Valerian is a top-ranking herb worldwide as an insomnia remedy, it has many qualities that make it a better remedy for anxiety and sleeplessness. In the eighteenth and nineteenth centuries, valerian was indispensable as a treatment for various types of nervous conditions, not only insomnia but also anxiety, nervous headache, exhaustion, and hysteria. Doctors often recommended it to women who suffered from emotionally induced exhaustion of the nervous system. Valerian is available in tablets, capsules and caplets, liquid extracts, timed-release capsules, and bulk teas.