The Sunlight Experiment

Herbal Actions

Nervine

Supports and calms the nervous system

Feeds, supports and restores the nervous system, spanning calming relaxants, gentle restoratives that rebuild frayed nerves, and stimulants that wake the mind. Used for stress, anxiety, low mood and poor sleep; the strongly sedating nervines warrant care with driving and sedative medication.

How it works

Nervine is not one mechanism but several overlapping ones. Each of these is its own herbal action — follow a link for the herbs strongest in that mechanism.

Sedative Calms nervous excitability and quiets body and mind, easing rest and, in stronger doses, sleep. Take care with driving and sedative medication. Anxiolytic Reduces anxiety and nervous tension, easing a racing mind and the physical tension that travels with it. Antidepressant Helps lift low mood, often by supporting serotonin and dopamine activity. Can interact with prescription antidepressants. Anticonvulsant Helps calm the over-excitable nerve activity behind seizures — used alongside, never instead of, prescribed medication. Nervine Tonic Rebuilds and restores frayed, depleted nerves over time, rather than simply calming them.

Key constituents

The compound classes most often behind a nervine action.

  • Volatile oils
  • Flavonoids
  • Alkaloids
  • Valepotriates

Indications

What typically calls for a nervine herb.

  • Stress, tension and nervous overwhelm
  • Anxiety and a racing mind
  • Low mood and irritability
  • Poor or restless sleep
  • Nervous exhaustion and depletion
⚠ Cautions

The strongly sedating nervines can dull alertness — take care with driving and when combining them with sedative or anti-anxiety medication.

Energetics

Temperature
Cooling to neutral
Tradition
The trophorestoratives of the nervous system in Western herbalism — feeding as well as calming.

The Nervous System:

Nervine relaxants are substances that reduces or relieves onvoluntary smooth muscles and cramping.

  • leonurus cardiaca
  • matricaria recutita
  • passiflora incarnata
  • Kava
  • Scutellarua
  • Tilia europa
  • Valeriana officinalis
  • Viburnum opulus
  • Avena sativa (green or seed)
  • Hypericum perforatum
  • Scutellaria lateriflora
  • Stachys betonica
  • Turnera diffusa
  • Verbena officinalis
  • Withiania somnifera
  • Coffea arabica
  • Paullinia cupana
  • Panax ginseng

Herbs with a nervine action (56)

Key herbs

Herbs for which nervine is a headline action.

Catnip

Nepeta cataria

SedativeCarminativeDiaphoreticNervine

Dagga

Leonotis nepetifolia

EuphoriantNervine
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Abuta

Cissampelos pareira

AnalgesicAnti-AbortiveAntifertilityAntibacterial

Ashwagandha

Withania somnifera

AdaptogenSedativeTonicAnti-inflammatory

Bacopa

Bacopa monnieri

NootropicNervineSedativeAnticonvulsant

Catnip

Nepeta cataria

SedativeCarminativeDiaphoreticNervine

Chinese Skullcap

Scutellaria baicalensis

AntiviralAnti-inflammatoryAntiallergicAntibacterial

Chrysanthemum

Chrysanthemum morifolium

Anti-inflammatoryAntipyreticNervineAntioxidant

Dagga

Leonotis nepetifolia

EuphoriantNervine

Damiana

Turnera diffusa

AphrodisiacAntimicrobialAntifungalAnticancer

Gotu Kola

Centella asiatica

NervineNeuroprotectiveNootropicVulnerary

Griffonia

Griffonia simplicifolia

AntidepressantNervineAnxiolyticSedative

Hibiscus

Hibiscus rosa-sinensis

NervineAntioxidantAntihypertensiveEmollient

Holy Basil

Ocimum tenuiflorum

AdaptogenNervineAnxiolyticAnti-inflammatory

Hops

Humulus lupulus

SedativeAntispasmodicAstringentBitter

Ice Plant

Delosperma spp.

AntidepressantAnxiolytic

Jasmine

Jasminum officinale

NervineSedative

Kanna

Sceletium tortuosum

AntidepressantAnxiolyticNervineEmpathogen

Lavender

Lavandula angustifolia

AnalgesicAntibacterialAnticancerAnticonvulsant

Lemongrass

Cymbopogon citratus

CarminativeNervineAntispasmodicAntimicrobial

Lion's Mane

Hericium erinaceus

NervineAntioxidantImmunomodulatorAntibacterial

Magnolia

Magnolia officinalis

AntioxidantAntiallergicAntiasthmaticAnxiolytic

Manuka

Leptospermum scoparium

Anti-inflammatoryAntibacterialAntifungalAntispasmodic

Melissa

Melissa officinalis

NervineCarminativeAntispasmodicAntiviral

Motherwort

Leonurus cardiaca

CardiotonicNervineAntispasmodicFemale-tonic

Muira Puama

Ptychopetalum olacoides

AdaptogenAntidepressantStimulantAphrodisiac

Passionflower

Passiflora incarnata

AnalgesicAntibacterialAntifungalAntidepressant

Peony

Paeonia lactiflora

AntiandrogenicAnti-inflammatoryAntispasmodicDopaminergic

Peppermint

Mentha × piperita

AntiemeticAntitussiveAntimicrobialAntispasmodic

Reishi

Ganoderma lucidum

AdaptogenImmunomodulatorAnalgesicAntispasmodic

Rhodiola

Rhodiola rosea

AdaptogenNootropicStimulantAntidepressant

Rosemary

Rosmarinus officinalis

AntidepressantAntimicrobialAntispasmodicEmmenagogue

Rosewood

Aniba rosaeodora

Anti-inflammatoryAphrodisiacAntidepressantNervine

Schisandra

Schisandra chinensis

HepatoprotectiveAntioxidantAdaptogenNervine

Valerian

Valeriana officinalis

SedativeNervineAntispasmodicAnxiolytic

Ylang Ylang

Cananga odorata

SedativeNervineAntidepressantAnxiolytic

Zizyphus

Ziziphus spinosa

SedativeNervineAnxiolyticAstringent