Lemon Verbena and Sleep

    Anxiety is a common part of life, but for some people, it lingers. When it does, it can disrupt daily routines and raise the risk of conditions such as depression, substance use, cardiovascular disease, and sleep problems.

    Medications like antidepressants and benzodiazepines are often prescribed for anxiety. While effective, they also come with challenges—high cost, potential side effects, and concerns about long-term use. These limitations have sparked interest in plant-based approaches to support mental well-being.

    One plant now being studied is lemon verbena (Lippia citriodora). Native to South America, it is also cultivated in Europe and the Middle East. Traditionally, it has been used to alleviate fever, digestive issues, insomnia, and anxiety. Researchers are particularly interested in a compound found in the leaves of the plant, known as verbascoside.

    Verbascoside is a polyphenol known for its antioxidant, anti-inflammatory, and antimicrobial properties. Laboratory animal studies also suggest it may reduce anxiety and improve sleep. The proposed mechanism involves binding to GABA-A receptors in the brain—the same receptors targeted by benzodiazepines. This raises the possibility that lemon verbena could provide calming effects with fewer drawbacks.

    One clinical study evaluated lemon verbena extract on stress and sleep quality. This double-blind, placebo-controlled trial enrolled 40 participants for 8 weeks, followed by a 4-week washout period. Participants were randomly assigned to receive either lemon verbena extract or a placebo (n = 20 per group) (1).

    The supplement was made from purified lemon verbena leaf extract, standardized to contain at least 28% phenylpropanoids, with at least 24% from verbascoside (sold as PLX® or RelaxPLX). Each capsule contained 400 mg of lemon verbena extract plus 150 mg of cellulose (inactive filler). Participants took one capsule daily, 1–2 hours before bedtime (1).

    Results showed that the lemon verbena group had a significant 12.2% reduction in perceived stress after 8 weeks, along with a 15.6% decrease in cortisol levels. Even after the washout, participants reported further improvements, with stress levels reduced by 25.9%. In terms of sleep, participants taking the supplement felt more rested, with stronger effects reported in women. Wearable device data confirmed improvements in deep sleep and REM stages (1).

    This study demonstrated that lemon verbena extract may serve as a natural option for reducing stress and improving sleep quality (1).

    Another trial tested lemon verbena syrup in 100 patients with insomnia. Participants were randomly assigned to take either lemon verbena extract or a placebo one hour before bed for 4 weeks. Sleep quality was measured at baseline, 2 weeks, and 4 weeks using validated questionnaires (2).

    The lemon verbena group reported better sleep, falling asleep faster, and experiencing less daytime fatigue. Their global Pittsburgh Sleep Quality Index (PSQI) score dropped significantly—from about 15 to 3—compared to the placebo group, which only improved from 15 to 12. Benefits appeared as early as two weeks and were stronger by four weeks (2).

    The study concluded that lemon verbena syrup before bedtime may be a safe and helpful complementary option for people struggling with insomnia (2).

    A third study followed 71 healthy adults with sleep problems. Participants were randomly assigned to take either 400 mg lemon verbena extract (33 people) or a placebo (38 people) one hour before bed, daily for 3 months (3).

    Those taking lemon verbena showed significant improvements in sleep. On a standard sleep quality scale, scores were higher (6.5 ± 1.6 vs. 5.5 ± 2.1, p = 0.021). On the PSQI, they had better overall scores (5.8 ± 2.4 vs. 7.4 ± 2.9, p = 0.008), fell asleep more quickly (1.6 ± 1.0 vs. 1.9 ± 0.7, p = 0.027), and had higher sleep efficiency (84.5 ± 12.8 vs. 79.8 ± 13.6, p = 0.023) (3).

    Wearable devices confirmed better sleep patterns (p = 0.001), and blood tests showed increased nighttime melatonin levels (199.7 ± 135.3 vs. 174.7 ± 115.4 pg/mL, p = 0.048) (3).

    No changes were observed in body weight or activity levels. In summary, daily lemon verbena extract for 90 days resulted in measurable improvements in sleep compared to placebo (3).

    Taken together, these studies suggest that lemon verbena may be a safe and natural way to ease stress and improve sleep quality. Lemon verbena supplementation has been shown to reduce perceived stress, lower cortisol, increase melatonin, and enhance sleep, improving not only how quickly people fall asleep, but also the depth and restorative quality of their rest. While more large-scale trials are needed, the evidence so far supports lemon verbena as a promising complementary option for individuals struggling with anxiety, insomnia, or general sleep disturbances.

References:

1.         Martínez-Rodríguez A, Martínez-Olcina M, Mora J, Navarro P, Caturla N, Jones J. Anxiolytic Effect and Improved Sleep Quality in Individuals Taking Lippia citriodora Extract. Nutrients. 2022 Jan 4;14(1):218. doi: 10.3390/nu14010218. PMID: 35011093; PMCID: PMC8747367.

2.         Afrasiabian F, Mirabzadeh Ardakani M, Rahmani K, Azadi NA, Alemohammad ZB, Bidaki R, Karimi M, Emtiazy M, Hashempur MH. Aloysia citriodora Palau (lemon verbena) for insomnia patients: A randomized, double-blind, placebo-controlled clinical trial of efficacy and safety. Phytother Res. 2019 Feb;33(2):350-359. doi: 10.1002/ptr.6228. Epub 2018 Nov 19. PMID: 30450627.

3.         Pérez-Piñero S, Muñoz-Carrillo JC, Echepare-Taberna J, Muñoz-Cámara M, Herrera-Fernández C, García-Guillén AI, Ávila-Gandía V, Navarro P, Caturla N, Jones J, López-Román FJ. Dietary Supplementation with an Extract of Aloysia citrodora (Lemon verbena) Improves Sleep Quality in Healthy Subjects: A Randomized Double-Blind Controlled Study. Nutrients. 2024 May 18;16(10):1523. doi: 10.3390/nu16101523. PMID: 38794761; PMCID: PMC11123999.

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