SupplementsHerbs & MushroomsHerbal Sleep Blend
Herbal Sleep Blend
valerian, hops, passionflower, skullcap and California poppy
Five old bedtime herbs in one capsule, led by the valerian and hops pairing that has the most sleep research behind it.
- Builds up
- Nights to weeks
- In your body
- About 1 hour
- Per 1 capsule
- 5 ingredients
- 30-day supply
- $9.60One capsule a day, plus packing and delivery
What is herbal sleep blend?
This is a capsule for the end of the day, built from five plants people have long turned to when they want to wind down. Valerian is a root used in herbal medicine for sleep and nerves. Hops are the same cones that flavor beer. Skullcap is a Native American plant, traditionally used for stress and sleeplessness.
Passionflower and California poppy round it out. Passionflower is a flowering vine. California poppy is a plant known for its alkaloids, a family of natural compounds, and people have used it for nervousness and sleep.
It holds no melatonin, so it isn't trying to shift your body clock. It's meant to help you settle, and the label suggests having it at bedtime.
What it does
- Winding downSupports relaxation at the end of the day.
- Falling asleepTraditionally used to help you drift off more easily.
- Restful nightsSupports restful sleep.
- CalmHelps maintain a calm mood during stressful stretches.
These statements have not been evaluated by the FDA. This product is not intended to diagnose, treat, cure or prevent any disease.
What people take it for
MixedFalling asleepValerian with hops shortened the time to fall asleep in one study and did little in another. Sleep doctors don't recommend valerian for long-running sleep trouble.
Early daysSleeping a little longerIn a small 3-week study, valerian with hops added about 22 minutes a night. Passionflower alone added about 23 in another.
Early daysWinding downPeople rated their sleep better after a week of passionflower tea, and a small skullcap study found better mood.
How long it takes
It doesn't pile up in your blood. Any change in your sleep tends to show over 2 to 4 weeks of nightly use, which is how long most of the studies ran.
- 1 to 2 hoursValerian's main compound reaches its highest level in your blood
- 2 to 4 weeksHow long the main sleep studies ran before they measured a change
- After stoppingNo rebound in a 4-week study. After long-term use, stopping suddenly may bring anxiety and poor sleep
How long it stays in your body
Valerian's best-measured compound peaks in your blood at 1 to 2 hours, then halves about every hour. The other four herbs haven't been measured this way.
What's in a capsule
One capsule holds 250 mg valerian extract, 75 mg hops extract, 50 mg passionflower extract, 50 mg skullcap and 25 mg California poppy seed. Valerian and hops studies used about 374 to 500 mg of valerian and 84 to 120 mg of hops a night, so one capsule is less than those, and extracts vary in strength.
Why valerian needs a partner
Valerian alone has a patchy record. Reviews keep finding that people feel they sleep better, while sleep trackers don't always agree. One likely reason is that extracts vary so much from product to product.
The more interesting finding is what happens when you pair it. In one 4-week study, valerian with hops shortened the time it took to fall asleep, while the same amount of valerian on its own did no better than a dummy pill. That's the idea behind a blend, and it's why hops sit second on this label.
Two honest notes. Most passionflower research used a species called Passiflora incarnata, and ours is listed as Passiflora caerulea, a close relative, so those results may not carry over exactly. And there's very little research in people on skullcap or California poppy for sleep. They're here because of long tradition, and in small amounts.
Hops also hold a plant compound that acts a bit like estrogen. That's part of why it comes up in menopause research, and part of why it's worth a word with your doctor if you have an estrogen-sensitive condition.
What it interacts with
- Alcohol, sedatives, sleep medicines and opioid pain medicinesAvoid mixing them without advice. Valerian and passionflower can add to the drowsiness, and so can anything else that slows you down, like antihistamines that make you sleepy.
- Anesthesia and surgeryPassionflower may slow your nervous system too much. Tell your care team if you've had it within 2 weeks of surgery.
- Anxiety medicines like alprazolamIn healthy people, valerian barely changed how the body cleared this medicine, but the two could still add up to more drowsiness.
- Other herbal supplementsThe rare liver problems linked to valerian and skullcap mostly happened when they were mixed with other herbs. Mention everything you use.
- Tamoxifen and hormone medicinesHops hold a plant estrogen, and nobody has tested this blend alongside them. Ask first.
- Driving and machineryThe label says not to drive or use machinery while taking it.
Goes well with
Side effects
- Headache, stomach upset, feeling mentally dull, restlessness or vivid dreams, all linked to valerian.
- Drowsiness, dizziness or confusion, linked to passionflower.
- Rarely, liver problems. Stop and call your doctor if you notice yellow skin or eyes, or dark urine.
Check first if
- Pregnancy: avoid it. Passionflower may trigger contractions.
- Breastfeeding: little is known, so check with your doctor.
- Children: the label says adults only.
- Liver conditions: talk to your doctor first.
- Hormone-sensitive cancer or other estrogen-sensitive conditions: ask first, because of the hops.
- Sleep trouble lasting more than a few weeks: worth seeing a doctor, since long-running poor sleep often has a cause of its own.
The blood tests that go with it
- ALTA simple liver check, given the rare reports with valerian and skullcap.
- ASTRead together with ALT.
- GGTAnother liver enzyme, useful alongside the two above.
- BilirubinRises when the liver struggles, and is what makes skin look yellow.
- EstradiolYour main estrogen. Worth reading if you track hormones, because hops hold a plant estrogen.
Work it out
Supplementation
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These statements have not been evaluated by the Food and Drug Administration. These products are not intended to diagnose, treat, cure or prevent any disease.
Want it more precise? Get the app.
A page can only tell you about Herbal Sleep Blend. The app tells you about you: whether it fits, when to take it, and whether it's working.
- Checked against your blood work and everything you already take
- On your daily timeline, around your sleep, training and meals
- Followed over time, so you can see what moved
Herbal Sleep BlendOPEN 09:00Herbal Sleep Blend against your blood work, your sleep and what you already take.
AIYour nights run shorter after late coffee. Your ALT was last checked 14 months ago, worth a look while you use this?
ASK ABOUT HERBAL SLEEP BLENDFind the goal that's yours.
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Questions
What is an herbal sleep blend good for?
Winding down and settling at night. People use it when they'd like some help drifting off and would rather not start with a sleep medicine.
How long does it take to work?
Valerian's main compound peaks in your blood within 1 to 2 hours. Studies looked for changes in sleep over 2 to 4 weeks, so give it time before you judge it.
Does valerian root really work for sleep?
It's mixed. People often say they sleep better, but sleep measurements don't always show it. Results look better when valerian is paired with hops.
Will it leave me groggy the next day?
A 4-week study saw no lingering effects, and a 3-week study found no change in daytime thinking. Everyone differs, though, so see how you feel before you drive.
Can I have it every night?
Studies ran for weeks, not years. Valerian looks safe for most adults for up to about 6 weeks, passionflower extract for up to about 8. Past that we know less, so check in with your doctor.
Is it habit-forming?
No rebound showed up after 4 weeks of valerian with hops. After long-term use, though, stopping suddenly may cause anxiety, a racing heart and poor sleep, so ease off and ask your doctor.
Who should not use it?
Anyone pregnant, and children. If you're breastfeeding, have liver problems, have an estrogen-sensitive condition, drink alcohol regularly or take anything that makes you drowsy, ask first.
Does it help with sleep during menopause?
Three small studies suggest valerian might help with menopause symptoms, but nothing firm yet. Hops are being looked at too.
Is this the same as melatonin?
No. There's no melatonin in it. Melatonin is a hormone tied to your body clock, while these are plant extracts used for calm and sleep.
Sources
- NIH National Center for Complementary and Integrative Health. Valerian.
- NIH National Center for Complementary and Integrative Health. Passionflower.
- Koetter U et al. A fixed valerian hops extract combination (Ze 91019) in non-organic sleep disorder. Phytother Res, 2007.
- Morin CM et al. Valerian-hops combination and diphenhydramine for treating insomnia. Sleep, 2005.
- Schicktanz N et al. Effects of a valerian-hops extract combination on sleep duration in occasional insomnia. Brain Behav, 2025.
- Valente V et al. Does valerian work for insomnia? An umbrella review of the evidence. Eur Neuropsychopharmacol, 2024.
- Shinjyo N et al. Valerian root in treating sleep problems and associated disorders. J Evid Based Integr Med, 2020.
- Sateia MJ et al. Clinical practice guideline for the pharmacologic treatment of chronic insomnia in adults. J Clin Sleep Med, 2017.
- Anderson GD et al. Pharmacokinetics of valerenic acid after administration of valerian in healthy subjects. Phytother Res, 2005.
- Donovan JL et al. Multiple night-time doses of valerian had minimal effects on drug-clearing enzymes in healthy volunteers. Drug Metab Dispos, 2004.
- Lee J et al. Effects of Passiflora incarnata on sleep parameters in subjects with insomnia disorder. Int Clin Psychopharmacol, 2020.
- Ngan A, Conduit R. Effects of Passiflora incarnata herbal tea on subjective sleep quality. Phytother Res, 2011.
- Brock C et al. American skullcap: effects on mood in healthy volunteers. Phytother Res, 2014.
- Chauveau A et al. Alkaloids in commercial preparations of California poppy. Biomed Pharmacother, 2023.
- Štulíková K et al. Therapeutic perspectives of 8-prenylnaringenin, a potent phytoestrogen from hops. Molecules, 2018.
- LiverTox, NIH. Skullcap.
- LiverTox, NIH. Valerian.
- Memorial Sloan Kettering Cancer Center. Hops.
Written by LifeFrom from these sources, and not yet reviewed by a clinician. Talk to your doctor before starting a supplement.
