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Can I Take Melatonin & Valerian Root at the Same Time?

Jun 16, 2011 | By Allen Bethea
Can I Take Melatonin & Valerian Root at the Same Time?
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Many people occasionally have difficulty falling asleep or staying asleep. A good night's sleep vital to good health, and a chronic lack of sleep can negatively impact your mental, emotional and physical well being. If you need help getting to sleep now and then, melatonin or valerian root extract supplements may offer safer and cheaper alternatives to more potent and expensive prescription sleep aids. While these products are natural and relatively innocuous, they are not completely without risks -- especially when taken together. If you have trouble falling asleep, consult your doctor before trying melatonin or valerian supplements alone or combined.

Melatonin Supplements

Melatonin is a hormone -- a naturally occurring substance that regulates the normal daytime-nighttime, wake-sleep cycles of life in plants and animals. In people, the majority of the body's melatonin is produced by the pineal gland located in the brain. The body makes its melatonin using the amino acid tryptophan as one ingredient. Ideally, your body produces melatonin at night. Exposure to artificial or natural light slows its production and release. Melatonin does induce sleep directly, but by letting the brain know that it is time to sleep. Melatonin dietary supplements are either synthesized or derived from cow pineal glands.

Valerian Supplements

Valerian has been used as a sleep aid for thousands of years. Parts of the valerian plant are prepared as teas, tinctures and extracts and sold as dietary supplements. Valerian works like benzodiazepines: increasing the effectiveness of the neurotransmitter gamma aminobutyric acid, or GABA. Substances contained in valerian may increase the amount of GABA in the space between neurons. Some valerian products contain GABA or glutamine, an amino acid the body uses to make GABA with. A 2003 review published in the journal "American Family Physician" concludes that valerian is a safe, well tolerated and effective herbal sleep aid.

Additive Sedative Effect

Combined, the sedative effects of melatonin and valerian may pose a significant health risk. Impaired coordination, altered mental status, disorientation and a loss of balance may result in falls or injury while operating dangerous equipment. Elderly patients suffering from osteoporosis are at an increased risk of bone fractures from falls. All age groups should not engage in any activity requiring physical and mental alertness and coordination for at least four or five hours after taking melatonin or valerian, alone or in combination.

Cytochrome P450 Effects

Both valerian and melatonin affect the function of some members of the family of enzymes known as cytochrome P450, CYP450. The body relies upon cytochrome P450 enzymes to rid itself of drugs and toxins and to break down the by-products of normal metabolism -- including melatonin. A 2010 study published in the journal "Chemico-Biological Interactions" found that melatonin benefits the CYP450 system by acting as an antioxidant. Valerian, on the other hand, inhibits the activity of CYP450 enzymes, including those responsible for metabolizing selective serotonin re-uptake inhibitor, or SSRI, antidepressants. One SSRI, fluvoxamine, is known to increase the levels of melatonin in the body, thereby increasing its sedative effects. A study published in the journal "Clinical Pharmacology and Therapeutics" in 2005 suggests that one of valerian's sedative ingredients, valerenic acid, is responsible for inhibiting the action of CYP450 enzymes.

References

Article reviewed by GlennK Last updated on: Jun 16, 2011

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