Ever knock back the post-dinner cup of coffee and wish you hadn’t? I think regret comes somewhere around 1am when you find yourself staring up at the ceiling. Well, a new study emerged that was conducted by the Hessen Medical Association (Germany) that might be of consequence to all you insomniacs out there. The focus of the study examined the efficacy of hops flower (Humulus lupulus) and valerian root (Valeriana officinalis) extract in their ability to counteract excitation produced by caffeine. The purpose of this was to better understand the mechanism by which hops and valerian extracts function.
Typical sleep cycles sustain a continuous wake-sleep rhythm throughout the night. Your sleep cycle is directly related to the changes in adenosine concentration within the central nervous system (CNS). Previous studies have shown that CNS administration of adenosine induces sleep. Both hops and valerian have traditionally been used as sleep and anxiety remedies, and valerian has been identified by the manual of Material Medica as possessing antispasmodic, sedative, and a hypotensive characteristics. Specifically, valerian contains constituents that have the ability to bind to adenosine receptors, which would explain valerian’s knack for mimicking similar actions to adenosine in its talents for inducing sleep. In comparison, caffeine possesses contrasting actions with its power to inhibit the binding of adenosine to its receptor, thereby diminishing the capacity to induce sleep. The goal of the study was to evaluate the competition between compounds in valerian/hops extract and caffeine for adenosine binding sites, in order to further understand the methods by which valerian and hops function.
In this placebo controlled, blinded study, 48 healthy men were administered either 6 capsules of placebo, 6 capsules of valerian and hops extract, or a combination of 4 placebo capsules and 2 capsules of the valerian and hops blend. Each valerian/hops capsule contained 250mg of valerian root extract and 60mg of hops extract, both of which were standardized. Simultaneously, the subjects received 200mg of caffeine.
An electroencephalogram (EEG), which is placed on the head, was used to record CNS activation. The results indicated that caffeine excitation was inhibited by the full dose (6 capsules) of the valerian/hops extract. Additionally, the valerian extract had an early action—within one hour the full dose had neutralized the caffeine. This evidence suggests that valerian might acquire its sleep inducing qualities by activating adenosine receptors. Notably, only men non-coffee drinkers were studied, and biological actions may be invariably different in women and/or habitual coffee drinkers.
This study provides us with yet more insight into the biological mechanisms of popular herbal remedies such as valerian root and hops flower. While we were impressed with the aim of the study, the absorption of dried herbal formulas is markedly less than that of a liquid extract. Would it be too much to ask for similar studies to be conducted with dosages in liquid extract form versus dried form? Some helpful tips to help you have a restful nights sleep:
- Avoid mental stimulation such as TV, reading, etc… as it delays the transition into your first cycle
- Avoid caffeine and alcohol
- Have a small snack with quality protien and/or good fats
- Finally, the ultimate natural sleep cocktail: Mix all ingredients into a cup of warm water or herbal tea - 1tsp of the amino acid glycine, 1 tbsp of elemental magnesium (I use "Natural Calm"), and 2-3 dropperfuls of Jash Botanicals "Dream On" (a liquid extract of valerian root, hops, california poppy, and lemon Balm)