Valerian Side Effects: What Reddit Users Report
About this entry (Valerian root): Valeriana officinalis root, usually taken before bed.
16 of 111 Reddit owner comments about Valerian (14%) describe an unwanted effect. The effects people mention most are grogginess, drowsiness or fatigue and vivid dreams or nightmares. These are self-reports from Reddit sleep, insomnia and supplement communities (May 2026 to October 2026), not a measured side-effect rate, and many people report no problems at all.
Valerian root overall: 3.4 · tolerability 4.0 (higher means fewer unwanted-effect reports).
What people describe
| Effect mentioned | Owner comments |
|---|---|
| Grogginess, drowsiness or fatigue | 6 |
| Vivid dreams or nightmares | 3 |
How we counted: among the 16 comments that describe an unwanted effect, a category counts when a sentence names the effect with wording like "gave me" or "made me". Questions and sentences about an effect going away are skipped. One comment can count in more than one row, and keyword counts can include some unrelated mentions, so read the quotes below for context.
Most common complaints
- Side effects: 13 owner comments
- Morning grogginess: 4 owner comments
- Falling asleep faster: 2 owner comments
Safety notes from NIH and published research
- Side effects can include headache, stomach upset, mental dullness and vivid dreams; it should not be taken with alcohol or sedatives.[NCCIH]
- Rare cases of liver injury have been reported, mostly with other herbs, and stopping abruptly after long use may cause withdrawal symptoms; its safety in pregnancy is not known.[NCCIH]
Stop and talk to a doctor if an effect is severe or does not settle. Ask a pharmacist about interactions with any medicine you take.
In their words
2/5 Side effectsVivid dreams“Valerian root does stop working after a while.”
2/5 Morning grogginessSide effects“Glycinate extended my sleep time and made me groggy in the morning, ashgwanadha made me want to kys myself, valerian made me wake up in the low am's, theanine didn't do anything.”
3/5 Morning grogginessSide effects“valerian works for me but I end up groggy in the morning”
4/5 Side effectsDeeper sleep“Actually I tried Valerian for a bit and I could sleep through the night.”
3/5 Morning grogginessSide effects“I take valerian before bed but a WAY weaker dose (am in the UK it's Kalms Day I take) - it's 2 tablets of an extract which is equivalent to 104-130mg.”
1/5 Morning grogginessSide effects“This is pretty excessive imo, also have you noticed grogginess from this stack, for me valerian always made me feel terrible in the morning.”
2/5 Morning grogginessSide effects“Not a fan of valerian root, it makes me feel terribly groggy in the morning/next day.”
4/5 Side effectsVivid dreams“Valerian root helped me sleep. Google says below 600mg if you're sensitive to nightmares.”
Frequently asked
What side effects do people report with Valerian?
16 of 111 Reddit owner comments about Valerian (14%) describe an unwanted effect; the ones mentioned most were grogginess, drowsiness or fatigue and vivid dreams or nightmares. These are self-reports, not a measured side-effect rate.
Is Valerian safe?
Safety depends on your health and medicines. The NIH and other sources listed on this page note specific cautions. Ask a doctor or pharmacist before starting, especially if you take other medicines or are pregnant.
More on Valerian
Compare side-effect reports: Valerian root vs Chamomile · Valerian root vs Passionflower · Melatonin vs Valerian root · Valerian root vs L-theanine