Moderate evidenceSleep & relaxation

Lemon Verbena

An aromatic South American herb (Aloysia citrodora) rich in verbascoside. Two small randomised placebo-controlled trials report better sleep quality, which is more than most calming herbs can show, though both were small and industry-linked.

Evidence last reviewed: August 2026

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What the science says

Sleep quality in people with insomnia Moderate evidence
A randomised, double-blind, placebo-controlled trial in 100 patients with insomnia found improvements in insomnia severity and sleep quality scores over the treatment period. It is the largest trial of this herb and reported good tolerability.
Sleep quality in healthy adults Moderate evidence
A separate randomised double-blind controlled study of a standardised Aloysia citrodora extract in healthy subjects reported improved subjective and actigraphy-based sleep measures. The sample was under 100 people and the study was sponsored by the extract manufacturer.
Antioxidant and recovery effects Limited evidence
Lemon verbena is also marketed for exercise recovery and oxidative stress based on small short trials and mechanistic work on verbascoside. These endpoints are far less consistently studied than the sleep outcomes.

Dosage & safety

Studied doseThe sleep trials used roughly 400 mg per day of a standardised extract, or an infusion of the dried leaf in the insomnia study, taken in the evening. Commercial extracts are commonly standardised to 10–25% verbascoside.

SafetyWell tolerated in both trials, with no serious adverse events reported. Data are limited to a few months of use. Avoid in pregnancy and breastfeeding due to lack of data, and use caution alongside sedative medication. People with kidney disease should be careful with large amounts of the tea.

Scientific references

Aloysia citriodora Palau (lemon verbena) for insomnia patients: A randomized, double-blind, placebo-controlled clinical trial of efficacy and safety
Afrasiabian F, Mirabzadeh Ardakani M, Rahmani K — Phytother Res, 2019
Dietary Supplementation with an Extract of Aloysia citrodora (Lemon verbena) Improves Sleep Quality in Healthy Subjects: A Randomized Double-Blind Controlled Study
Pérez-Piñero S, Muñoz-Carrillo JC, Echepare-Taberna J — Nutrients, 2024

Where to buy

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