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Ingredient guide

Best time to take valerian root

Written by the Full Measure editorial team, which sells supplements. Approved for publication by the Full Measure owners. Updated .

Drafted with AI assistance from the sources listed below. How we write these

Quick answer

For sleep, valerian is usually taken 30 minutes to 2 hours before bed. That fits when its marker compound, valerenic acid, peaks in the blood: 1 to 2 hours after a 600 mg dose. In a 4-week trial, people took 600 mg 30 minutes before going to bed.1,2

Key facts

  • Valerenic acid could still be measured in the blood at least 5 hours after a 600 mg dose.1
  • The hot flash trials gave valerian two or three times a day, not only at night.3,4
  • People felt sleepier the morning after a 900 mg dose in one small study.5
  • Evening doses of 600 mg did not slow next-morning reaction time in a trial of 102 volunteers.6

Before bed

In a 4-week trial, people took 600 mg of valerian root extract, as two 300 mg tablets, 30 minutes before going to bed.2

After a single 600 mg dose, valerenic acid, a marker compound, peaked in the blood 1 to 2 hours later in five of six adults. The authors note this fits the usual advice to take valerian 30 minutes to 2 hours before bed.1

Within that window, the peak falls around the time you are trying to fall asleep. The sources here did not test taking it earlier in the evening or in the middle of the night.1,2

Occasional nights

The largest single-night study gave 400 mg of a water-based extract on separate, non-consecutive nights. People rated the time taken to fall asleep as shorter and their sleep as better than on placebo nights, most clearly among those who called themselves poor sleepers.7

A sleep recording study of the same extract pointed the same way, but its changes were too small to be statistically reliable. Other studies found single doses did little, which is why the evidence is graded early.8,9

The next morning

In 102 volunteers, 600 mg taken in the evening, once or nightly for 2 weeks, did not slow reaction time or reduce alertness and concentration the next morning.6

The amount may matter. In the study of 128 people, 400 mg left next-morning sleepiness largely unchanged, while people in a smaller study felt sleepier the morning after 900 mg.5,7

The product may matter too. A commercial valerian product tested alongside the 400 mg extract was the only one that left people sleepier than normal the next morning.7

Daytime doses

The two hot flash trials spread valerian through the day for 8 weeks: ground root capsules three times a day in one, 530 mg twice a day in the other.3,4

Alcohol, driving and other sedatives

NCCIH says valerian should not be taken along with alcohol or sedatives, so skip evening drinks on nights you take it. NIH also lists melatonin, kava and St. John's wort among the supplements that might add to its effects.5,10

If you take valerian during the day, watch for drowsiness or mental dullness, which NCCIH lists among its side effects, and do not drive while you feel either.10

Questions people ask

Can I take valerian root in the morning?

The sleep trials used evening doses, but the hot flash trials gave it two or three times a day for 8 weeks. It can cause drowsiness or mental dullness, so see how it affects you before you drive.3,4,10

When should I drink valerian tea?

No trial here tested the timing of tea. The usual advice for valerian in general, 30 minutes to 2 hours before bed, comes from studies of capsules and tablets, and NIH notes that teas are made from the dried root.1,5

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Sources

  1. Anderson GD, Elmer GW, Kantor ED, Templeton IE, Vitiello MV. Pharmacokinetics of valerenic acid after administration of valerian in healthy subjects. Phytother Res. 2005;19(9):801-803. Opened 2026-10-07.
  2. Dorn M. Efficacy and tolerability of Baldrian versus oxazepam in non-organic and non-psychiatric insomniacs: a randomised, double-blind, clinical, comparative study. Forsch Komplementarmed Klass Naturheilkd. 2000;7(2):79-84. Article in German, English abstract. Opened 2026-10-07.
  3. Mirabi P, Mojab F. The effects of valerian root on hot flashes in menopausal women. Iran J Pharm Res. 2013;12(1):217-222. Opened 2026-10-07.
  4. Jenabi E, Shobeiri F, Hazavehei SMM, Roshanaei G. The effect of Valerian on the severity and frequency of hot flashes: A triple-blind randomized clinical trial. Women Health. 2018;58(3):297-304. Opened 2026-10-07.
  5. National Institutes of Health, Office of Dietary Supplements. Valerian: Fact Sheet for Health Professionals. Updated March 15, 2013. Opened 2026-10-07.
  6. Kuhlmann J, Berger W, Podzuweit H, Schmidt U. The influence of valerian treatment on reaction time, alertness and concentration in volunteers. Pharmacopsychiatry. 1999;32(6):235-241. Opened 2026-10-07.
  7. Leathwood PD, Chauffard F, Heck E, Munoz-Box R. Aqueous extract of valerian root (Valeriana officinalis L.) improves sleep quality in man. Pharmacol Biochem Behav. 1982;17(1):65-71. Opened 2026-10-07.
  8. Leathwood PD, Chauffard F. Quantifying the effects of mild sedatives. J Psychiatr Res. 1982;17(2):115-122. Opened 2026-10-07.
  9. Shinjyo N, Waddell G, Green J. Valerian Root in Treating Sleep Problems and Associated Disorders: A Systematic Review and Meta-Analysis. J Evid Based Integr Med. 2020;25:2515690X20967323. Opened 2026-10-07.
  10. National Center for Complementary and Integrative Health. Valerian. Bethesda (MD): National Institutes of Health. Last updated May 2025. Opened 2026-10-07.

This page is information, not medical advice. Talk to your doctor or pharmacist about your own situation.