Valerian Root and insomnia
What 4 graded rows on valerian root agree on for insomnia, and where they differ. Counted side by side, never averaged.
Consensus finder Rows from the Valerian Root page, reviewed Oct 21, 2026 How it decides
What the rows agree on
Each block and row is one graded row from the Valerian Root page, with its PubMed record.
Your question
Valerian Root and insomnia
4 rows · 1,689 peopleSplit. 2 rows found an improvement and 2 found no difference.
- CGrade C× 3
- ∅No effect× 1
- Rows
- 4
- Trials
- 19
- People
- 1,689
- Pooled reviews may count some twice
Where they differ
From the rowsThe best-graded row, grade C, is a meta-analysis of 1,093 people (2006) and found an improvement. 1 row is graded No effect, our grade for adequately powered trials that found no effect.
The 2 rows that found an improvement were larger: a median of 583 people, against a median of 262 people for the 2 rows that found no difference.
Only the 2 rows that found an improvement include pooled reviews of several trials (1 of 2); the 2 rows that found no difference are single studies.
The rows
2 improved · 2 no difference- CGrade CSelf-rated sleep quality (improved or not) · Improved
Meta-analysis, 16 studies · n 1,093 · 2006 · Adults in 16 placebo-controlled trials
Varied across trials · Varied
Across the 6 trials reporting a yes/no outcome, valerian users were 1.8 times as likely to report improved sleep (95% CI 1.2–2.9), but there was evidence of publication bias and most studies had methodological problems.
Row on the Valerian Root page · PubMed 17145239 (opens PubMed)
- CGrade CSleep quality (PSQI) and actigraphy sleep latency · Improved
RCT · n 72 · 2024 · Indian adults aged 18 to 50 with sleep complaints (mild insomnia symptoms)
200 mg, 1 hour before bedtime · 8 weeks
PSQI total score fell more than with placebo on days 14, 28 and 56; wrist actigraphy showed shorter sleep latency and longer sleep time from day 3. No safety concerns were seen.
Row on the Valerian Root page · PubMed 37899385 (opens PubMed)
- CGrade CSleep quality (PSQI) during cancer treatment · No difference
RCT · n 119 · 2011 · People undergoing cancer treatment with sleep problems
450 mg 1 hour before bedtime · 8 weeks
No difference from placebo on the primary sleep score (P = 0.70). Exploratory analyses favoured valerian on some fatigue measures.
Row on the Valerian Root page · PubMed 21399726 (opens PubMed)
- ∅No effectMinimally important improvement in sleep quality · No difference
RCT · n 405 · 2007 · Norwegian adults aged 18–75 with insomnia recruited via a TV program
600 mg/day of extract (3 tablets nightly, per the PMC full text) · 2 weeks
29% improved on valerian vs 21% on placebo (P = 0.08), not significant. Slightly more valerian users rated their sleep better on a global question (5.5% difference, P = 0.04). No serious adverse events.
Row on the Valerian Root page · PubMed 17940604 (opens PubMed)