So I've finally gotten around to trying Valerian root as a anxiolytic/sleep aid. The other night I took 1.6 grams of self-capsuled valerian root powder (7.5mg / pound).

I have to say, this is the most impressive sleep aid I've ever had. First, I rarely ever dream or at least if I do, remember that I did. Second, I am never able to wake up easily before 10am.

I took it at around 11pm, fell asleep 30 minutes later. I recall dreaming what felt like the entire night. I woke up a couple times for a few seconds remembering have just been in a dream. Then I woke up at 7am feeling fully refreshed and ready to start the day.

Curious to know what other people think of valerian root, or have any information on it they'd like to point out?

I liked to work with valerian tincture a lot, it's soothing power is real.
I did find it helps dream recall and vividity.
I'd say it's one of the very helpful herb in ones cabinet.

I'll have to give this a shot and maybe give it to some of my friends who can't go to sleep so easily at night... they may find this very beneficial! Thanks for posting

I'm about to strain off my first valerian tincture this weekend. I'll probably evaporate it down a little bit to strengthen the extract. It was done with everclear and a little h20 to dilute it a little bit.

I'm leaving my other jar to sit in alcohol for a bit longer. I'm thinking of adding some calea/blue lotus to the 2nd tincture to see what kind of different effect it might create. I like the idea that the calea may intensify the dream state alongside the valerian.

I'm assuming the valerian tincture will probably taste.. well... like valerian...

I'm wondering if anyone has any experience flavoring a valerian tincture to make it a little more palattable? any suggestions?

You may also want to try some Kava Kava root. I much prefer it. Valarian smells like dirty feet. It also leaves me feeling kind of groggy the next day.

Works very well to get me to sleep and I have a very hard time without marijuana doing that.

However the last time I used it I had a capsule with valerian, hops, and passion flower and combined it with melatonin and ended up passing out very quickly but waking up soon after feeling like my stomach was so full that I couldn't get a full breath in, it was very uncomfortable and in the morning I woke up feeling like a bucket of crap and really groggy until about 5pm.

I haven't tried pure kava kava but I have some "happy camper" pills that contain it plus some passion flower, gotu kola, siberian ginseng, and a few others I can't remember off the top of my head, but they seem to work nicely and put me in a very mellow state with no drowsiness.

Thanks for the input, guys. I've been wanting to try both Kava and Kratom. I'm currently on suboxone so if i try kratom it will probably be far into the future when its been made illegal. lol. But the kava i hear good things about. I have a female friend who is going to school to study natural/holistic medicine and such. I call it witchdoctor training school. lol. But anyways, she has been pushing the kava to me recently. She seems to really like it.

Any suggestions of what would be good to flavor the valerian/alcohol tincture?

They pharmacy i got the tincture bottles from has these little oils/extracts that are used for flavoring medicine so i was considering that. But i wonder if there is a natural flavoring that would potentially add other benefits as well?

like cinnamon bark extract/oil? I'd rather get some good advice from someone with experience rather than having several failed experiments before i find something that works!

Any input would be greatly appreciated! Thanks!

Valerian root is one of my tops for sleep. I usually combine a mix of valerian root tincture, passionflower tincture, with a tablet of melatonin. Great dreams, and I always feel like a million bucks the next day.

i've got some passionflower as well!

I never thought of the melatonin. I assume you could just crush it up and dissolve it into the tincture? And have you ever added calea to the tincture? just curious!