Awaiting clinical review. This page is built from sourced entries but has not yet been signed off by a pharmacist or clinician.
Natural remedies for sleep
Direct answer
Melatonin (Moderate, 3) and ashwagandha root extract (Moderate, 3) are the best-supported supplements for sleep, but both effects are modest: melatonin shortened the time to fall asleep by about 7 minutes in a meta-analysis of 19 trials, and NCCIH says the evidence is not strong enough to recommend it for chronic insomnia. Valerian, chamomile, lavender and the rest are Limited (2) or Traditional (1). The caution that matters most is that the sedating herbs add to alcohol and sedative medicines, and most have no pregnancy safety data.
Compare the options
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| Rated for | Typical form & use | Main caution | |||
|---|---|---|---|---|---|
| Ashwagandha Withania somnifera (root) | Moderate | Sleep and insomnia | Root extract, 250–600 mg a day | Rare liver injury; avoid in pregnancy | 4+ weeks |
| Melatonin Hormone, usually made synthetically | Moderate | Falling asleep (adults) | Oral tablet or capsule, 0.5–5 mg | Long-term safety unknown; overdose risk in children | Same night |
| Chamomile Matricaria chamomilla (flower) | Limited | Sleep quality | Extract 1,500 mg/day (GAD trials) | Avoid if allergic to ragweed or daisy-family plants | 4+ weeks |
| Hops Humulus lupulus (female cone) | Limited | Sleep (valerian-hops combination) | Valerian-hops combo; EU 125–250 mg | May cause drowsiness; not for pregnancy | 2 weeks |
| L-Theanine Amino acid from tea (Camellia sinensis) | Limited | Sleep quality | Capsule or tablet, 200 mg | Pregnancy and long-term safety data are lacking | Same night |
| Lavender Lavandula angustifolia (flower, oil) | Limited | Sleep quality (aromatherapy) | Inhaled essential oil; doses vary | Little pregnancy data; theoretical sedative overlap | 2 weeks |
| Lemon Balm Melissa officinalis (leaf) | Limited | Sleep quality | Standardised leaf extract (capsule) | May impair driving; avoid in pregnancy | About a week |
| Magnesium glycinate Magnesium bisglycinate (mineral chelate) | Limited | Poor sleep / insomnia symptoms | Bisglycinate, 250 mg elemental Mg | Loose stools above about 250–350 mg supplemental Mg | 4+ weeks |
| Passionflower Passiflora incarnata (aerial parts) | Limited | Insomnia | Extract (2 weeks); tea up to 7 nights | May add to anaesthetics and sedatives; not in pregnancy | 2 weeks |
| Saffron Crocus sativus (stigma) | Limited | Sleep quality | Stigma extract, 28–30 mg daily | Not for pregnancy; toxic in multi-gram doses | 4+ weeks |
| Tart Cherry Prunus cerasus (Montmorency fruit) | Limited | Sleep | Concentrate (7.5–30 ml, twice daily) | Not a substitute for gout treatment | About a week |
| Valerian Valeriana officinalis (root) | Limited | Sleep quality and insomnia | Root extract, 300–600 mg at night | Adds to alcohol and sedatives; not for pregnancy | 2 weeks |
| Holy basil (tulsi) Ocimum tenuiflorum (leaf) | Traditional | Sleep quality | Leaf extract, 125 mg twice daily | Long-term safety unstudied; check with diabetes drugs | 4+ weeks |
| Skullcap Scutellaria lateriflora (aerial parts) | Traditional | Sleep and general nervous tension | Dried herb, 350 mg three times daily | Liver injury reported; germander adulteration | 2 weeks |
- Rated for
- Sleep and insomnia
- Form
- Root extract, 250–600 mg a day
- Onset
- 4+ weeks
- Rated for
- Falling asleep (adults)
- Form
- Oral tablet or capsule, 0.5–5 mg
- Onset
- Same night
- Rated for
- Sleep quality
- Form
- Extract 1,500 mg/day (GAD trials)
- Onset
- 4+ weeks
- Rated for
- Sleep (valerian-hops combination)
- Form
- Valerian-hops combo; EU 125–250 mg
- Onset
- 2 weeks
- Rated for
- Sleep quality
- Form
- Capsule or tablet, 200 mg
- Onset
- Same night
- Rated for
- Sleep quality (aromatherapy)
- Form
- Inhaled essential oil; doses vary
- Onset
- 2 weeks
- Rated for
- Sleep quality
- Form
- Standardised leaf extract (capsule)
- Onset
- About a week
- Rated for
- Poor sleep / insomnia symptoms
- Form
- Bisglycinate, 250 mg elemental Mg
- Onset
- 4+ weeks
- Rated for
- Insomnia
- Form
- Extract (2 weeks); tea up to 7 nights
- Onset
- 2 weeks
- Rated for
- Sleep quality
- Form
- Stigma extract, 28–30 mg daily
- Onset
- 4+ weeks
- Rated for
- Sleep
- Form
- Concentrate (7.5–30 ml, twice daily)
- Onset
- About a week
- Rated for
- Sleep quality and insomnia
- Form
- Root extract, 300–600 mg at night
- Onset
- 2 weeks
- Rated for
- Sleep quality
- Form
- Leaf extract, 125 mg twice daily
- Onset
- 4+ weeks
- Rated for
- Sleep and general nervous tension
- Form
- Dried herb, 350 mg three times daily
- Onset
- 2 weeks
Quick picks
Rated Moderate (3) for falling asleep in adults: 19 placebo-controlled trials found sleep onset about 7 minutes quicker and sleep about 8 minutes longer. It is better supported for jet lag after crossing five or more time zones.
Gentlest optionChamomileRated Limited (2) for sleep quality: a 2024 meta-analysis of five trials found a lower Pittsburgh Sleep Quality Index score, but the trials disagreed widely and sleep duration and efficiency did not improve. It is well tolerated; avoid it if you are allergic to ragweed or daisy-family plants.
Traditional favouriteValerianRated Limited (2): more people say they slept better on valerian, but measured time to fall asleep differed by only 0.70 minutes from placebo. A 2024 umbrella review found no evidence of efficacy for insomnia, and the American Academy of Sleep Medicine advises against it for chronic insomnia.
Talk to a doctor first if…
Who should avoid
Avoid sleep supplements in pregnancy and breastfeeding unless a clinician has agreed: melatonin, valerian, hops, lavender, lemon balm, passionflower and ashwagandha all lack safety data or carry regulator or NCCIH advice against use. Do not drive after taking the sedating herbs, and do not give melatonin to children without clinician advice; keep all products locked away. Anyone with liver disease should avoid ashwagandha and skullcap, both linked to rare liver injury.
Known interactions
Ashwagandha, valerian, passionflower and lavender may add to sedatives, and NCCIH advises against valerian with alcohol or sedatives. Melatonin and chamomile can interact with warfarin and other blood thinners, so ask a prescriber first. Ashwagandha may add to thyroid replacement and immunosuppressants, and holy basil may add to diabetes medicines.
Before you reach for an ingredient
For long-standing sleep trouble, change habits and consider cognitive behavioural therapy for insomnia (CBT-I) first, then use a supplement as a short-term extra if at all.
- CBT-I has the strongest evidence of any option for chronic insomnia. A meta-analysis of 20 trials (1,162 adults) found it shortened the time to fall asleep by about 19 minutes and time awake in the night by about 26 minutes, with gains that seemed to last and no adverse outcomes reported. The NHS says a GP may offer it face to face or as an online programme.1,2
- The NHS advises getting up at the same time every day (including after a bad night), going to bed only when sleepy, and winding down for at least an hour beforehand. Its list of things to avoid is no tea, coffee, alcohol or smoking for at least 6 hours before bed, no big late meal, no daytime naps, and no exercise within 4 hours of bed.2
- Make the bedroom dark, quiet and comfortable, and keep phones and televisions out of the last stretch before bed, because the NHS says their blue light makes you more awake. Pharmacy sleep aids, including those with valerian or lavender, are advised only for 1 to 2 weeks; if sleep has been poor for months, see a GP.2
Questions people ask
Does melatonin work for insomnia?
A little. A meta-analysis of 19 placebo-controlled trials found people fell asleep about 7 minutes faster and slept about 8 minutes longer. NCCIH says the evidence is not strong enough to recommend it for chronic insomnia, and its long-term safety is unknown.
What is the best natural sleep aid?
No herb or supplement is proven to be strong. Melatonin and ashwagandha root extract are the two rated Moderate (3), and both give modest gains. For long-term insomnia, CBT-I has better evidence than any supplement.
Does valerian help you sleep?
It may help you feel you slept better, but the measured effect is not there: time to fall asleep differed by 0.70 minutes from placebo, and a 2024 umbrella review found no evidence of efficacy for insomnia. Do not combine it with alcohol or sedatives.
Is it safe to take sleep supplements every night?
Nobody knows for most of them. Melatonin's long-term safety has not been established, and ashwagandha has been studied for about three months at most. The NHS advises pharmacy sleep aids for 1 to 2 weeks only.
Sources
- Systematic review Trauer JM, Qian MY, Doyle JS, Rajaratnam SM, Cunnington D. Cognitive Behavioral Therapy for Chronic Insomnia: A Systematic Review and Meta-analysis. Ann Intern Med. 2015.
- Health service guidance NHS. Insomnia. NHS website.
Draft, awaiting clinical review