I bought dried passionflower herb from a health food store after reading glowing reviews online. Made two cups of tea (about 2 grams each, steeped for 15 minutes) and drank them over the course of an hour in the evening.
Result: absolutely nothing. No relaxation, no drowsiness, no anxiety reduction, no change in sleep quality. I fell asleep at my usual time, slept my usual mediocre sleep, and woke up with my usual level of tiredness. If there was an effect, it was below my threshold of perception.
I tried again the next evening with the same result. And the evening after that. After five nights of zero perceptible effect, I gave up.
Now, in fairness, there are several possible explanations that are not "passionflower does not work": (1) the product I bought may have been low quality or improperly stored, (2) tea may not extract the active compounds as effectively as a concentrated extract, (3) individual variation in GABA receptor sensitivity may mean I am simply a non-responder, (4) I may have needed 1-2 weeks of consistent use before effects became apparent, as some people report.
I am posting this because the overwhelmingly positive reviews for passionflower online create an unrealistic expectation. For some people, it does not work, and that is a legitimate outcome worth documenting alongside the success stories. If I try again, I will use a standardized extract (capsule form, with verified flavonoid content) for at least two weeks before drawing conclusions. Tea from a health food store may simply not be a reliable delivery method.