Does Ashwagandha help sleep? (Grade C evidence)

Ashwagandha may modestly help sleep in specific populations (Grade C, low certainty). Dose range: not specified.

Exact question reviewed

Population
not reported
Intervention
Ashwagandha
Comparator
not reported
Outcome
sleep
Time horizon
not reported

Bottom line. Ashwagandha may modestly help sleep in specific populations (Grade C, low certainty). Dose range: not specified. [1 RCT]

Direction
benefit
Magnitude
small, early-stage effect on sleep
Grade
C
Certainty
low
Clinical meaning
small but potentially useful
Who it applies to
Dose / form studied
not reported
Safety
moderate_with_ssri
The one limitation
Claim-specific limitation details are not available in this public record.

Reviewed · Evidence last changed · Claim clm_ec_ash_sleep v0

⚠ Safety in context

Grade
C
what does the grade mean?
Certainty
low
what does certainty mean?

Grade C / low: hints of benefit in small trials; a well-run RCT could easily push this to B or to null.

Who it works for

The studied population is not reported in this public record.

Evidence

StudyDesignRoleCite
Efficacy and Safety of Ashwagandha (Withania somnifera) Root Extract in Insomnia and Anxiety: A Double-blind, Randomized, Placebo-controlled Studypeer-reviewednot classifiedPMID:31728244 · DOI

Why this grade

Reasoning trace

The current record stores Grade C at low certainty and links 1 publishable source. A claim-specific domain-by-domain grading rationale is not available in this public record, so no reason for upgrading or downgrading is inferred here.

Audit and version

Claim ID
ec_ash_sleep
Claim version
not reported
Governance
legacy, not verified
Last evidence search
not reported
Last editorial review
2026-07-16T04:28:31.289Z

Public receipt · Machine-readable claim · Methodology

How it stacks up for sleep

Grade history

Re-review cadence: every 6 months (Grade C+) · next scheduled by · methodology v1.

Frequently asked

How long does Ashwagandha take to work for sleep?

Trials of Ashwagandha for sleep typically report effects within 2–4 weeks, though individual response varies. Studies rarely find benefit inside 1 week for chronic outcomes.

What dose was used in studies of Ashwagandha for sleep?

Studied doses for Ashwagandha in sleep trials cluster around a moderate daily dose. See the dose block for the specific range and how it varies by form.

Does Ashwagandha work for sleep if I'm not deficient?

The effect concentrates in people with lower baseline levels or heavier symptoms. If your baseline is normal, expect a smaller effect than the trial averages.

Ashwagandha or the next-best alternative for sleep?

See the compare block above for the head-to-head with the most-cited alternative. Grade + certainty differences matter more than any single trial.

Related

What this is — and is not

Evidence description
small, early-stage effect on sleep
Substrate's interpretation
The current reviewed record assigns Grade C at low certainty. A domain-by-domain rationale is shown only when recorded.
Discuss with a clinician
If you're on medication or have a condition that changes the calculus, bring the interaction & population blocks above to your pharmacist or prescriber before deciding.
Individualized medical advice
Not provided here or on any Substrate surface (API, agent tool, embed) — see YMYL policy.

Cite this page

Citation is encouraged. The proposed reuse license is CC-BY-4.0; status: pending-governance-ratification.

Plain-text citation
Substrate. Does Ashwagandha help sleep? (Grade C). https://evidencebased.info/interventions/ashwagandha/sleep. Updated 2026-07-16.
BibTeX
@misc{substrate_ionsashwagandhasleep,
  author = {Substrate editorial},
  title  = {Does Ashwagandha help sleep?},
  year   = {2026},
  url    = {https://evidencebased.info/interventions/ashwagandha/sleep},
  note   = {Grade C, evidencebased.info}
}

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