between an effective herbal medicine and a placebo.

Bibliography
1-2   www.consumerlab.com/results/valerian.asp.
3.Walsh N.  “Valerian for Insomnia.”  Family Practice News; 34(8):26.  15 Apr 2004.
4.  Garges et al.  “Cardiac Complications and Delirium Associated with Valerian Root Withdrawal.”  JAMA; 280:1566-1567.  1998.
5.  Dimpfel W and Suter A.  “Sleep improving effects of a single dose administration of a valerian/hops fluid extract - a double blind, randomized, placebo-controlled sleep-EEG study in a parallel design using electrohypnograms.”  Eur J. Med Res.; 13(5):200-4.  2008. www.clarocet.com/referencelibrary/hops/safety.htm