Functions:

circulates heart Qi, relieves irritability, relieves pain, stops wind and spasms
aids heart Qi stagnation, lung Qi stagnation, kidney Qi stagnation, calms internal wind.
calm spirit, relieve anxiety, promotes rest, helps insomnia by promoting sleep
tonify yin, clear deficiency heat, stops tidal fever
stimulates digestion, promotes urination, strengthen eyes and aids the vision
clears liver and stomach Qi stagnation and kidney Qi stagnation
stimulates heart circulation and shen (brain) function.  Relieves depression
warms heart yang, clears heart Qi deficiency, clears heart phlegm and dampness
nourishes heart blood and spleen Qi
stimulate immunity, reduce infection, antidote to poisons (bites/stings)
clears parasites, promotes tissue repair

Used For:

Orally, valerian is used as a sedative-hypnotic for insomnia and as an anxiolytic for restlessness and sleeping disorders associated with anxiety. It has also been used for mood disorders such as depression, infantile convulsions, mild tremors, epilepsy, and attention deficit hyperactivity disorder (ADHD). It is also used orally for muscle and joint pain, and conditions associated with anxiety and psychological stress including nervous asthma, hysterical states, excitability, hypochondria, headaches, migraine, and stomach upset. Valerian is also used for menstrual cramps and symptoms associated with menopause, including hot flashes and anxiety.  

Topically, valerian is used as a bath additive for restlessness and sleep disorders.  

In manufacturing, the extracts and essential oil are used as flavoring in foods and beverages.

Caution:

Orally, valerian can cause headache, excitability, uneasiness, cardiac disturbances, and insomnia

Valerian may also produce a mild dependency creating the same symptoms it initially relieved!