Fresh has more scent and makes a brighter tea. Dried is what most households keep, and it works well if it was dried in shade and stored sealed.

Will it make me sleepy during the day?

On its own, rarely — most people describe it as settling rather than sedating. Combined with a sleeping tablet or alcohol it's a different story.

How quickly does it work for anxiety?

Acute calming is usually felt within 30–60 minutes of a strong cup. For trait anxiety, trials show meaningful improvement after 2–4 weeks of daily use.

Chapter 1 of 14

Lemon Balm

The Essentials

Standardized extracts (~300–600 mg/day) improve mild anxiety and sleep onset in trials.

Topical (put on the skin) lemon-balm cream shortens cold-sore (HSV-1) outbreaks when applied early. Mild thyroid-suppressing effect at high doses — monitor with hypothyroidism.

Lemon balm — بادرنجبویه — was one of Avicenna's most celebrated mufarriḥ (heart-gladdening) herbs. Its lemon-scented leaves have soothed anxious hearts, restless sleep and irritable digestion for over a thousand years, and modern trials back up what Persian physicians were describing all along.

Known to botanists as Melissa officinalis.