Botanicals refer to using plants and herbs as alternative treatment to medicine. Botanicals are often used for products which can be sold to patients who need help with a certain condition, but would like to try the natural product before opting for pharmaceuticals. In some cases, the botanicals will be effective and help the patient but only if they do not have a severe condition. If used correctly, these products can be beneficial but if patients do not use these products as intended, it could cause toxicity and side effects in the patient. Some examples of botanicals used as hypnotics for the treatment of insomnia and anxiety include: 

For the treatment of Insomnia: 

• Valerian root 
• Chamomile 
• Dried passionflower 
• Lemon balm 
• Lavender 
• Lactuca sativa (Garden lettuce) - The oil from the seed is especially used in Egypt 
• saffron 
• California poppy 
• Skullcap 

For the treatment of anxiety:

• St. John's wort 
• Ginkgo biloba 
• Ashwagandha (Withania somnifera)
• Kava kava 
• Valerian
• Theanine (found in green tea) 
• GABA (which occurs naturally in plants and herbs) 
• Hops 
• Lemon balm 
• Skullcap
• Passionflower 
• Rosenroot 
• Chamomile