By: Donald Saunders
Insomnia has been around for a very long time and affects the lives of millions of individuals from just about every country causing mild irritation to some individuals and seriously affecting the quality of life for a large number of us.
Finding a cure for insomnia and returning to night after night of natural sleep is not always an easy matter however, for many people, the solution lies in using time-honored traditional herbal remedies such as valerian root.
Valerian, a hardy perennial with sweet smelling pink or white flowers, occurs in many parts of Asia and Europe and now also grows naturally in areas of north America. Other names frequently used for valerian include: garden valerian, and garden heliotrope (no relation to Heliotrope - Heliotropum).
Valerian is also known by various folk names: St. George's Herb, Phu, Sets Wale, All-Heal, Red Valerian, Cat's Valerian, English Valerian, Capon's Trailer, Bloody Butcher, Amantilla, Fragrant Valerian, , and Set Well.
The principal components used for medicinal purposes are the roots, rhizomes (underground stems) and stolons (horizontal stems). Typically harvested in September, the dried roots can be used to brew teas and tinctures, while the dried plant materials usually find their way into capsules or tablets.
There is reference to the use of valerian for medicinal purposes as far back as the time of ancient Greece and Rome. Hippocrates wrote of its therapeutic uses and, in the 2nd century, Galen prescribed valerian for insomnia. The 16th century saw it used to treat headaches, trembling, nervousness, and heart palpitations. In the mid-19th century, many considered valerian a stimulant that stimulated a few of the complaints it was thought to treat and held it in low regard. During The Second World War the English used it for the relief of stress during air raids.
Unlike many other herbal sleep aids, to gain the maximum benefit from valerian it needs to be used on a regular basis, with the full effects appearing slowly and steadily over time.
Results will appear after about a month and regular use promotes natural sleep and deep relaxation. A variety of studies suggest valerian as by far the best natural answer for insomnia and general sleeplessness for many individuals.
Research carried out at the Nestlé Research Laboratories in Switzerland revealed that 450 mg of valerian in an aqueous extract is the optimum dose as an insomnia treatment. A larger dose commonly results in grogginess without any increase in effectiveness, and so care ought to be taken when taking that valerian is a treatment for insomnia.
Furthermore, a double-blind crossover study of 128 subjects conducted in 1982, found valerian root to be not only effective as a sedative for insomnia, but also to be helpful in increasing the overall quality of sleep in the test subjects.
Commonly prescribed as a calming sleep aid, valerian can also play a helpful part in the treatment of anxiety-related sleep problems.
Unlike other frequently prescribed sleep medicines, valerian is not toxic, does not impair your ability to drive or operate heavy machinery and does not enhance the effects of alcohol.
It has been reported that valerian acts as a delayed stimulant for some individuals dependant on body chemistry. In the case of certain metabolic conditions, the effect is one of at first calming you down only to result in a surge of energy several hours later - not an effect desired by individuals interested in using valerian as a nighttime sleep remedy.
Various professional herbalists propose taking fresh valerian root extract as opposed to an extract of dried valerian, as this is less likely to stimulate such a reaction.
