Heartwood, particularly from species like Magnolia officinalis and Pterocarpus santalinus (red sandalwood), has a longstanding history of use in traditional medicine systems such as Traditional Chinese Medicine (TCM) and Ayurveda to address insomnia and sleep disturbances. In TCM, heartwood from Magnolia officinalis (known as "Houpu") is often included in herbal formulas to "calm the spirit" and alleviate restlessness or anxiety, which are viewed as underlying causes of insomnia. Similarly, red sandalwood has been used in Ayurveda for its purported calming and sedative properties, thought to help promote relaxation and better sleep.

The rationale in traditional systems is based on centuries of empirical use rather than rigorous scientific validation. While some preliminary laboratory studies have found that extracts from certain heartwoods may have mild sedative or anxiolytic effects in animal models, high-quality clinical trials in humans are lacking. The evidence supporting the use of heartwood for insomnia is thus primarily anecdotal and rooted in traditional practice, rather than established by modern scientific research. Accordingly, while heartwood remains a popular component in some herbal remedies for sleep, its efficacy and safety for treating insomnia require further investigation through well-designed clinical studies.