Melatonin or valerian: which one should you choose?

If your problem is falling asleep and you want the option with some regulatory footing, melatonin is the more defensible pick: the EU register of permitted health claims includes one for 1 mg of melatonin taken close to bedtime. If you would rather take a plant and avoid a hormone, valerian is the better-known alternative — but go in knowing that the evidence behind it is weak and that no claim for valerian has been authorised in the EU. Neither one cures insomnia. Neither replaces decent sleep habits.

That deserves saying plainly, because the question "melatonin or valerian" usually carries a bigger hope than either can carry. Below: what each one is, where the studies fall short of the marketing, and what to look at on a label before you spend anything.

What melatonin and valerian actually are

Melatonin is a hormone your brain produces in response to darkness. The NCCIH links it to the timing of the circadian rhythm — your internal 24-hour clock — and to sleep. Most of what is sold in pharmacies and shops is made synthetically. Which is worth holding on to: you are not taking an exotic plant, you are taking a version of something your body already makes.

Valerian is a plant, and the trials on it have not agreed with each other. The NCCIH is blunt about the destination of all that work: its value for insomnia has not been demonstrated. There is not even enough evidence to say whether valerian is useful for any health condition at all.

Look at the asymmetry. One has a claim approved under the European health claims regulation. The other has no authorised claim whatsoever. That does not automatically make melatonin right for you — there are practical reasons to prefer one or the other — but it belongs in the decision.

What genuinely differs between them

Purpose and legal footing

The EU list of permitted health claims contains the wording "Melatonin contributes to the reduction of time taken to fall asleep". That claim can only be used on foods providing 1 mg of melatonin per quantified portion, and the consumer has to be told that the beneficial effect is obtained by consuming 1 mg of melatonin shortly before bedtime. For valerian, the list contains no permitted claim at all.

In practice, that means nobody in Europe can legally promise you a sleep effect from valerian. A valerian bottle promising "deep sleep" or "fall asleep in minutes" is showing you marketing, not validated science.

How you take it, and what to expect

Where the approved claim applies, melatonin is taken close to bedtime. The logic is imitation — you are mimicking the darkness signal the body uses to get ready for sleep.

On timelines, the NHS is useful and honest: pharmacy sleep aids, including ones with natural ingredients such as valerian, do not cure insomnia, but they may help you sleep better for a week or two, and should not be taken for longer than that. You will not find a promise of fast results for either option here, because the data do not support one.

Cost and practicality

On price, there is nothing concrete we can tell you. It varies too much between countries and formats, and we have no figures to compare.

Where the marketing outruns the evidence on both sides

This is where you have to separate what is known from what is repeated.

On melatonin, a recent review pooling twelve studies suggested it helped improve how quickly people with insomnia fell asleep, and their daytime sleepiness — but not sleep quality, and not the time spent awake in the middle of the night. Modest and narrow, in other words. Not a free pass. More to the point: guidance from the American Academy of Sleep Medicine and the US Department of Veterans Affairs recommended in 2017 and 2019 against using melatonin for chronic insomnia, because the evidence was insufficient. The same literature that hints at some benefit also says the benefit has not been demonstrated for the most common problem.

On valerian, the picture is gloomier. Trials that disagree with each other, a value for insomnia that has not been demonstrated, and the same American academy recommending against its use for chronic insomnia in 2017. Anyone telling you valerian is "the proven natural alternative" has gone past what exists.

The useful question is not "which of the two is stronger" but "what do I actually want to happen, and is there proof that it does?".

Do people take both — and what does that tell you

Some people combine melatonin and valerian, or switch between them depending on the night. That happens, and there is no point pretending otherwise. What we cannot tell you is that they work better together: none of the available sources compared the two head to head, and there is no data behind a combined dose. If you do decide to try both, try one at a time so you know what you are feeling — and speak to a healthcare professional if you take medication.

There is also no winner here. No source we consulted puts melatonin and valerian into a direct trial against each other, so any article handing you a "winner" is making it up.

Safety: what not to overlook with either

Melatonin appears to be safe for most people in short-term use, but information on long-term safety is lacking. If you take medication, talk to a healthcare professional first — people with epilepsy and people taking anticoagulants need medical supervision. There is little research on safety in pregnancy or breastfeeding, and parents should speak to a professional before giving melatonin to a child.

Valerian is generally safe for most adults in short-term use, though long-term safety is unknown. It can cause headache, stomach upset and vivid dreams; very rare cases of liver injury have been reported, mostly in combination with other plants. It should not be taken with alcohol or sedatives, and little is known about its safety in pregnancy or breastfeeding.

One practical problem that hits melatonin hardest: a 2023 study found that 22 of 25 over-the-counter melatonin gummies were mislabelled, with contents ranging from 74 to 347 per cent of the stated amount — and one product had no detectable melatonin at all. That does not mean every brand is unreliable. It does mean the label deserves a healthy suspicion.

What to check on the label before you buy

• With melatonin, find the exact amount per portion. The approved EU claim requires 1 mg per quantified portion, with a statement that the effect is obtained by taking it shortly before bedtime. If the label will not tell you how much you are taking, do not buy it.
• Check that the product clearly states who should avoid it — children, pregnant and breastfeeding women — and whether it warns about drowsiness and driving.
• With valerian, look for the species and the plant part used, and be wary of labels promising sleep outcomes: legally, they cannot guarantee them.
• With either, if you take medication, are pregnant or breastfeeding, or are thinking of giving it to a minor, speak to a healthcare professional first.

Sleep Well Gummies from TuttiBear follow that pattern. Each serving of two gummies provides 1 mg of melatonin, is intended for adults, and is chewed shortly before bedtime. The label warns that it may cause drowsiness and that you should avoid driving or operating machinery after taking it; that it is not recommended for children, pregnant or breastfeeding women; and that you should consult a healthcare professional if you are ill or taking medication. It contains polyols, and excessive consumption may have a laxative effect. Do not exceed the recommended daily dose. Food supplements are not a substitute for a varied and balanced diet and a healthy lifestyle.

If neither one works, what comes next

The NHS is direct about this: speak to a doctor before taking anything for sleep problems, and book an appointment if changing your sleep habits has not helped or if you have been sleeping badly for months. That applies to melatonin and valerian alike.

And it is worth being frank about the limit of all this. The available evidence is early and not conclusive. We do not know whether valerian helps with anything, and we do know that melatonin helps less than the advertising suggests, particularly in chronic insomnia. If your problem is waking up tired after eight hours in bed, or working out why alcohol ruins the night, no bottle fixes that — different questions, and there are pages for them. Start with what is in your hands. If that is not enough, look for clinical help rather than another supplement.