Valerian has long been used as a mild sedative, but research into its efficacy as a sleep aid has brought up some mixed results. One 1996 study on 121 patients1 found that dried valerian root could decrease insomnia symptoms when taken at bedtime for 28 days, compared to a placebo. However, during a more recent trial on 16 women with insomnia, valerian did not appear to improve sleep2 after two weeks. After reviewing the pool of existing research, the NIH declared1 that there is not enough evidence to determine the effectiveness of valerian to treat sleep disorders. The studies that have been conducted on it so far vary widely in their methods of data collection, and some combine valerian with other calming plants like hops, making it difficult to say whether the ingredient works or doesn’t work on its own. Since valerian is a natural plant compound, its potency will also vary depending on how and where it was harvested, the NIH says, and some people might glean more benefits from taking it in certain forms over others. Potential side effects of taking valerian root include nausea and abdominal cramps. In one double-blind study3, 46 elderly subjects were given a magnesium supplement or a placebo daily for eight weeks. The ones who took the supplement had longer and deeper sleep by the end of the trial, causing the researchers to conclude that “supplementation of magnesium appears to improve subjective measures of insomnia.”* Those who took the magnesium also had elevated melatonin levels and decreased cortisol levels, demonstrating that the supplement has an effect on hormone production and nervous system functioning. This could be one reason magnesium supplements are unlikely to lead to morning grogginess—they play a role in the entire sleep cycle from beginning to end.* This is just one study, though, and more research needs to be done to further validate magnesium’s effects on sleep.* Like valerian, magnesium can lead to stomach discomfort, but magnesium glycinate is less likely to cause side effects than other forms. Hence why mindbodygreen chose magnesium as the star of its first sleep supplement, sleep support+. We worked with Rountree to develop a formula that pairs 120 milligrams of magnesium glycinate with other sleep promoters like jujube and pharmaGABA.* Both of these complement magnesium’s ability to help people fall asleep faster, stay asleep longer, and wake up feeling more refreshed.* Emma received her B.A. in Environmental Science & Policy with a specialty in environmental communications from Duke University. In addition to penning over 1,000 mbg articles on topics from the water crisis in California to the rise of urban beekeeping, her work has appeared on Grist, Bloomberg News, Bustle, and Forbes. She’s spoken about the intersection of self-care and sustainability on podcasts and live events alongside environmental thought leaders like Marci Zaroff, Gay Browne, and Summer Rayne Oakes.
