I have been having trouble sleeping. Does Valerian root really help?

YES
Valerian root is a cure all for sleep and other things. Best to take in pill form, because it has a heavy foot stench ordour in its native leave form. Valerian root will save you from a lot of ails. Best be be with you
from the source
blessings
kadee

Be careful not to take too much. Follow the directions. In some people , the ones who think, well if two work, maybe I'll take four, Valarian can have the opposite effect and keep you awake. If taken properly , though, it does help a lot of people. Are you taking it strictly for sleep or for anxiety also? Their are better natural supplements for anxiety. Calcium/magnesium taken at night, especially in a liquid form can also help you sleep. You could take both the valarian and the cal/mag together, safely.

yes, it can help you sleep. keep it away from your cats or they will fight you for it. its like super catnip to them (and harmless to them if they do get to it.. I give mine tiny pinches of it).

It does seem to help and had calming affects too. I am very happy about it.

Hi kandr

It is good news that the Valerian root helps! It stinks like the dickens, doesn't it? Chuckles. Thinking it might be good to try the calcium and magnesium also. I use them daily and they are great helping me with the nerve damage and anxiety. I take the calcium at night with Melatonin ( I REALLY hate the smell of Valerian root!) and the magnesium I take mid afternoon. I believe there is a tablet that combines the calcium with the magnesium. All can be found wherever you found the valerian root.

Good wishes
reach

Oh, I might try this Valerian for my anxiet, panic attacks and sleeplessness. Sounds like a natural herb that can help. will go to health store and pick some up - Will try anything natural that can help me while I am coming off valium & xanax. Thanks for the advice, tessa

valerian root is best when its a tincture, meaning a liquid that was made through an alcohol tincture process. I have the liquid but have not used it yet. my doctor reccomended it to me.

Magnesium is natures valium. You should not take this at the same time as calcium or in a combined form as it will not give you the calming properties.

Magnesium needs to be used in the proper form. You need to buy on its own and the best version is magnesium citrate. 400mg a day is good, although my doctor suggested getting up to 900. for anxiety. It will cause diarrhea so go slowly, add little by little and when you hit the diarrhea then you have hit your max. Its best to get a powder form of it, so you can just mix it in with water and drink it when you need relief. It tastes ok, kind of lemony kind of like aspirin. I put about 100 mg in a glass usually 4 times a day.

also I am looking into milk peptides now, which are supposed to be as effective as xanax and valium and its just made from milk. no addiction.

I came off xanax about 2 years ago, now I am working off valium and an A/D I use these to aid in my discomfort and recovery.

I also take a time release vitamin c 500mg this will cut back in some anxiety. and I also take a fish oil liquid, 2 teaspoons, it gives more epa and dha than a gel cap form. I would need to take 12 gel caps to equal the 2 teaspoons. Plus with the liquid its cheaper, it tastes like lemon, I get no nausea or fish burps like i did with the gels.

Some days I feel like pure garbage and some days I feel healed. So, I think its all helping.

I work with a doctor as should you, these were reccomendations for my situation and might not be the same for you.

goodluck

by the way valerian is fantastic alternative to benzos, however it works in a similiar fashion. it works on the same gaba receptors but valerian is non addictive and doesn't have the withdrawal associated with benzos. It can have some mild discontinuation if used in large doses over long periods. Try to use it sparingly and learn from your past use of benzos. These are the same receptors that alcohol works on. So its the same effects really. Except alcohol will give you rebound anxiety when it wears off, just like xanax. Valerian doesnt have this.

You should be very careful with the combination. If your on a high dose benzo, you should carefully add in any substance. You should work with a doctor to slowly slowly slow come off the benzos, and see what they say about valerian. Valerian should not be mixed with benzos. So you have to use some intelligence on how you use it. I am now on 2mg a day of valium and working off it, my doctor said it would be ok to add in a little valerian but even still I am waiting a bit to get down to just 1mg of valium. Too much valarian and benzos will be too sedating on your system.