Kava and valerian in the treatment of stress-induced insomnia

Wheatley D

Published in Phytotherapy Research

Methodology

Uncontrolled sequential open trial: participants with stress-induced insomnia took kava for a period, followed by a washout and then valerian, with self-rated stress and insomnia questionnaires at each stage.

Key Findings

Both kava (during the stress phase) and valerian (during the insomnia phase) were associated with reductions in self-reported stress and insomnia severity, with sleep latency and sleep quality improving in most participants.

Conclusions

The proportion of patients with no side-effects was 58% with each drug respectively and the 'commonest' effect was vivid dreams with valerian (16%), followed by dizziness with kava (12%).

Limitations

No placebo control, small sample (n=24), sequential design confounded by order and regression to the mean, and kava carries recognised hepatotoxicity concerns.