Summary
The research on lavender for anxiety is encouraging: in several 10 week trials, capsules of lavender oil taken by mouth (mostly one called Silexan) eased anxiety more than placebo and improved sleep disturbed by worry.
Most trials were run with the maker of Silexan. Lavender is not a treatment for anxiety disorders, so lasting anxiety needs a doctor.
It is late, the house is quiet, and your mind keeps replaying the day and rehearsing tomorrow. Worry and poor sleep tend to travel together, and lavender is one of the oldest remedies people reach for. This guide covers what trials of lavender for anxiety found, mostly using lavender oil capsules taken by mouth, plus the effects on sleep, the doses used and the safety points worth knowing. For lavender alongside two other calming herbs, see our guide to lemon balm, chamomile and lavender for sleep.
| At a glance | Lavender (Lavandula angustifolia) |
|---|---|
| Form in the main trials | Capsules of lavender oil taken by mouth (Silexan) |
| Amounts studied | 80 or 160 mg once a day, for 6 to 10 weeks |
| Main areas studied | Worry and restlessness, anxiety disorders, anxious sleep |
| Official reference value | None; lavender is a plant, not a nutrient |
What is lavender and why do we need it?
Lavender is the fragrant purple shrub that covers Greek hillsides in summer. Its flowers hold an aromatic oil rich in compounds such as linalool, which gives lavender its familiar scent.
Unlike magnesium or vitamin D, lavender is not something the body needs, so there is no deficiency to correct. In food it appears only in small amounts, in herbal teas, honey and baking.
Who may find lavender most useful?
The trials enrolled adults with:
- Ongoing restlessness and worry that fell short of a full anxiety disorder.
- Generalised anxiety disorder, under medical care.
- A mix of anxiety and low mood.
- Sleep disturbed by anxious thoughts.
Lavender has not been shown to help panic attacks or severe anxiety. Those need a doctor.
How lavender for anxiety may help
Lavender oil for worry and nervousness
In the trials, lavender oil capsules eased both the mental side of anxiety, such as worry and tension, and the physical side, such as a racing heart or knotted stomach, without acting like a sedative.
Lavender for sleep disturbed by anxiety
When worry keeps you awake, easing the worry can help. One trial made sleep a main outcome and found better sleep quality and longer sleep, with no daytime drowsiness reported.
What the research shows on lavender for anxiety
Compared with a benzodiazepine (2010, Phytomedicine). Adults with generalised anxiety disorder took 80 mg of lavender oil or the medicine lorazepam for six weeks. Anxiety scores fell by a similar amount, 45% with lavender and 46% with lorazepam, without sedation from lavender. There was no placebo group.
Anxiety with poor sleep (2010, International Clinical Psychopharmacology). In 221 adults whose anxiety disturbed their sleep, 80 mg a day for 10 weeks beat placebo on anxiety and on a standard sleep quality questionnaire.
In this 10 week trial, 77% of adults taking lavender oil capsules responded, compared with 49% on placebo.
Compared with placebo and an antidepressant (2014, International Journal of Neuropsychopharmacology). In adults with generalised anxiety disorder, 80 and 160 mg of lavender oil both beat placebo over 10 weeks, while paroxetine only showed a trend. On 160 mg, 60% had their anxiety score at least halved, against 38% on placebo.
Pooled placebo trials (2023, European Archives of Psychiatry and Clinical Neuroscience). Combining five trials with 1,213 adults, 80 mg a day lowered anxiety on doctor and self ratings and improved quality of life, with side effects no different from placebo.
Compared with anxiety medicines (2025, same journal). A network analysis of 100 trials found Silexan, the only plant product included, effective and as well accepted as placebo.
A fair note: most of these trials were run with the company that makes Silexan, and several authors worked for it. More independent trials would strengthen the case.
| Study | Who and how long | Main finding |
|---|---|---|
| Woelk, 2010 | Generalised anxiety, 6 weeks | Similar to lorazepam, no sedation |
| Kasper, 2010 | 221 adults with anxious sleep, 10 weeks | Less anxiety, better sleep |
| Kasper, 2014 | Generalised anxiety, 10 weeks | 80 and 160 mg beat placebo |
| Dold, 2023 | 5 trials, 1,213 adults | Less anxiety, better quality of life |
| Müller, 2025 | 100 trials of anxiety medicines | Effective and well tolerated |
How much lavender was used, and when?
- Amounts: 80 mg of lavender oil once a day in most trials; in generalised anxiety, 160 mg gave slightly larger changes.
- Duration: 6 to 10 weeks, so judge it over weeks, not one night.
- Reference values: there is no EU reference intake, because lavender is not a nutrient.
Forms of lavender explained
- Lavender oil capsules: the form used in the anxiety trials, with a measured dose.
- Lavender extract: a dried flower extract; 4:1 means about four parts flower make one part extract. It differs from the trial oil.
- Tea and scent: gentle, but the amounts are small and vary.
- Essential oil bottles: made for diffusers and massage, never for swallowing.
Is lavender safe?
- At 80 to 160 mg a day, side effects were similar to placebo; burping was the one clearly more common effect.
- Trials reported no sedation at these doses.
- It is not well studied in pregnancy, breastfeeding or under 18s, so avoid it then unless a doctor advises otherwise.
- If you take medicines for anxiety, low mood or sleep, ask your doctor first, and never stop a prescribed medicine on your own.
- Lasting anxiety, panic attacks or thoughts of self harm need prompt medical help.
Lavender in FOOON Morphéon
Morphéon contains lavender extract 4:1 alongside lemon balm extract, chamomile extract, magnesium, zinc, chromium, L glycine and L tryptophan, with no melatonin. It is taken as 2 capsules 30 minutes before sleep, with water, and is made in Greece in GMP certified facilities. The trials above used a specific lavender oil, not this extract, so their results cannot be applied to it directly; think of it as part of a calm evening routine, not a treatment for anxiety. For more, read our guide to magnesium for sleep, how glycine supports deeper sleep and our tips for more deep sleep.
Frequently asked questions
Does lavender help with anxiety?
In several 10 week trials, lavender oil capsules lowered anxiety more than placebo. They do not replace medical care for an anxiety disorder.
Can lavender help me sleep?
In adults whose anxiety disturbed their sleep, lavender oil capsules improved sleep quality more than placebo. There is less evidence for poor sleep without anxiety.
How much lavender oil was used in studies?
Most trials used 80 mg once a day, and some used 160 mg, for 6 to 10 weeks.
How long does lavender take to work?
Trials measured change over 6 to 10 weeks, so give it several weeks.
Is lavender tea the same as lavender capsules?
No. Tea and scent give far smaller and less consistent amounts than the oil capsules used in trials.
Can I take lavender with antidepressants or sleeping pills?
Ask your doctor first, and never stop a prescribed medicine on your own.
Bottom line
The evidence on lavender for anxiety is stronger than for most herbs: several trials of oral lavender oil eased worry and anxious sleep with few side effects. Most came from one maker and one oil, so results do not transfer automatically to teas or extracts. If anxiety lasts, see your doctor.
Explore Morphéon →Sources
- Woelk H, Schläfke S. A multi-center, double-blind, randomised study of the Lavender oil preparation Silexan in comparison to Lorazepam for generalized anxiety disorder. Phytomedicine. 2010;17(2):94-9. PMID 19962288. doi.org/10.1016/j.phymed.2009.10.006
- Kasper S, Gastpar M, Müller WE, et al. Silexan, an orally administered Lavandula oil preparation, is effective in the treatment of 'subsyndromal' anxiety disorder: a randomized, double-blind, placebo controlled trial. International Clinical Psychopharmacology. 2010;25(5):277-87. PMID 20512042. doi.org/10.1097/YIC.0b013e32833b3242
- Kasper S, Gastpar M, Müller WE, et al. Lavender oil preparation Silexan is effective in generalized anxiety disorder--a randomized, double-blind comparison to placebo and paroxetine. International Journal of Neuropsychopharmacology. 2014;17(6):859-69. PMID 24456909. doi.org/10.1017/S1461145714000017
- Dold M, Bartova L, Volz HP, et al. Efficacy of Silexan in patients with anxiety disorders: a meta-analysis of randomized, placebo-controlled trials. European Archives of Psychiatry and Clinical Neuroscience. 2023;273(7):1615-1628. PMID 36717399. doi.org/10.1007/s00406-022-01547-w
- Müller TJ, Künzi A, Heitlinger E, et al. Comparative efficacy and acceptability of anxiolytic drugs for the treatment of anxiety disorders: a systematic review and network meta-analysis. European Archives of Psychiatry and Clinical Neuroscience. 2026;276(4):1879-1894 (online 2025). PMID 40788541. doi.org/10.1007/s00406-025-02082-0
