Insomnia

A meta-analysis of five RCTs (n=400) found a small but significant improvement in sleep, clearest in diagnosed insomnia at ≥600 mg/day for ≥8 weeks ^{1Reference 1Cheah KL et al. · 2021Meta-analysisEffect of ashwagandha (Withania somnifera) extract on sleep — a systematic review and meta-analysisView study →}, supported by actigraphy and PSQI trials ^{2,3Reference 2Langade D et al. · 2021RCTClinical evaluation of ashwagandha root extract on sleep in healthy volunteers and insomnia patients — a double-blind, randomised, placebo-controlled studyView study →Reference 3Langade D et al. · 2019RCTEfficacy and safety of ashwagandha root extract in insomnia and anxiety — a double-blind, randomised, placebo-controlled studyView study →}.

The effect is modest and tied to standardised full-spectrum root extract. Subjective measures dominate, and there are no dependence or withdrawal data.

Three small placebo-controlled RCTs show short-term sleep benefit: a low-dose tea improved subjective sleep quality in healthy adults (n=41) ^{45Reference 45Ngan et al. · 2011RCTA double-blind, placebo-controlled investigation of the effects of Passiflora incarnata (passionflower) herbal tea on subjective sleep quality — randomised, placebo-controlledView study →}, a trial in diagnosed insomnia (n=110) significantly raised total sleep time on polysomnography (though sleep efficiency and WASO did not separate) ^{46Reference 46Lee et al. · 2020RCTEffects of Passiflora incarnata Linnaeus on polysomnographic sleep parameters in subjects with insomnia disorder — randomised, placebo-controlledView study →}, and a 2024 standardised-extract trial (n=65) reduced perceived stress and increased total sleep time ^{47Reference 47Harit et al. · 2024RCTRandomized, double-blind, placebo-controlled clinical study of Passiflora incarnata in participants with stress and sleep problems — randomised, placebo-controlledView study →}.

Effects are modest and short-term; objective gains are limited to total sleep time in one study, with no long-term or dose-standardised data.

California poppy is a traditional sleep aid with mostly preclinical backing. In mice the aqueous extract induced sleep and cut locomotion above 100 mg/kg ^{11Reference 11Rolland A et al. · 1991Behavioural effects of the American traditional plant Eschscholzia californica: sedative and anxiolytic propertiesView study →}, and a placebo-controlled qEEG screen detected an acute sedative signal plus increased self-rated tiredness in humans, though weaker and qualitatively different from the diazepam reference ^{12Reference 12Schulz H et al. · 1998The quantitative EEG as a screening instrument to identify sedative effects of single doses of plant extracts in comparison with diazepamView study →}.

The only human sleep-outcome data come from a 4-week open-label pilot (n=40) of a multi-ingredient product (melatonin + B6 + California poppy + passionflower + lemon balm), which cannot be attributed to the poppy ^{13Reference 13Lemoine P et al. · 2019A combination of melatonin, vitamin B6 and medicinal plants in the treatment of mild-to-moderate insomnia: a prospective pilot studyView study →}. A single-herb Phase 3 placebo-controlled sleep trial has completed (NCT06795776, n=104) but has no posted results. No hypnotic dose is defined.

Two small randomised trials support a mild, transient sleep benefit in different preparations: two weeks of chamomile tea improved sleep inefficiency in 80 postpartum women (advantage gone by four weeks) ^{17Reference 17Chang SM · 2016RCTEffects of an intervention with drinking chamomile tea on sleep quality and depression in sleep disturbed postnatal women: a randomized controlled trialView study →}, and 15 days of bedtime chamomile essential-oil inhalation lowered PSQI and Insomnia Severity Index scores in 80 young adults ^{18Reference 18Deepa Y et al. · 2025RCTEffects of chamomile oil inhalation on sleep quality in young adults with insomnia: a randomized controlled trialView study →}. Both are small, short, unblinded, and preparation-specific (tea vs inhaled oil), with no durable effect shown.

Hops is a traditional sedative with real but confounded human evidence: in essentially every trial it is paired with valerian, so its independent hypnotic effect can’t be isolated — a valerian–hops combination gave modest benefit vs diphenhydramine/placebo ^{23Reference 23Morin CM et al. · 2005RCTValerian-hops combination and diphenhydramine for treating insomnia: a randomized placebo-controlled clinical trial — [randomized]View study →}, Ze 91019 increased objectively tracked sleep duration ^{24Reference 24Schicktanz N et al. · 2025RCTEffects of a Valerian-Hops Extract Combination (Ze 91019) on Sleep Duration and Daytime Cognitive and Psychological Parameters in Occasional Insomnia: A Randomized Controlled Feasibility Trial — [randomized]View study →}, and a valerian–passionflower–hops formula matched zolpidem ^{25Reference 25Maroo N et al. · 2013RCTEfficacy and safety of a polyherbal sedative-hypnotic formulation NSF-3 in primary insomnia in comparison to zolpidem: a randomized controlled trial — [randomized]View study →}.

The mechanism is attributed to a degradation product of the bitter humulone α-acids (2-methyl-3-buten-2-ol) enhancing GABAergic inhibition, shown in an animal model ^{26Reference 26Franco L et al. · 2012The sedative effects of hops (Humulus lupulus), a component of beer, on the activity/rest rhythm — [animal]View study →}; no trial isolates hops from valerian, and the active metabolite forms on storage, so fresh-herb potency is uncertain.

Sleep improvement is real but largely downstream of anxiolysis: in the Silexan trials sleep disturbance improved as a secondary outcome, and a narrative review concluded the drug helps sleep chiefly by relieving the anxiety that disrupts it rather than acting as a direct sedative ^{31Reference 31Seifritz et al. · 2022ReviewEffect of the anxiolytic drug silexan on sleep — a narrative reviewView study →}. Inhaled-lavender aromatherapy is pooled in meta-analyses reporting better subjective sleep in adults and older adults ^{32,33Reference 32Shen et al. · 2026Meta-analysisThe sleep-enhancing effect of lavender essential oil in adults — a systematic review and meta-analysisView study →Reference 33Xu et al. · 2024Meta-analysisEffects of aromatherapy on sleep quality in older adults — a meta-analysisView study →}, but those trials are small, effectively unblindable (the smell is obvious) and high risk of bias, with thin objective/PSG confirmation.

Sleep benefit is plausible but rests mostly on combination products and uncontrolled data: an open-label Cyracos pilot reported a 42% reduction in insomnia over 15 days ^{38Reference 38Cases J et al. · 2011Clinical trialPilot trial of Melissa officinalis L. leaf extract in mild-to-moderate anxiety disorders and sleep disturbances — open-label clinical trialView study →}, a placebo-controlled RCT of lemon balm plus Nepeta menthoides improved insomnia severity ^{39Reference 39Ranjbar M et al. · 2018RCTEffects of herbal combination (Melissa officinalis L. and Nepeta menthoides) on insomnia severity, anxiety and depression in insomniacs — randomised placebo-controlled trialView study →}, and the angina trial improved a sleep-quality subscore ^{40Reference 40Haybar H et al. · 2018RCTThe effects of Melissa officinalis supplementation on depression, anxiety, stress and sleep disorder in patients with chronic stable angina — randomised placebo-controlled trialView study →}. Placebo-controlled monotherapy sleep data for lemon balm alone remain sparse; the strongest signals come from open-label or multi-herb designs.

Rhodiola has no dedicated insomnia trial. A mild-to-moderate depression RCT on standardised SHR-5 reported improved insomnia alongside mood ^{51Reference 51Darbinyan et al. · 2007RCTClinical trial of Rhodiola rosea L. extract SHR-5 in the treatment of mild to moderate depression — randomised controlled trialView study →}, as a secondary endpoint rather than a primary-insomnia outcome.

The effect cuts both ways: Rhodiola is a stimulant-like activator usually dosed earlier in the day, and sleep disturbance is a listed adverse effect ^{52,51Reference 52Olsson et al. · 2009RCTA randomised, double-blind, placebo-controlled, parallel-group study of the standardised extract SHR-5 of Rhodiola rosea in stress-related fatigue — randomised controlled trialView study →Reference 51Darbinyan et al. · 2007RCTClinical trial of Rhodiola rosea L. extract SHR-5 in the treatment of mild to moderate depression — randomised controlled trialView study →}.

A 2022 meta-analysis found saffron improved PSQI, Insomnia Severity Index and Restorative Sleep scores vs placebo (100 mg/day most stable) ^{53Reference 53Lian J et al. · 2022Meta-analysisEffects of saffron supplementation on improving sleep quality: a meta-analysis of randomised controlled trialsView study →}; supported by an actigraphy trial ^{54Reference 54Pachikian BD et al. · 2021RCTEffects of saffron extract on sleep quality: a randomised double-blind controlled clinical trialView study →} and an evening affron® trial that raised melatonin without affecting cortisol ^{55Reference 55Lopresti et al. · 2021RCTAn investigation into an evening intake of a saffron extract (affron®) on sleep quality, cortisol, and melatonin concentrations in adults with poor sleep: a randomised, double-blind, placebo-controlled, multi-dose studyView study →}. The constituent crocetin (7.5 mg/day) raised EEG delta power ^{56Reference 56Umigai N et al. · 2018RCTEffect of crocetin on quality of sleep: a randomised, double-blind, placebo-controlled, crossover studyView study →}. The endpoints are mostly subjective, and the objective-measure samples are small.

A randomised, double-blind, placebo-controlled crossover RCT (n=66, 400 mg/day of a chemically characterised extract, 56 days) in mild-to-moderate primary insomnia improved the Pittsburgh Sleep Quality Index, sleep-onset latency, sleep efficiency and total sleep time, with no adverse effects ^{57Reference 57Di Minno et al. · 2025RCTEfficacy and tolerability of a chemically characterized Scutellaria lateriflora L. extract-based food supplement for sleep management: a single-center, controlled, randomised, crossover, double-blind clinical trialView study →}. The mechanism overlaps the anxiolytic GABA-A pathway ^{58Reference 58Awad et al. · 2003AnimalPhytochemical and biological analysis of skullcap (Scutellaria lateriflora L.): a medicinal plant with anxiolytic properties — animal modelView study →}. This is a single trial of one proprietary extract; the effect is mild and does not generalise to teas or arbitrary tinctures.

Insomnia is valerian’s flagship, most trial-rich indication, and the benefit is subjective. Meta-analyses of 16–60 studies find improved subjective sleep quality (Bent RR 1.8 ^{59Reference 59Bent S et al. · 2006Meta-analysisValerian for sleep: a systematic review and meta-analysisView study →}; Fernández-San-Martín RR 1.37 ^{60Reference 60Fernández-San-Martín MI et al. · 2010Meta-analysisEffectiveness of Valerian on insomnia: a meta-analysis of randomized placebo-controlled trialsView study →}; Shinjyo favours whole root ^{61Reference 61Shinjyo N et al. · 2020Meta-analysisValerian Root in Treating Sleep Problems and Associated Disorders — A Systematic Review and Meta-AnalysisView study →}) while objectively timed sleep latency is unchanged ^{60Reference 60Fernández-San-Martín MI et al. · 2010Meta-analysisEffectiveness of Valerian on insomnia: a meta-analysis of randomized placebo-controlled trialsView study →}.

The most rigorous reviews are null (“safe but not effective” ^{62Reference 62Taibi DM et al. · 2007Systematic reviewA systematic review of valerian as a sleep aid: safe but not effectiveView study →}; a 2024 umbrella review found no empirical support ^{63Reference 63Valente V et al. · 2024ReviewDoes valerian work for insomnia? An umbrella review of the evidenceView study →}; a PSG/actigraphy RCT in older women showed no improvement and increased wake-after-sleep-onset ^{64Reference 64Taibi DM et al. · 2009RCTA randomized clinical trial of valerian fails to improve self-reported, polysomnographic, and actigraphic sleep in older women with insomniaView study →}; a phase III cancer RCT missed its PSQI endpoint ^{65Reference 65Barton DL et al. · 2011RCTThe use of Valeriana officinalis in improving sleep in patients undergoing cancer treatment: a phase III RCT (NCCTG N01C5)View study →}). Extract-type and dose heterogeneity prevents an effective-dose recommendation. Valerian gives a modest subjective benefit and leaves objective sleep architecture essentially unchanged.

Insomnia is zizyphus’s core, best-evidenced indication. The only single-herb human trial — a randomised, double-blind, placebo-controlled crossover feasibility RCT (n=12, 2 g/day encapsulated granules, 4 weeks) — found a significant improvement in Pittsburgh Sleep Quality Index score versus placebo (p = 0.046), with parallel gains in total sleep time, sleep efficiency and onset latency; the authors frame it as feasibility, not proof ^{72Reference 72Shergis et al. · 2021RCTMedicinal seeds Ziziphus spinosa for insomnia: A randomized, placebo-controlled, cross-over, feasibility clinical trial — [randomised, double-blind, placebo-controlled crossover RCT]View study →}.

Larger positive human data all test zizyphus inside multi-herb formulas (chiefly Suanzaoren decoction): a nine-trial meta-analysis showed subjective sleep-quality improvement (SMD −0.58) ^{73Reference 73Yang et al. · 2023Meta-analysisThe Herbal Medicine Suanzaoren (Ziziphi Spinosae Semen) for Sleep Quality Improvements: A Systematic Review and Meta-analysis — [systematic review and meta-analysis]View study →} and multiple systematic reviews report benefit comparable to benzodiazepines with fewer adverse events, while uniformly flagging low study quality and high risk of bias ^{74,75Reference 74Birling et al. · 2021Meta-analysisZao Ren An Shen for insomnia: a systematic review with meta-analysis — [systematic review with meta-analysis]View study →Reference 75Liu et al. · 2022Meta-analysisSuanzaoren Decoction for the treatment of chronic insomnia: a systematic review and meta-analysis — [systematic review and meta-analysis]View study →}.

The mechanism is well mapped — spinosin (5-HT1A) ^{76,77Reference 76Wang et al. · 2008AnimalSpinosin, a C-glycoside flavonoid from semen Zizhiphi Spinozae, potentiated pentobarbital-induced sleep via the serotonergic system — [mouse in vivo study]View study →Reference 77Wang et al. · 2010AnimalPotentiating effect of spinosin, a C-glycoside flavonoid of Semen Ziziphi spinosae, on pentobarbital-induced sleep may be related to postsynaptic 5-HT(1A) receptors — [rat in vivo study]View study →}, jujuboside A (GABAergic PVT modulation) ^{78,79Reference 78Wang et al. · 2025AnimalJujuboside A in ameliorating insomnia in mice via GABAergic modulation of the PVT — [mouse in vivo study]View study →Reference 79Zhang et al. · 2025AnimalJujuboside A improves insomnia by maintaining mitochondrial homeostasis in prefrontal neurons — [mouse in vivo study]View study →} and sanjoinine A (GABA-A chloride influx) ^{80Reference 80Ma et al. · 2007AnimalSanjoinine A isolated from Zizyphi Spinosi Semen augments pentobarbital-induced sleeping behaviors through the modification of GABA-ergic systems — [mouse in vivo study]View study →} all potentiate sleep in rodents. Only one small single-herb RCT exists, no trial standardises the dry-fried whole-seed decoction, and isolated-compound/decoction doses do not transfer cleanly to it.

Blue lotus’s modern reputation is as a sleep aid and dream enhancer, read mechanistically as a downstream consequence of the sedative, mood-lifting alkaloid pharmacology ^{4Reference 4Farrell et al. · 2016In vitroIn vitro and in vivo characterization of the alkaloid nuciferine — in vitro and mouseView study →} easing the transition into sleep, and aligning with its long dream/ritual association ^{5,6Reference 5Emboden · 1981ReviewTranscultural use of narcotic water lilies in ancient Egyptian and Maya drug ritual — reviewView study →Reference 6Bertol et al. · 2004ReviewNymphaea cults in ancient Egypt and the New World: a lesson in empirical pharmacology — reviewView study →}. No study has measured sleep architecture, latency, or dream recall — there is no polysomnography and no sleep model; the pharmacology is merely consistent with the reports.

Both blue-vervain marker iridoids — hastatoside and verbenalin — extended non-REM sleep in rats as sleep-promoting components of V. officinalis ^{7Reference 7Makino et al. · 2009AnimalHastatoside and verbenalin are sleep-promoting components in Verbena officinalis — animal modelView study →}; both are confirmed present in V. hastata ^{8Reference 8Yokosuka et al. · 2021In vitroChemical Constituents of the Whole Plant of Verbena hastata and Their Inhibitory Activity Against the Production of AGEs — in vitroView study →} and were first isolated from it ^{9Reference 9Rimpler et al. · 1979Hastatoside, a New Iridoid from Verbena hastata L. and Verbena officinalis LView study →}, so for sleep the active molecules are documented in the actual plant. Crude V. officinalis extract also potentiated thiopental-induced sleep in mice ^{10Reference 10Khan et al. · 2016AnimalAnticonvulsant, Anxiolytic, and Sedative Activities of Verbena officinalis — mouseView study →}. The sleep-active doses were isolated iridoids, not whole-herb tea, and there is no human sleep trial.

The traditional use of dark graviola leaves for insomnia has thin, dated modern support: a 2018 mouse study found sedative and anticonvulsant effects of a hydroalcoholic leaf extract ^{19Reference 19Souza et al. · 2018AnimalPhytochemical analysis and central (sedative/anticonvulsant) effects of Annona muricata Linnaeus in mice — animal modelView study →}, echoing a 1979 preliminary sedation report ^{20Reference 20Bourne et al. · 1979A preliminary study of the sedative effects of Annona muricata (soursop) — animal studyView study →}, with older Annona alkaloid 5-HT1A binding data offering a candidate mechanism.

The sleep rationale is mechanistic: serotonin is the biosynthetic precursor to melatonin, so raising serotonin synthesis is argued to support sleep onset, backed only by old sleep-architecture data showing 5-HTP alters REM in normal subjects ^{21,22Reference 21Wyatt RJ et al. · 1971Clinical trialEffects of 5-hydroxytryptophan on the sleep of normal human subjects — clinical trialView study →Reference 22Birdsall TC · 1998ReviewBirdsall TC. (1998). 5-Hydroxytryptophan: a clinically-effective serotonin precursor — review. Alternative Medicine Review. https://pubmed.ncbi.nlm.nih.gov/9727088/View study →}. There is no modern placebo-controlled insomnia RCT of Griffonia extract; sleep improvement appears only as a secondary outcome within fibromyalgia and mood studies.

Kava’s use for sleep rests on its traditional sedative reputation, rodent data (a kava extract shortened sleep latency and increased non-REM sleep in sleep-disturbed rats, compared to flunitrazepam but without the REM suppression ^{27Reference 27Shinomiya et al. · 2005AnimalEffects of kava-kava extract on the sleep-wake cycle in sleep-disturbed rats [animal]View study →}), and the same GABA-A / sodium-channel actions that drive the anxiolytic effect ^{28,29Reference 28Chua et al. · 2016In vitroKavain, the major constituent of the anxiolytic kava extract, potentiates GABA-A receptors — functional characteristics and molecular mechanism [in vitro]View study →Reference 29Gleitz et al. · 1995In vitroGleitz, J., Beile, A., & Peters, T. (1995). (±)-Kavain inhibits veratridine-activated voltage-dependent Na⁺ channels in synaptosomes [in vitro]. Neuropharmacology. https://pubmed.ncbi.nlm.nih.gov/8532183/View study →}. No dedicated human insomnia RCT exists.

In the clinic, improved sleep appears only as a secondary outcome of anxiety trials, so a direct hypnotic action can’t be separated from downstream anxiety relief ^{30Reference 30Sarris et al. · 2011ReviewKava — a comprehensive review of efficacy, safety, and psychopharmacology [review]View study →}. Kava’s hepatotoxicity record also weighs against routine use as a sleep aid.

Tilia extracts potentiate pentobarbital sleep in mice and show a broad CNS-depressant (incl. anticonvulsant) profile ^{34,35,36Reference 34Aguirre-Hernández et al. · 2007AnimalPharmacological evaluation of the anxiolytic and sedative effects of Tilia americana L. var. mexicana in mice — animal in vivo studyView study →Reference 35Pérez-Ortega et al. · 2008AnimalSedative and anxiolytic efficacy of Tilia americana var. mexicana inflorescences used traditionally by communities of the State of Michoacán, Mexico — animal in vivo studyView study →Reference 36Cárdenas-Rodríguez et al. · 2014AnimalAnticonvulsant and antioxidant effects of Tilia americana var. mexicana and flavonoid constituents in pentylenetetrazole-induced seizures — animal in vivo studyView study →}. Traditional bedtime-tea use is long-standing, but a review of traditional insomnia remedies found no demonstrated clinical efficacy despite the herb’s safety ^{37Reference 37Prescrire International · 2005ReviewManagement of insomnia: a place for traditional herbal remedies — reviewView study →}. There is no human sleep trial.

Motherwort has no sleep-specific trial. Its use for sleep rests on the same GABA-A binding mechanism as its use for anxiety ^{41Reference 41Rauwald et al. · 2015In vitroGABA-A receptor binding assays of standardized Leonurus cardiaca and Leonurus japonicus extracts and their isolated constituents — in vitroView study →} plus the sleep-disturbance improvement reported (alongside blood pressure and anxiety) in the open-label hypertension cohort ^{42Reference 42Shikov et al. · 2011Clinical trialEffect of Leonurus cardiaca oil extract in patients with arterial hypertension accompanied by anxiety and sleep disorders — clinical trial (open-label)View study →} — i.e. a sedative rationale, not a measured sleep endpoint.

Rodent studies of lettuce extracts standardised for lactucin and lactucopicrin consistently increase sleep duration and non-REM sleep and reverse caffeine-induced arousal, with effects blocked by flumazenil and confirmed by EEG — pointing to a GABA-A/benzodiazepine mechanism plus adenosine A1 up-regulation ^{66,67,68,69Reference 66Kim HW et al. · 2019AnimalEffectiveness of the sleep enhancement by green romaine lettuce (Lactuca sativa) in a rodent model — animal in vivoView study →Reference 67Ahn Y et al. · 2023AnimalHeukharang lettuce (Lactuca sativa) leaf extract displays sleep-promoting effects through GABA-A receptor — animal in vivoView study →Reference 68Lee M et al. · 2024AnimalLactuca sativa extract enhances sleep duration through upregulation of adenosine A1 receptor and GABA-A receptor subunits in pentobarbital-injected mice — animal in vivoView study →Reference 69Kim HD et al. · 2017AnimalSleep-inducing effect of lettuce (Lactuca sativa) varieties on pentobarbital-induced sleep — animal in vivoView study →}; the two guaianolides bind the GABA-A–benzodiazepine receptor at 81% and 56% affinity ^{66Reference 66Kim HW et al. · 2019AnimalEffectiveness of the sleep enhancement by green romaine lettuce (Lactuca sativa) in a rodent model — animal in vivoView study →}.

No trial has ever tested Lactuca virosa itself — the only human sleep data come from L. sativa (garden lettuce) seed oil, a different species and preparation ^{70,71Reference 70Yakoot M et al. · 2011RCTPilot study of the efficacy and safety of lettuce seed oil in patients with sleep disorders — randomised placebo-controlled trialView study →Reference 71Taherzadeh Z et al. · 2020RCTEvaluation of sedative effects of an intranasal dosage form containing saffron, lettuce seeds and sweet violet in primary chronic insomnia — randomised, double-blind, placebo-controlled trialView study →}, and there is no standardised lactucarium dose.

Cannabis is widely used to aid sleep, but the effect is strongly preparation- and dose-dependent and two-edged: tolerance builds, REM is suppressed, and stopping can trigger rebound insomnia.

Catnip’s most famous human use and its weakest evidence. Animal data are self-contradictory: one study found catnip oil and nepetalic acid prolonged hexobarbital sleeping time (sedation) ^{14Reference 14Harney JW et al. · 1978AnimalBehavioral and toxicological studies of cyclopentanoid monoterpenes from Nepeta cataria — [animal in vivo]View study →}, while a later study feeding whole catnip to mice found increased locomotion and decreased pentobarbital sleeping time — an amphetamine-like stimulant profile ^{15Reference 15Massoco CO et al. · 1995AnimalBehavioral effects of acute and long-term administration of catnip (Nepeta cataria) in mice — [animal in vivo]View study →}. The insomnia RCTs frequently cited for catnip were actually run on Nepeta menthoides, a different Persian species, and cannot be transferred ^{16Reference 16Ranjbar M et al. · 2018RCTEfficacy of a combination of Melissa officinalis L. and Nepeta menthoides Boiss. & Buhse on insomnia: a triple-blind, randomized placebo-controlled clinical trial — [human RCT (different species)]View study →}.

Nutmeg’s sleep evidence splits in two directions. Supported: a petroleum-ether seed fraction potentiated phenobarbitone- and pentobarbitone-induced sleeping time in rodents ^{43Reference 43Grover et al. · 2002Pharmacological studies on Myristica fragrans — antidiarrhoeal, hypnotic, analgesic and haemodynamic parametersView study →} — a genuine hypnotic (sleep-potentiating) signal, though the crude suspension did much less.

Contradicted: a controlled rat study found myristicin did not reduce anxiety on the elevated-plus-maze, showed no GABA-A receptor modulation, trended anxiogenic, and blunted the anxiolytic effect of midazolam ^{44Reference 44Leiter E et al. · 2011AnimalEvaluation of the anxiolytic properties of myristicin, a component of nutmeg, in the male Sprague-Dawley rat. https://pubmed.ncbi.nlm.nih.gov/21560973/View study →}. The sedative and the calming claims are not the same thing, and only the first survives. The evidence does not support nutmeg as an anxiolytic, and its sedation signal comes from barbiturate potentiation, which is an interaction finding as much as an efficacy one.

Reishi has no sleep trial. Its use for sleep rests on the shen-tonic tradition — reishi “calms and anchors the Shen” and promotes healthy sleep — and long historical use for insomnia ^{48,49Reference 48Rogers · 2011The fungal pharmacy: The complete guide to medicinal mushrooms and lichens of North America [Adobe Digital Editions version]Reference 49Hempen et al. · 2009A Materia Medica for Chinese Medicine: Plants, Minerals, and Animal Products. (Pg}. The only mechanistic touchpoint is lucidone D’s sedative-hypnotic activity in mice ^{50Reference 50Feng X · 2019In vitroAnti-inflammatory, anti-nociceptive and sedative-hypnotic activities of lucidone D extracted from Ganoderma lucidum — in vitro and mouse studyView study →}, which is constituent-level and not a sleep-outcome study.