How long does valerian take to take effect?

A survey published in early 2023 by the Observatory of Applied Social Psychology of the University of Buenos Aires (OPSA) revealed that 75% of Argentines suffered from Sleep disorders. 38% admitted to suffering from it insomnia and 21% who slept less than the eight hours recommended by specialists.

Faced with this reality, the result of stressful situation that almost all of society experiences, many people are looking for all kinds of solutions.

In general, we go first for drugs, such as zolpidem, which require a medical prescription. But there are others natural alternatives.

One of these is valerian, whose compounds have made it a very popular plant sedative and fall asleep. However, its effects are usually not immediate, as many expect.

The benefits of valerian for falling asleep

The root and rhizomes of valerian (Valeriana officinalis) contain valepotriates, components well known for their sedative effects. According to the Merck Diagnostic and Therapy Manual, since 2006 several studies have demonstrated its effectiveness for shorten the time to fall asleepthat is, without tossing and turning too much.

The Teva laboratory, which produces the leading brand in the Argentine market, reports that its capsules are composed of dry extract of lime, passionflower and valerian.

This sedative is successful in treatment “anxiety, nervousness, hyperexcitability and irritability”. The laboratory also offers a product based on melatonin (3 mg), a sleep inducer, indicated for the short-term treatment of insomnia.

According to the Merck Manual, the effects of valerian in the fight against insomnia are not fully proven. It is known, however, that by acting as a relaxant, it helps fall asleep faster. This helps resolve one of the most common sleep disorders.

Even a study summarized on the website of the National Library of Medicine of the United States confirms the traditional uses of valerian for insomnia caused by anxiety symptomsalthough he agrees on the need for more scientific evidence.

How long does it take for valerian to take effect?

For those with anxiety, the main issue to consider is the effects of consuming valerian They take a few days to arrive.

For this reason, experts recommend trying for two to six weeks by ingesting a dose of dried leaves or roots (between 2 and 3 grams) and, in the case of the commercial extract, 300 to 600 mg, once a day and one hour before going to sleepaccording to the Better with Health website.

The importance of healthy habits

The Bayer laboratory, which produces a valerian-based product in Europe, recommends integrating the treatment with various supplements Healthy habits To ensure quality rest:

• Get up and go to bed at the same time. This practice is recommended every day, to “program” the biological clock.

• Play sports or exercise in the morning. It will help maintain good circulation and energy throughout the day. When night comes, the person will be tired and will need little help falling asleep.

• Light dinner. Another recommendation to ensure good sleep. Digestion requires a lot of energy and, therefore, you need to eat several times a day, but little at a time. Dinner should be two hours before going to bed and, as mentioned, light.

• Avoid long naps. For some years the siesta has improved its public image. But specialists agree that if it is too long it is counterproductive because, when it comes to sleeping at night, the person will not feel sleepy. So, the nap should last a maximum of 20 minutes to be effective.

• The bed only for sleeping. Staying in bed watching television, reading or reviewing endless chains of posts on social networks is very tempting. However, doctors indicate that screens wake people up and are counterproductive to falling asleep.