Herb of the Month: Skullcap for Stress, Calm & Sleep

As a busy CEO, mom, and woman constantly moving between roles, there are days when life feels like a lot—too many tabs open, too much on my shoulders, and thoughts that keep circling long after I want to be asleep. Skullcap has always held a special place in my heart because if ever there were a “type herb,” this one is mine.

There have been seasons in my life—especially during big transitions, grief, or emotional heaviness—when my nervous system felt pulled in too many directions. Skullcap was one of the first herbs that showed me what true nervous system nourishment feels like. Not sedation. Not forcing the body into rest. But a gentle internal unwinding, like a tight knot slowly loosening.

Whenever I talk about skullcap, I think of the people who move through the world holding far more tension than they ever reveal. The ones who keep showing up, keep caring for others, keep managing everything… until they finally recognize that their own system is asking for support. Skullcap meets them with softness.

Skullcap (Scutellaria lateriflora) is one of herbalism’s classic nervines—an herb that works not by overpowering the body, but by teaching it how to settle again. Traditionally used by Indigenous communities and later embraced by the Eclectic physicians, skullcap became a trusted ally for people whose minds wouldn’t quiet, whose shoulders never fully dropped, and whose sleep felt interrupted by thought loops and lingering tension.

What I love most is that skullcap doesn’t create a “knocked out” feeling. Instead, it restores tone to a nervous system that has been running too fast for too long. It’s the difference between collapsing from exhaustion and exhaling into rest.

Skullcap has been cherished for centuries as a gentle nervine—first by Indigenous communities who used it to ease worry, support sleep, and help the body release built-up tension. When the Eclectic physicians of the 19th century began cataloging botanical medicines, skullcap quickly became one of their most valued remedies for an overworked, overstimulated nervous system.

During the Victorian era, when “nervous conditions” were commonly diagnosed in both men and women - think of words like "hysteria" and "melancholy", stronger sedatives like opiates and chloral hydrate were widely prescribed. The Eclectics offered skullcap as a safer, more humane alternative. Felter and Lloyd described it in their Materia Medica as a “purely nervine tonic” that quieted without dulling the senses—an herb that restored balance without creating dependency or fog.

From early herbal traditions to the modern stress-filled world, skullcap has remained a steady companion for those seeking emotional ease, mental quiet, and restful sleep. Its history reflects its gifts: a calming presence in times when life asks more of us than our nervous systems can comfortably hold.

In herbal energetics, skullcap is considered cooling, calming, and slightly drying—an herb that helps settle excess heat and tension in both the mind and body. It’s beautiful for people who run “hot” emotionally: the overthinkers, the easily overstimulated, the ones who feel agitation or restlessness build up as the day goes on. Skullcap brings the temperature down, both literally and energetically, offering a steadying, soothing effect.

Energetically, skullcap aligns with the planet Saturn—associated with boundaries, containment, rest, and the slow rebuilding of inner reserves. Saturn teaches us to pause, to honor our limits, and to create space for restoration, and skullcap mirrors this wisdom. It helps gently draw your energy inward, quiet the noise, and support a sense of groundedness.

Think of skullcap as the herbal reminder that you don’t have to hold everything all at once. It brings you back into your body, back into your breath, and back into a rhythm that feels sustainable.