Lemon verbena extract improves sleep quality

A recent study published in the journal Nutrients examines the effectiveness of lemon verbena in improving sleep in people with sleep problems.

Lack of adequate sleep affects millions of people worldwide, disrupting their normal functioning and emotional balance. Sleep disorders also reduce the ability to cope with stress and interfere with social interactions. As a result, poor sleep reduces the quality of life of those affected, and also increases the risk of developing neuropsychiatric diseases and other medical problems.

Poor sleep and stress interact in both directions, so their presence together worsens the prognosis. Although there are certain therapeutic agents for the treatment of sleep disorders, their effects are often short-lived. In addition, many of these medications can be addictive and have side effects.

Due to the limitations of traditional sleep treatments, there has been increasing interest in research into non-drug therapies. Previous studies have shown that various herbal formulas can improve sleep quality and reduce pain in adults with chronic pain.

Lemon verbena (Aloysia citrodora Paláu or Lippia citrodora Kunth) has antioxidant, anxiolytic, antimicrobial, anticancer and sedative properties, which are due to the presence of verbascoside in its leaves. Verbascoside, a polyphenol, binds to GABA-A receptors, reducing activity in calcium and cAMP channels, while increasing the level of dopamine, serotonin, norepinephrine and other excitatory neurotransmitters.

Eight weeks of treatment with lemon verbena extract has previously been shown to reduce stress and improve sleep. The current randomized controlled trial aims to further investigate these findings in a larger sample and also to evaluate the effects of lemon verbena on melatonin levels.

The present study involved the use of a nutraceutical formulation of lemon verbena over a 90-day period in healthy individuals with sleep problems. The study was conducted at the Department of Health Sciences at the Universidad Católica San Antonio de Murcia (UCAM) in Murcia, Spain.

The formula contained at least 24% verbascoside, with 400 mg lemon verbena in each capsule. Sleep quality was assessed at baseline, mid-point, and endpoint using a visual analog scale (VAS), the Pittsburgh Sleep Quality Index (PSQI), and actigraphy. Actigraphy was used to assess four sleep-related domains: latency, efficiency, arousals after sleep onset, and total arousal.

The study involved 80 participants who were equally divided into intervention and control groups. By the end of the study, 33 people remained in the experimental group and 38 in the control group. The average age of the study participants was 29.5 years, and the average weight was 70.8 kg. The average sleep quality VAS score at baseline was 3.7 for both groups.

After 90 days, the intervention group showed significantly greater improvement in sleep quality compared to the control group in terms of VAS and PSQI. All four sleep domains also improved, including a reduction in the number of night awakenings.

The stress level decreased by 5.8 and 9.1 points in the control and experimental groups, respectively. The anxiety level in the experimental group also decreased significantly.

Melatonin levels at night increased significantly in the intervention group, suggesting a mechanism for the improved sleep effects of lemon verbena. No changes were observed in systolic and diastolic blood pressure, heart rate, or other laboratory parameters in either group.

Improved sleep was reported using three different methods with lemon verbena extract, as well as decreased anxiety and increased melatonin levels. These results support those of a previous randomized controlled trial reporting similar broad-spectrum improvements across all four domains of sleep and insomnia.

The wide range of improvements associated with lemon verbena included the ability to fall asleep faster and sleep more soundly, while reducing the frequency and duration of full awakenings. These effects may be related to the 24% verbascoside concentration used in this formula.

Lemon verbena has been shown to be an anxiolytic and hypnotic, as well as promoting positive mood changes. Notably, this study is the first to show that lemon verbena also increases melatonin production.

These encouraging results require further studies involving a larger, more diverse population sample and a longer period of use to confirm and extend the findings.