Natural remedies for anxiety, sleep, and concentration in pediatric age
In recent years, interest in medicinal plants to support children’s mental well-being has grown rapidly. Anxiety, agitation, attention difficulties, sleep disorders, and mood alterations are increasingly common in pediatric age and often do not reach the clinical threshold for a true pharmacological treatment. In these cases, complementary therapies – especially phytotherapeutic remedies – are drawing the attention of parents and pediatricians thanks to their safety profile and the growing number of scientific studies investigating their effectiveness.
A comprehensive review published in 2025 analyzed 29 clinical trials conducted on children and adolescents, evaluating the results obtained with different medicinal plants, both as herbal medicines and botanical supplements. The goal? To understand whether, how, and when these remedies can provide valid support.
Mild disorders: agitation, nervousness, and sleep difficulties
According to the review, a group of plants appears particularly useful in treating agitation, restlessness, and mild insomnia: valerian, lemon balm, passionflower, and lavender.
In several observational studies, the combination valerian + lemon balm significantly improved sleep quality, concentration, and restlessness levels among primary school children. The mixture St. John’s wort–valerian–passionflower also showed positive effects on nervousness and sleep disorders.
Lavender deserves a section of its own: through inhalation (aromatherapy), it has proven effective in reducing anxiety and pain associated with medical procedures such as dental extractions, burn dressings, and tonsillectomies. The results show not only a subjective perception of calm but also measurable physiological changes such as reductions in cortisol, heart rate, and blood pressure.
ADHD: when plants show the greatest potential
One of the most promising areas concerns support for ADHD symptoms. The attention deficit hyperactivity disorder, often challenging to manage, may benefit from the controlled use of certain medicinal plants.
The most promising according to clinical studies are:
- Ginseng: in two RCTs it improved attention and reduced hyperactivity, even when combined with omega-3.
- Maritime pine (Pycnogenol®): normalized biological markers linked to oxidative stress and improved impulsivity and attention capacity.
- Bacopa monnieri: traditionally a nootropic, it showed positive effects on memory, mood, and sleep quality, though results on core ADHD symptoms are mixed.
- Ginkgo biloba: several studies report improvements in attention, though generally less pronounced than with methylphenidate.
- Saffron (Crocus sativus): perhaps the most surprising. In some trials, its effectiveness was comparable to methylphenidate, both alone and in combination, with an excellent tolerability profile.
Anxiety and mixed symptoms
Regarding anxiety and mixed emotional symptoms, the most convincing results come from saffron, which in adolescents with anxiety and mild depression produced significant improvements in self-reported symptoms after 8 weeks of intake, with very good tolerability.
Another preliminary study evaluated St. John’s wort in children with major depression, reporting improvements in most participants; however, being an open-label trial, the results must be interpreted cautiously.
Autism and dyslexia: still very preliminary data
In autism, results are limited: adding ginkgo to standard therapy did not change the effectiveness of the primary treatment.
More encouraging, however, is a small study on dyslexia, in which a standardized ginkgo extract improved the reading of words and non-words in children and adolescents. In some cases, participants no longer met diagnostic criteria after treatment.
How do these plants work? Bioinformatic analyses
A very interesting part of the review concerns bioinformatic analyses of phytocompounds. The main result is that medicinal plants do not act on a single target but on networks of proteins and biological pathways involved in:
- neuroprotection
- modulation of inflammation
- neurotransmission (serotonin, dopamine, GABA)
- oxidative stress balance
This multi-target mechanism explains why many plants show effects on mood, sleep quality, and cognitive functions, often with a better safety profile than synthetic drugs.
What you need to know
The review emphasizes that, despite growing evidence, more controlled, long-term studies are needed. Many studies are small, open-label, or observational, and therefore do not reach high levels of evidence.
The authors also recommend using only standardized extracts, since the concentration of active ingredients and safety depend heavily on product quality. Pediatric supervision is essential to avoid interactions or incorrect dosages.
The overall picture is clear: some medicinal plants can offer useful and safe support for children with mild anxiety, agitation, sleep disorders, or cognitive difficulties.
In the case of ADHD, plants such as saffron, ginseng, ginkgo, and bacopa show particularly promising results, especially as complements to conventional treatments.
Thus, phytotherapy does not replace medical care, but it can become a valuable component of an integrated and personalized approach to the mental well-being of young people.
If your company wishes to create or manufacture a product for children’s mental well-being:
Source: August 2025, “Medicinal Plants for Child Mental Health: Clinical Insights, Active Compounds, and Perspectives for Rational Use, Children”, MDPI
