Summary
Lemon balm, chamomile and lavender work on the same problem: a mind that will not switch off at night. None of them is a sedative.
Lavender oil capsules have the strongest trial: in 221 adults with anxiety, sleep quality scores improved by 44.7% versus 30.9% on placebo. Chamomile improved sleep quality in a meta analysis but not insomnia in its one dedicated trial. Lemon balm has good data on anxiety and early, uncontrolled data on sleep.
Many people who sleep badly are not short of tiredness. They are short of calm. Racing thoughts, tension and stress keep the brain alert long after the lights go off. That is where calming herbs come in. Instead of three separate guides, here is one place that compares the three most popular ones side by side, with the evidence for each.
Lemon balm (Melissa officinalis)
Lemon balm is a mint family herb with a mild lemon scent. Laboratory research suggests compounds in the leaf slow the breakdown of GABA, the brain's main calming messenger.
What the research shows
A 2021 meta analysis in Phytotherapy Research pooled randomised trials in people with anxiety or low mood. Lemon balm improved anxiety scores (standardised mean difference minus 0.98) and depression scores (minus 0.47) compared with placebo, with no serious side effects, although the trials differed a lot and the authors urge caution.
For sleep specifically, the data are early. In a 15 day open study of 20 stressed volunteers with anxiety and sleep problems, a standardised lemon balm extract lowered insomnia scores by 42%. There was no placebo group, so the result needs confirming.
Best for: stress and an overactive mind in the evening.
Chamomile (Matricaria recutita)
Chamomile is the most familiar sleep herb, usually drunk as tea. Its best studied compound, apigenin, binds to the same brain receptors as some calming medicines, though far more gently.
What the research shows
A 2019 meta analysis in Phytotherapy Research included 12 randomised trials. Chamomile significantly improved sleep quality (standardised mean difference minus 0.73) and symptoms of generalised anxiety. However, the only trial in people with diagnosed chronic insomnia found no clear change. In that 2011 pilot study, 34 adults took 270 mg of extract twice a day for 28 days. Sleep diaries did not differ from placebo, although daytime functioning trended better.
On anxiety, an eight week trial in 57 adults with generalised anxiety found a greater fall in anxiety scores with chamomile extract than with placebo (p = 0.047).
Best for: general sleep quality and a calmer wind down, rather than diagnosed insomnia.
Lavender (Lavandula angustifolia)
Lavender is used in two ways: as a scent, and as a standardised oral oil in capsules. The two have different evidence.
What the research shows
The strongest trial in this article used an oral lavender oil capsule. In a 10 week double blind study of 221 adults with anxiety and poor sleep, 80 mg a day reduced anxiety scores by 59.3% versus 35.4% on placebo, and sleep quality scores by 44.7% versus 30.9%. The authors reported better sleep quality and duration with no sedative effects.
As a scent, a 2015 trial gave 79 students with sleep problems a lavender inhalation patch plus sleep hygiene advice, or sleep hygiene alone, for five nights. The lavender group reported better sleep quality and woke feeling more refreshed, although total sleep time did not change.
Best for: anxiety related sleep problems, and as part of a bedtime ritual.
Calming herbs do not put you to sleep. They lower the volume on stress so your own sleep drive can do its job.
The three herbs compared
| Herb | Strongest evidence | Studied form | Good to know |
|---|---|---|---|
| Lemon balm | Anxiety and low mood (meta analysis); sleep data uncontrolled | Standardised leaf extract | Check with a doctor if you have a thyroid condition |
| Chamomile | Sleep quality and generalised anxiety (meta analysis) | Extract, such as 270 mg twice daily; tea | Avoid if allergic to ragweed or daisies; ask your doctor if you take blood thinners |
| Lavender | Anxiety with poor sleep (large RCT, 221 adults) | 80 mg oral oil capsule; inhalation | Oral oil can cause burping or mild stomach upset |
How to choose, or combine
- Racing thoughts and stress: lemon balm or lavender.
- You sleep, but not well: chamomile has the clearest data on sleep quality.
- Anxiety that spills into the night: oral lavender oil has the strongest single trial.
- Combining them is common, because they are gentle and work in similar ways. Pair them with habits that build sleep pressure and help your body cool down, explained in how to get more deep sleep.
If the problem is a tense body rather than a busy mind, magnesium may suit you better. See magnesium for sleep. And if you are in Ireland or the UK, where melatonin needs a prescription, read our guide to melatonin free alternatives.
All three in Morphéon
Morphéon combines lemon balm, chamomile and lavender with magnesium glycinate, L Tryptophan, L Glycine, zinc and chromium, with no melatonin. Magnesium contributes to normal psychological function, and zinc to normal cognitive function. The capsules are liposomal, with each ingredient wrapped in phospholipids to help protect it through digestion. For the amino acid side of the formula, see the science behind L Tryptophan and melatonin.
Frequently asked questions
Which is better for sleep: lemon balm, chamomile or lavender?
Oral lavender oil has the strongest single trial for sleep quality in people with anxiety. Chamomile has meta analysis data on sleep quality. Lemon balm has the best data on anxiety and early data on sleep. Many people use them together.
Do calming herbs make you drowsy the next day?
At studied doses they are not sedatives, and the large lavender trial reported no sedative effects. As with any new supplement, see how you respond before driving.
Is chamomile tea enough?
Tea is a pleasant ritual, but most trials used standardised extracts, which deliver a more consistent amount of active compounds than a tea bag.
How long do they take to work?
Some people feel calmer within days, but the trials ran for two to ten weeks. Give a herbal routine at least a few weeks before judging it.
Who should avoid these herbs?
People who are pregnant or breastfeeding, people with a thyroid condition (lemon balm), people allergic to ragweed or daisies (chamomile), and anyone on sedatives, antidepressants or blood thinners should speak to a doctor first.
Bottom line
Lemon balm, chamomile and lavender are gentle, well tolerated ways to calm a busy mind before bed. Lavender oil has the strongest trial, chamomile the clearest data on sleep quality and lemon balm the best data on anxiety. They work best as part of a steady evening routine.
Explore Morphéon →Related reading: natural ingredients that improve sleep quality · HYPNOS
Sources
- Ghazizadeh J, Sadigh-Eteghad S, Marx W, et al. The effects of lemon balm (Melissa officinalis L.) on depression and anxiety in clinical trials: A systematic review and meta-analysis. Phytotherapy Research. 2021. doi.org/10.1002/ptr.7252
- Cases J, Ibarra A, Feuillère N, Roller M, Sukkar SG. Pilot trial of Melissa officinalis L. leaf extract in the treatment of volunteers suffering from mild-to-moderate anxiety disorders and sleep disturbances. Mediterranean Journal of Nutrition and Metabolism. 2011. doi.org/10.1007/s12349-010-0045-4
- Hieu TH, Dibas M, Surya Dila KA, et al. Therapeutic efficacy and safety of chamomile for state anxiety, generalized anxiety disorder, insomnia, and sleep quality: A systematic review and meta-analysis of randomized trials and quasi-randomized trials. Phytotherapy Research. 2019. doi.org/10.1002/ptr.6349
- Zick SM, Wright BD, Sen A, Arnedt JT. Preliminary examination of the efficacy and safety of a standardized chamomile extract for chronic primary insomnia: a randomized placebo-controlled pilot study. BMC Complementary and Alternative Medicine. 2011. doi.org/10.1186/1472-6882-11-78
- Amsterdam JD, Li Y, Soeller I, et al. A randomized, double-blind, placebo-controlled trial of oral Matricaria recutita (chamomile) extract therapy for generalized anxiety disorder. Journal of Clinical Psychopharmacology. 2009. doi.org/10.1097/JCP.0b013e3181ac935c
- 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. doi.org/10.1097/YIC.0b013e32833b3242
- Lillehei AS, Halcón LL, Savik K, Reis R. Effect of Inhaled Lavender and Sleep Hygiene on Self-Reported Sleep Issues: A Randomized Controlled Trial. Journal of Alternative and Complementary Medicine. 2015. doi.org/10.1089/acm.2014.0327
