EFICÁCIA DA VALERIANA (VALERIANA OFFICINALIS) NO TRATAMENTO DA INSÔNIA: uma revisão bibliográfica

Abstract

Sleep plays a vital role in physical and mental health, being essential for growth, memory and emotional stability. Disorders such as insomnia affect quality of life and are associated with several conditions, such as obesity and systemic arterial hypertension. Valeriana officinalis, widely used to treat insomnia, anxiety and other disorders, has been highlighted as an alternative herbal medicine. This study aims to evaluate the efficacy and safety of valerian in the treatment of insomnia, based on a literature review. The methodology involves the analysis of articles, theses and dissertations published since 2010, using the academic databases: PubMED, SciELO and Google Scholar, in Portuguese. The results indicate that, although valerian is effective in improving sleep quality and has few adverse effects, its efficacy in controlled studies is limited, with varied results on sleep improvement. The plant's compounds act through interaction with GABA receptors, promoting sedative effects, but their efficacy still lacks greater consistency in clinical studies. We conclude that Valeriana officinalis is a viable and safe option, although further studies are needed to prove its efficacy in long-term treatments.