Lavender vs Lemon Balm vs Passionflower for Anxiety and Sleep
Compare lavender, lemon balm and passionflower for anxiety and sleep: what reviews and EU monographs say, how the forms differ, and safety with sedatives, surgery and pregnancy.
Content last updated . This page has not been medically reviewed.
Safety first. Supplements can cause side effects and interact with medicines. Read mushroom safety and interactions before you use any mushroom product.
Safety first. All three plants may cause drowsiness, and the EU monographs for each say they may impair the ability to drive and use machines. [1][2][3] NCCIH says there are theoretical reasons to suspect lavender might interact with sedative drugs or herbs, and that passionflower might interact with some anesthesia drugs, so tell your surgical team about any of them. [4] [5] Memorial Sloan Kettering says passionflower may increase the sedative effects of benzodiazepines (clinical relevance not known). [6] Anxiety that is severe or lasting needs a clinician: see Anxiety Disorders. If you are thinking about harming yourself, call or text 988 (US Suicide & Crisis Lifeline), or call 911 in an emergency.
What each plant is
| Common name | Scientific name | Part and form in the sources we read |
|---|---|---|
| Lavender | Lavandula angustifolia | Flowers or leaves are the source of lavender oil [8]; the EU monograph covers the "flos" part [1] |
| Lemon balm | Melissa officinalis | Leaf [9] |
| Passionflower | Passiflora incarnata | Above-ground parts [10] |
GBIF accepts these names. [11]
Traditional use (not proof)
Passionflower has traditionally been used as a sedative. [5] Lemon balm was used in traditional medicine for nervousness, anxiety, insomnia and menstrual irregularities. [12] EU regulators accept all three as traditional herbal medicines, which means long-standing use rather than proof from trials: lavender for mild mental stress and exhaustion and to aid sleep [1]; lemon balm for mild stress and sleep, and mild digestive complaints [9]; passionflower for mild mental stress and to aid sleep [10]. For lemon balm and passionflower the EMA says clinical studies had shortcomings that prevented firm conclusions. [9] [10]What research shows
| Plant | What the sources found | Strength of evidence |
|---|---|---|
| Lavender | A 2019 review that included 65 randomized trials found lavender inhalation reduced anxiety scores, and an oral lavender oil product (80 mg a day for at least 6 weeks in the pooled trials) did too, but most trials had a high risk of bias. [13] NCCIH says it is unclear whether aromatherapy helps anxiety, stress or sleep. [4] | Promising but limited; mixed for aromatherapy |
| Lemon balm | A 2021 meta-analysis found lower anxiety and depression scores than placebo, without serious side effects, but with high variation between few trials. [14] | Promising but limited |
| Passionflower | A review of nine trials, lasting one day to 30 days, found most reported lower anxiety, less clearly in mild anxiety. [15] NCCIH says oral passionflower might improve total sleep time, with mixed effects on falling asleep. [5] | Promising but limited |
Form matters. The lavender findings are for an oral oil product, for inhaled lavender and for massage, which are not the same as lavender tea. [13] This page does not suggest swallowing essential oils; see Lavender Oil for oil safety. Passionflower may be safe as a tea for up to 7 nights, according to NCCIH, and the extract for up to 8 weeks. [5]
Frequently asked questions
Which is better for anxiety, lavender, lemon balm or passionflower?
No source we read says one is better. Each has limited research in different forms. [13] [14] [15]
Which is best for sleep?
Proper evidence not found for a comparison. NCCIH reports mixed results for passionflower on falling asleep, and EU regulators accept all three only on traditional use for sleep. [5] [1]
Can I combine them?
Proper evidence not found in the sources we read for safety of combinations. Memorial Sloan Kettering reports one patient who used valerian and passionflower while on anti-anxiety therapy and had tremors and dizziness. [6] Ask a pharmacist.
Are they safe with sleeping pills or anxiety medicine?
They may add to sedation. [6] [17] Ask the prescriber or pharmacist before combining, and never stop a prescribed medicine on your own.
Are they safe for the liver?
LiverTox says none of the three has been implicated in clinically apparent liver injury, but that does not make a product from the shelf free of risk. [8] [16] [12] See Product Quality and Contamination.
More details: evidence, limits and cautions
The details behind this page: cautions, limits of the evidence and where sources disagree. Open any note to read it.
Safety side by side
| Question | Lavender | Lemon balm | Passionflower |
|---|---|---|---|
| Pregnancy and breastfeeding | Little known [4]; EU: not recommended [1] | EU: not recommended [2] | Should not be used in pregnancy [5] |
| Children | EU: not under 12 [1] | Adults and over 12 [9] | Adults and over 12 [10] |
| Liver | Not implicated in liver injury [8] | Not linked to liver injury [12] | Not implicated [16] |
| Interactions | Sedatives [17] | EU: no data available [2] | Sedatives, anesthesia [5] |
| Side effects | Diarrhea, headache, nausea; skin allergy with topical products [4] | None reported at the EU assessment [9] | Drowsiness, dizziness, confusion [5] |
Lavender also has weak hormonal activity, and Memorial Sloan Kettering advises avoiding long-term oral or topical use with hormone-sensitive cancers. [17] See also Herbs for Anxiety and Stress, Herbs for Sleep and How Interactions Work. Plant pages: Lavender, Lemon Balm, Passionflower.
References
- European Medicines Agency, HMPC. Community herbal monograph on Lavandula angustifolia Miller, flos (EMA/HMPC/734125/2010, 2012). Read 2026-10-23.
- European Medicines Agency, HMPC. Community herbal monograph on Melissa officinalis L., folium (EMA/HMPC/196745/2012, 2013). Read 2026-10-23.
- European Medicines Agency, HMPC. Community herbal monograph on Passiflora incarnata L., herba (EMA/HMPC/669740/2013, 2014). Read 2026-10-23.
- National Center for Complementary and Integrative Health (US). Lavender. Read 2026-10-23.
- National Center for Complementary and Integrative Health (US). Passionflower. Read 2026-10-23.
- Memorial Sloan Kettering Cancer Center. Passionflower: About Herbs. Read 2026-10-23.
- Watson K, et al. A randomised controlled trial of Lavender (Lavandula angustifolia) and Lemon Balm (Melissa officinalis) essential oils for the treatment of agitated behaviour in older people with and without dementia. Complement Ther Med. 2019;42:366-373. Read 2026-10-23.
- National Institute of Diabetes and Digestive and Kidney Diseases. Lavender. LiverTox (PubMed record, 2019). Read 2026-10-23.
- European Medicines Agency, HMPC. Melissa leaf: herbal medicinal product summary. Read 2026-10-23.
- European Medicines Agency, HMPC. Passion flower: herbal medicinal product summary. Read 2026-10-23.
- GBIF Secretariat. GBIF Backbone Taxonomy species match, queried for Actaea racemosa, Trifolium pratense, Salvia officinalis, Melissa officinalis, Lavandula angustifolia and Passiflora incarnata. Read 2026-10-23.
- National Institute of Diabetes and Digestive and Kidney Diseases. Lemon Balm. LiverTox (PubMed record, 2024). Read 2026-10-23.
- Donelli D, et al. Effects of lavender on anxiety: a systematic review and meta-analysis. Phytomedicine. 2019;65:153099. Read 2026-10-23.
- Ghazizadeh J, et al. The effects of lemon balm (Melissa officinalis L.) on depression and anxiety in clinical trials: a systematic review and meta-analysis. Phytother Res. 2021;35(12):6690-6705. Read 2026-10-23.
- Janda K, et al. Passiflora incarnata in Neuropsychiatric Disorders: A Systematic Review. Nutrients. 2020;12(12):3894. Read 2026-10-23.
- National Institute of Diabetes and Digestive and Kidney Diseases. Passionflower. LiverTox (PubMed record, 2020). Read 2026-10-23.
- Memorial Sloan Kettering Cancer Center. Lavender: About Herbs. Read 2026-10-23.