Medicinal plants for insomnia: a review of their pharmacology, efficacy and tolerability
- PMID: 15982998
- DOI: 10.1177/0269881105053309
Medicinal plants for insomnia: a review of their pharmacology, efficacy and tolerability
Abstract
A number of medicinal plants are traditionally endowed with anxiolytic or sedative properties and, in the context of this revue, both indications are considered since the former may induce a mood conducive to the latter. For any sleep-inducing drug to be effective, a tranquil ambience needs to be established a priori. Thus, physical ailments (i.e. pain), factors interfering with sleep (i.e. noise), psychological conditions causing stress, psychiatric illnesses (i.e. depression) and other drugs that interfere with sleep (i.e. caffeine) need to be controlled, if possible. Kava-kava is a well-established hypnotic drug, with a rapid onset of effect, adequate duration of action and minimal morning after-effects. However, reports of serious hepatotoxicity with this preparation have led to it being banned in most countries worldwide. On the other hand, side-effects with valerian would appear to be bland indeed. However, it's slow onset of effect (2-3 weeks) renders it unsuitable for short-term use (i.e. 'jet-lag'), but it does have profound beneficial effects on sleep architecture (augments deep sleep) that may make it particularly suitable for long-term use and for the elderly. In a personal trial (not double-blind) in stress-induced insomnia, both kava and valerian improved sleep and the ill-effects of stress, and the combination of the two was even more effective for the control of insomnia. Aromatherapy (lavender, chamomile, Ylang-Ylang) would appear to improve sleep, but how practical a form of treatment this may be remains to be determined. The only other plant drug that may have some effect on sleep is melissa, but reports are too scanty to form any opinion about this. Based on animal experiments, passion flower (passiflora) may have a sedative action, but the sedative action of hops has not been investigated in any detail. In conclusion, there is a need for longer-term controlled studies with some of these compounds (particularly valerian). Aromatherapy constitutes a tantalising possibility. In the interpretation of this review, it should be borne in mind that the evidence on which it is based is often incomplete or missing, but that is all that is available. Consequently some conjecture on the part of the author is inevitable and should be appreciated as such.
Similar articles
-
Safety and efficacy of herbal sedatives in cancer care.Integr Cancer Ther. 2004 Jun;3(2):128-48. doi: 10.1177/1534735404265003. Integr Cancer Ther. 2004. PMID: 15165499 Review.
-
[Phytochemicals as means to induce sleep].Z Arztl Fortbild Qualitatssich. 2001 Jan;95(1):33-4. Z Arztl Fortbild Qualitatssich. 2001. PMID: 11233492 German.
-
Treating primary insomnia - the efficacy of valerian and hops.Aust Fam Physician. 2010 Jun;39(6):433-7. Aust Fam Physician. 2010. PMID: 20628685 Review.
-
[Valerian as a sleeping aid?].Tidsskr Nor Laegeforen. 2002 Dec 10;122(30):2857-9. Tidsskr Nor Laegeforen. 2002. PMID: 12569707 Review. Norwegian.
-
Stress-induced insomnia treated with kava and valerian: singly and in combination.Hum Psychopharmacol. 2001 Jun;16(4):353-356. doi: 10.1002/hup.299. Hum Psychopharmacol. 2001. PMID: 12404572
Cited by
-
Periostracum Cicadae Extract and N-Acetyldopamine Regulate the Sleep-Related Neurotransmitters in PCPA-Induced Insomnia Rats.Molecules. 2024 Jul 31;29(15):3638. doi: 10.3390/molecules29153638. Molecules. 2024. PMID: 39125043 Free PMC article.
-
Therapeutics to Treat Psychiatric and Neurological Disorders: A Promising Perspective from Algerian Traditional Medicine.Plants (Basel). 2023 Nov 15;12(22):3860. doi: 10.3390/plants12223860. Plants (Basel). 2023. PMID: 38005756 Free PMC article. Review.
-
Pistacia vera Extract Potentiates the Effect of Melatonin on Human Melatonin MT1 and MT2 Receptors with Functional Selectivity.Pharmaceutics. 2023 Jun 28;15(7):1845. doi: 10.3390/pharmaceutics15071845. Pharmaceutics. 2023. PMID: 37514032 Free PMC article.
-
Neuropharmacology Potential of the Hydroalcoholic Extract from the Leaves of Piper cernuum: Anxiolytic, Hypnotic, and Antidepressant-Like Effects.Evid Based Complement Alternat Med. 2023 Apr 10;2023:1183809. doi: 10.1155/2023/1183809. eCollection 2023. Evid Based Complement Alternat Med. 2023. PMID: 37078066 Free PMC article.
-
Differences in Neurotransmitters Level as Biomarker on Sleep Effects in Dementia Patients with Insomnia after Essential Oils Treatment.Biomol Ther (Seoul). 2023 May 1;31(3):298-305. doi: 10.4062/biomolther.2023.014. Epub 2023 Mar 13. Biomol Ther (Seoul). 2023. PMID: 36912030 Free PMC article.
Publication types
MeSH terms
LinkOut - more resources
Full Text Sources
Other Literature Sources
Medical