Looking for the right herbs to help you sleep? Check out these five sleep-supportive herbs backed by science and centuries of traditional use.
Sleep struggles are exhausting, frustrating, and stressful. Equally frustrating and stressful is the lack of safe, long-term solutions, especially for those who want to avoid drug-based interventions.
This is where gentle sleep, supportive herbs, like adaptogens, relaxants, nootropics, and nervines can be truly life-changing, either used alone or combined with other natural remedies and lifestyle practices.
If you’re new to taking herbs to help you sleep, haven’t had much success with it, and/or aren’t sure where to start, this article was written for you!
Here, we’ll explore five gentle, evidence-based herbs for different types of sleep issues, how they work, and how to take them for best results.
Ready to snooze like a teenager again? Let’s get started.
How Do Herbs Work For Sleep?
From stress and excess screen time to hormonal imbalances, lack of bedtime routine, and nervous system ailments, there are many reasons people struggle with sleep.
So, how can herbs work on all these potential causal factors? They can’t, and they aren’t a cure-all.
However, different herbs can address various causes of sleep issues, especially those related to stress, hormonal imbalances, nervous system imbalances, adrenal insufficiencies, and an inability to relax and wind down.
This makes herbs a powerful tool in approaching sleep issues naturally, especially when combined with targeted lifestyle changes.
Read more: How to Preserve Herbs, Flowers, and Fruit
Many herbs can help you sleep, most of which fit under these four categories:
1. Nervines
Herbs that support the nervous system, including neurotransmitter function and your ability to relax and wind down before bed.
Nervines tend to help with sleep issues like racing mind, an inability to relax, sleep anxiety, and not feeling tired until very late at night.
2. Relaxants/sedatives
Various herbs have gentle sedative properties that help prepare the body for sleep, increase sleep pressure, and promote relaxation. They won’t knock you out, but they can produce a noticeable feeling of calmness.
Like nervines, sedatives are great for increasing sleep pressure, promoting relaxation, and reducing the time it takes to fall asleep.
3. Adaptogens
These popular herbs are well-known for helping reduce stress by supporting the hypothalamic-pituitary-adrenall (HPA) axis, which controls thereleaset of stress hormones like cortisol and adrenaline.
Adaptogens are unique in that they can help you sleep while boosting your energy and stamina.
Specific adaptogens, like those we’ll discuss next, can help with every aspect of sleep, from sleep onset (latency) to deep sleep and even reducing nighttime waking in some people.
4. Nootropics
Best-known for their cognitive health benefits, nootropic herbs’ actions on the nervous system and brain can make some of them helpful natural sleep aids.
Nootropics may be especially helpful for those with sleep anxiety or trouble shutting down their minds at night. They can also help you feel more alert and rested upon waking.
Some herbs for sleep fit neatly into one category, while others may sprawl across many, with additional beneficial properties for things like digestion, aches and pains, and cognitive function.
The key is to find the best herb or combination of herbs that targets your unique sleep needs.
Read more: From Herbs To Air Purifiers: 7 Natural Remedies To Tame Spring Allergies
5 Gentle Herbs To Help You Sleep
Ready to meet your new herbal bed fellows? Let’s get to know some of the best herbs to help you sleep sounder, deeper, and better all night long.
1. Ashwagandha
Also known as Indian Ginseng and Withania somnifera, ashwagandha is an adaptogen widely used in Ayurveda, the traditional medicine of India, for stress, sleep, hormonal function, energy, immunity, and stamina.
How Ashwagandha Benefits Sleep
Research supports Ashwagandha’s traditional use as a natural sleep aid, showing it can help with all aspects of sleep, including:
- Sleep efficiency
- Sleep quality
- Sleep duration
- Mental alertness upon waking
- Time to sleep (latency)
- Wake after sleep onset (helps you stay asleep longer)
Much of ashwagandha’s actions stem from its beneficial effects on the stress response via the hypothalamic-pituitary-adrenal axis, which has downstream effects on cortisol output, the nervous system, reproductive hormones, digestion, and more.
Ashwagandha has also been shown helpful for exercise recovery and potentially supports blood sugar, which may further aid sleep for some people.
Takeaway: Ashwagandha can help with nearly every aspect of sleep in all genders, and may be especially helpful for stress, musculoskeletal, blood sugar, or hormonal-related sleep issues.
How to Take Ashwagandha for Sleep
The best way to take ashwagandha depends on your body, goals, and needs. Some people swear by taking a larger dose right before bed, while others benefit more from smaller doses in the morning and evening.
Talk to a healthcare practitioner trained in herbalism for individual recommendations.
Insider tip: The name “ashwagandha” loosely translates to “smell of horse”, which explains why it’s taken for stamina…and also how it tastes! In other words, consider capsules versus powders, although some Ashwagandha tea blends taste great.
2. Chamomile
The star of nearly every sleepy tea, chamomile is one of the West’s best-known and beloved herbs for sleep.
How Chamomile Benefits Sleep
Considered a nervine and sedative, studies suggest active plant compounds in chamomile called apigenins impart a gentle, sedative effect and support nervous system function.
Chamomile also has hormone-supportive properties, with research suggesting it may help improve sleep in perimenopause and menopause and help with PMS. Its anti-inflammatory compounds can also help ease various aches and pains, including headaches, and preliminary research suggests a possible benefit for glycemic control, though more studies are needed.
Takeaway: Chamomile is an excellent all-around herb for sleep, and may provide notable benefits for sleep issues related to stress, aches & pains, or hormonal issues, including perimenopause, menopause, PMS, and menstruation. It may also be helpful for glycemic-related sleep problems, though more research is needed.
How to Take Chamomile for Sleep
The great thing about chamomile is its versatility: its pleasantly sweet floral flavor makes a yummy tea, and it can also be found in tinctures, supplements, or diffused as an ultra-calming essential oil*.
If you’re new to using herbs for sleep, chamomile tea, with its delicate floral flavor, is a great place to start.
*Note: 100% pure chamomile essential oil can be potent, and a little goes a long way. Start with just 1 drop and/or blend with complementary oils in a diffuser.
3. Lemon Balm
Considered a nervine and nootropic, common lemon balm is a tasty and affordable herb for promoting relaxation, taming a racing mind, lifting mood, and supporting nervous system regulation.
How Lemon Balm Works For Sleep
Studies suggest specific active plant compounds in lemon balm, such as rosmarinic acid, help promote better sleep quality and relaxation. Emerging research also suggests lemon balm may promote normal GABA production, a calming neurotransmitter directly linked to sleep.
Another study found a combination of lemon balm and valerian, another herb for sleep, helped improve sleep quality in menopausal women.
Takeaway: Lemon balm is another excellent all-around sleep aid that reduces stress and may help regulate the nervous system. It may be especially helpful for menopausal sleep disturbance, either alone or combined with valerian, as well as mental/emotional-related sleep issues.
How to Take Lemon Balm for Sleep
Lemon balm’s pleasing, grassy, lemony flavor makes it ideal for before-bed teas, alone or paired with other sleep-support herbs, like chamomile or tulsi.
You can also find it in various tinctures and nootropic supplements, as well as in essential oil form.
4. Tulsi
Tulsi, also known as Holy Basil, the Queen of Herbs, and The Incomparable One, is considered a sacred herb in Hinduism and a household staple in Ayurveda for promoting physical, mental, and spiritual health.
It’s also become a popular herbal tea in the West for its stress-relieving, calming yet energizing, and focus-enhancing properties.
How Tulsi Works for Sleep
Considered an adaptogen, a nootropic, a nervine, and a rasayana in Ayurveda (a rejuvenating herb), tulsi offers multifaceted benefits for sleep.
Much of the research focuses on tulsi’s stress-relieving benefits, which help lower cortisol and support the sympathetic nervous system, thereby improving sleep quality.
Takeaway: Tulsi may be most beneficial for sleep issues related to stress-, mental-emotional health, or the nervous system. It’s also considered a cooling herb in Ayurveda, which may make it helpful for those who sleep hot.
How to Use Tulsi For Sleep
Like Ashwagandha, tulsi is an adaptogen, which can help promote relaxation or enhance energy, depending on when it’s taken, the dose, and the body’s needs.
Generally, tulsi is taken close to bedtime for its sedative effects. Tulsi tea has a sweet, basil-like flavor and is available in a wide variety, including sleep-specific herbal tea blends.
It’s also sold in tincture and capsule form and is easy to grow in most American climates.
5. Valerian
Valerian root is one of Western herbalism’s most popular and widely available herbs for sleep.
How Valerian Works For Sleep
Considered a sedative and nervine, several high-quality studies have shown valerian helps improve sleep quality, reduce stress and anxiety, promote relaxation, and support a healthy mood.
Studies suggest valerian works similarly, but more gently, to sleep drugs, by supporting normal GABA (a calming neurotransmitter) and serotonin (the precursor to melatonin, the body’s master sleep hormone) levels in the brain.
Takeaway: Valerian is one of the most-studied herbs for sleep and can help with a variety of sleep-related issues, including time to fall asleep, sleep quality, and sleep duration. It’s also been shown helpful for supporting a healthy mood and reducing anxiety, reducing hot flashes, and reducing PMS symptoms, making it a solid consideration for those with mood-related sleep issues, sleep anxiety, hot flashes, or PMS.
How to Use Valerian For Sleep
Valerian is typically taken within 30 minutes to an hour before bedtime as a tincture, tea, or capsule.
Follow the directions on the label for general dosing or check with your healthcare practitioner for individual recommendations.
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Complementary Lifestyle Practices For Better Sleep
Herbs can be incredible allies in helping reset your sleep cycle, reduce stress, and address the underlying causes of sleep issues.
However, like all things in nature, they work best (and fastest) when used holistically, combined with healthy lifestyle practices.
Here are some simple lifestyle tips to help you sleep and complement these herbs.
- Get unfiltered morning light in your eyes every day to reset your circadian rhythm (your sleep cycle)
- Sleep in a dark room to stimulate natural melatonin production
- Practice good sleep hygiene, including following a nightly bedtime routine
- Upgrade your mattress: An old, worn-out mattress can make the difference between a good night’s rest and tossing and turning. Check out Avocado Green’s Organic Non-Toxic Mattress Collection and Pillows to uplevel your sleep experience
- Avoid screens one to two hours before bed to reduce stimulation and blue light exposure, which interferes with melatonin production
- Tune into how caffeine affects you. Some people can drink a cup of coffee before bed, no problem, while others need to stop at noon, or cut caffeine altogether
- Switch to cooler bedding: Organic, natural fiber sheets, blankets, and mattress protectors help you sleep cooler and avoid textile toxins. Shop Avocado Green’s luxurious and natural bedding collections here.
- Exercise every day. The more movement, the more tired you’ll be.
- Practice stress-reducing self-care daily, simple things like journaling before bed, spending time in nature, laughing, grounding practices, and even walking around barefoot (grounding) are powerful ways to reduce cortisol and support mood and calm
- Eat balanced meals and healthy snacks. Getting balanced amounts of healthy carbs, fiber, protein, and fats helps maintain blood sugar, which will help you sleep more soundly
Looking For More Natural Sleep Tips?
We’ve got you covered! Check out the following articles:
- 7 Tips For Breaking The Sleep Deprivation Cycle
- How to Create a Sleep Sanctuary: 6 Tips For a Good Night’s Sleep
- Sleep Tips from Founder of Hey, Sleepy Baby, Rachael Shepard-Ohta
Read more: How to Increase Deep Sleep for Better Rest
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