From ancient wisdom to modern evidence: A scoping review on the role of single herbs in managing insomnia

Insomnia and related sleep disorders affect a significant portion of the global population. Conventional treatments, though widely used, often lead to side effects and problems with long-term efficacy. Single herb therapies are often used to promote and restore sleep. This scoping review systematically maps Ayurvedic applications alongside emerging scientific evidence for single herbs in the management of insomnia and related sleep disturbances. Arksey and O’Malley framework and Preferred Reporting Items for Systematic Reviews and Meta-Analyses extension for Scoping Reviews guidelines were followed, and systematic searches were performed in PubMed, Embase, the AYUSH Research Portal, Google Scholar, and classical Ayurvedic texts up to April 2025. Studies evaluating single-herb interventions for insomnia or related sleep disorders, whether clinical, preclinical, or ethnopharmacological, were included in this review. Data were charted concerning study design, intervention details, outcomes, and proposed pharmacological mechanisms. From an initial pool of 120 records, 40 studies met the inclusion criteria following deduplication and screening. Evidence indicates that herbs like Withania somnifera (L.) Dunal, Bacopa monnieri (L.) Wettst., and Nardostachys jatamansi (D. Don) DC. have been evaluated for their anxiolytic, adaptogenic, and sleep-promoting properties. Additional herbs, including Centella asiatica (L.) Urb., Tinospora cordifolia (Willd.) Hook.f. & Thomson, Convolvulus pluricaulis Choisy, and Valeriana officinalis L. have emerged as promising candidates based on both traditional descriptions and modern mechanistic insights. Integrating Ayurveda with modern research supports the potential clinical utility of single-herb remedies for insomnia. However, further large-scale clinical trials are required to evaluate efficacy, form optimal dosing regimens, and ensure safety.