Patent ID: 6869622

Claim:
A method of reducing the number of wakings after sleep onset in a patient comprising: (a) administering to the patient a pharmaceutically-active extract of the root of a plant of the family Valerianaceae processed by: adding the roots to an alcoholic extraction solvent to form a mixture, wherein the alcoholic extraction solvent comprises between approximately 50% (v/v) to approximately 100% (v/v) ethanol in a remainder of water, and heating the mixture to a temperature of between approximately 70° C. to approximately 80° C. for a period of at least two hours; wherein valerenic acid is present in the extract, the content of valepotriates in the extract is substantially reduced with respect to its content in the root, and the content of valerenic acids in the extract is not substantially reduced with respect to its content in the root; (b) administering the extract in a single dosage between 50 mg and 5000 mg; and (c) delivering the dosage to the patient between approximately one-half and two hours before bedtime.