Valerian for Sleep: A Systematic Review and Meta-Analysis
Affiliations
- Osher Center for Integrative Medicine, University of California, San Francisco
- Department of Medicine, San Francisco Veterans Affairs Medical Center
Correspondence
- Requests for reprints should be addressed to Stephen Bent, MD, General Internal Medicine Section, San Francisco VAMC, 111-A1, 4150 Clement St, San Francisco, CA 94121.
Affiliations
- Osher Center for Integrative Medicine, University of California, San Francisco
- Department of Medicine, San Francisco Veterans Affairs Medical Center
Correspondence
- Requests for reprints should be addressed to Stephen Bent, MD, General Internal Medicine Section, San Francisco VAMC, 111-A1, 4150 Clement St, San Francisco, CA 94121.
Affiliations
- Department of Medicine, San Francisco Veterans Affairs Medical Center
Affiliations
- Department of Epidemiology and Biostatistics, University of California, San Francisco.
Affiliations
- Osher Center for Integrative Medicine, University of California, San Francisco
Affiliations
- Osher Center for Integrative Medicine, University of California, San Francisco
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Abstract
Insomnia affects approximately one-third of the adult population and contributes to increased rates of absenteeism, health care use, and social disability. Extracts of the roots of valerian (Valeriana officinalis) are widely used for inducing sleep and improving sleep quality. A systematic review of randomized, placebo-controlled trials of valerian for improving sleep quality is presented. An extensive literature search identified 16 eligible studies examining a total of 1093 patients. Most studies had significant methodologic problems, and the valerian doses, preparations, and length of treatment varied considerably. A dichotomous outcome of sleep quality (improved or not) was reported by 6 studies and showed a statistically significant benefit (relative risk of improved sleep = 1.8, 95% confidence interval, 1.2-2.9), but there was evidence of publication bias in this summary measure. The available evidence suggests that valerian might improve sleep quality without producing side effects. Future studies should assess a range of doses of standardized preparations of valerian and include standard measures of sleep quality and safety.
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This work was supported by Grant Number 1 K08 ATO1338-01 (Dr Bent) from the National Center for Complementary and Alternative Medicine.