Passionflower for Improved Sleep Quality
Small trials suggest passionflower mildly improves sleep quality, with effects short of pharmaceutical hypnotics.
Overview
Verdict
How It Works
Dosing & Protocol
Typical dose
- Recommended dose
- 2 g dried herb as a tea, or 300-450 mg standardised extract, taken 30-60 minutes before bed
- Expected timeframe
- 1-2 weeks
Protocol
- form
- Tea from dried aerial parts, or a standardised extract. The positive sleep trial used a low-dose tea rather than a concentrated extract, so tea is a reasonable first choice; tinctures at 1-2 mL are also used
- duration
- 1-2 weeks - effects in the trial appeared within a week
- co factor
- Take on an empty or lightly filled stomach 30-60 minutes before bed; a heavy meal slows onset. Evidence is mixed and thin. A small double-blind crossover trial in healthy adults with mild sleep fluctuation found that a low-dose passionflower tea taken for a week produced a modest but statistically significant improvement in subjective sleep quality, though objective polysomnographic measures did not change significantly. Other trials, including combination products with valerian and hops, report benefit but cannot attribute it to passionflower. A trial in insomnia disorder using extract showed limited effect. The proposed mechanism is modulation of GABA-A receptors and increased brain GABA levels by flavonoids including chrysin and vitexin.
- titration
- Up to 450 mg extract, or two cups of tea in the evening
- starting dose
- One cup of tea made from 2 g dried Passiflora incarnata herb, one hour before bed, or 300 mg standardised extract
Evidence
What the studies say
A double-blind, placebo-controlled investigation of the effects of Passiflora incarnata (passionflower) herbal tea on subjective sleep quality
Ngan A, Conduit R
Passionflower tea improved subjective sleep quality with no change in objective sleep measures.
Efficacy of a herbal combination containing Passiflora incarnata for insomnia: a randomized, double-blind, placebo-controlled trial
Lee J, Jung HY, Lee SI +2 more
A valerian and passionflower combination improved insomnia severity and sleep efficiency versus placebo.
Safety
Caveats
Effects are mild and largely subjective, and the trial evidence is weaker than for the confidence often claimed. Passionflower is sedating and should not be combined with alcohol, benzodiazepines, Z-drugs such as zopiclone or zolpidem, opioids, sedating antihistamines, barbiturates or other sedative herbs including valerian and kava without care, since additive central nervous system depression can cause excessive drowsiness and impaired breathing. Do not drive or operate machinery until you know how it affects you. There are case reports of altered consciousness and, rarely, QT prolongation and vasculitis with high doses. Avoid in pregnancy - some Passiflora species have been reported to stimulate uterine contractions, and safety data are inadequate - and avoid while breastfeeding. Stop at least two weeks before surgery because of additive sedation with anaesthesia. Caution with antihypertensives and anticoagulants, where theoretical interactions exist. Persistent insomnia lasting over three months, or insomnia with loud snoring, witnessed apnoeas, restless legs, early morning waking with low mood, or daytime sleepiness affecting driving, needs medical assessment - CBT for insomnia is the recommended first-line treatment and outperforms every sedative herb.
Less likely to help if
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