Corydalis

Corydalis is an herb native to the Chinese province of Zhejiang. The portion of the plant that is used medicinally is the tuberous rhizome.

It is a sedative herb that addresses insomnia that stems from nervousness, agitation, depression or anxiety.

If tight muscles disturb sleep, turn to the pain-relieving muscle relaxants: valerian,  kava, corydalis and, at times, passion flower.

Corydalis contains several ingredients, one of which has been shown to influence the nervous system, providing pain relief and promoting relaxation.

People with insomnia were able to fall sleep more easily after taking 100–200 mg per day of a corydalis extract (called dl-tetrahydropalmatine, or DHP), according to a preliminary report. People taking the extract reported no drug hangover symptoms, such as dizziness or vertigo or grogginess.

In insomnia patients, sleep was induced within 20-30 minutes after oral administration of 100-200mg dl-THP.

Corydalis should not be taken by pregnant or nursing women. There have been several reports in Western journals of THP toxicity, including acute hepatitis. In addition, people taking corydalis can experience vertigo, fatigue, and nausea.

At the time of writing, there were no well-known drug interactions with corydalis.