I’ve spent too many nights staring at the ceiling, my mind racing with the day’s worries, wondering if I’d ever get a decent night’s sleep. That’s when I heard about Ashwagandha and its promise to help with stress and sleep. Could an herb really make a difference, or was it just another wellness trend? To find out, I dove into recent studies from 2023 to 2025, checked out sources like PubMed, Healthline, and WebMD, and gave it a try myself. The science—and my own restless nights—says Ashwagandha can genuinely improve sleep. Here’s what I learned about how it works and how it changed my bedtime routine.
What Is Ashwagandha, and Why Sleep?
Ashwagandha, or Withania somnifera, is an adaptogenic herb used for over 3,000 years in Ayurvedic medicine, as Wikipedia notes. It’s known for calming stress by lowering cortisol, the hormone that keeps you wired when you’re stressed. Since stress and poor sleep go hand in hand, I wondered if Ashwagandha could help me finally get some rest. The research and my experience both point to a big yes.
The Science: Ashwagandha’s Sleep-Boosting Power
Recent studies are pretty clear about Ashwagandha’s sleep benefits. A 2025 review in Nutrition and Metabolism analyzed multiple trials and found that Ashwagandha improved overall sleep quality, including better scores on the Sleep Quality Scale, compared to placebo. Participants fell asleep faster, slept longer, and woke up feeling more refreshed.
Another 2025 study in Advances in Therapy tested 300 mg of Ashwagandha root extract twice daily on 80 adults. After eight weeks, they reported shorter sleep latency (the time it takes to fall asleep) and longer total sleep time. A 2023 study in Medicine showed similar results: 500 mg daily for 60 days helped adults with mild insomnia sleep better and wake less during the night.
Healthline’s 2024 update cites a Sleep Foundation analysis that found Ashwagandha reduced stress-related insomnia, helping people fall asleep faster and improving sleep quality. A 2024 ScienceDirect meta-analysis of nine trials noted a significant reduction in non-restorative sleep (that groggy, unrefreshed feeling) in healthy adults. Most studies used doses of 250-600 mg daily, with effects building over 4-8 weeks, which gave me confidence to try it.
How It Works: Calming the Mind for Sleep
So, why does Ashwagandha help you sleep? It’s all about stress. WebMD explains that it lowers cortisol, which can disrupt your sleep cycle when it’s high at night. By calming the hypothalamic-pituitary-adrenal (HPA) axis—your body’s stress control center—it promotes relaxation without feeling like a sedative. A 2025 Nutrients study found that Ashwagandha improved sleep by reducing stress-related cognitive overload, meaning fewer racing thoughts at bedtime.
It also seems to boost serotonin, the “feel-good” hormone, according to a 2023 PubMed study. This helped me feel less anxious before bed, making it easier to drift off. For someone like me, whose insomnia was fueled by stress, this was a game-changer.
My Experience: From Restless to Rested
I started with 300 mg in the evening, mixed into a cup of warm milk with a pinch of honey—a trick I found on Healthline. The first few nights, I didn’t notice much, but by the second week, I was falling asleep faster. No more lying awake replaying my to-do list. I even used a sleep app to track my rest and saw my deep sleep time increase by about 20%. During a particularly stressful month, Ashwagandha kept my insomnia from spiraling, and I woke up feeling refreshed instead of dragging.
The only hiccup? I felt a bit drowsy in the morning if I took it too close to bedtime. Switching to taking it about an hour before bed fixed that, aligning with WebMD’s advice to time doses carefully.
Tips for Using Ashwagandha to Sleep Better
Based on my experience and the research, here’s how to make Ashwagandha work for your sleep:
- Take It at Night: 300-500 mg about 1-2 hours before bed promotes relaxation, as Healthline suggests.
- Pair with Food: I avoided stomach upset (a side effect noted by Medical News Today) by taking it with a snack or warm drink.
- Be Consistent: Studies show effects build over 4-8 weeks, so stick with it daily.
- Start Low: Begin with 250-300 mg to test how your body reacts.
- Experiment with Timing: If evening doses make you groggy in the morning, try slightly earlier or a lower dose.
Things to Watch Out For
Ashwagandha’s been great for me, but it’s not perfect for everyone. WebMD and Healthline note mild side effects like drowsiness or stomach upset—I had a bit of both until I adjusted my dose and timing. It’s not recommended for pregnant or breastfeeding women, as a 2023 PubMed study flagged potential risks. If you’re on medications for thyroid, diabetes, or sedation, or have autoimmune conditions, check with your doctor first—Ashwagandha can interact, per Medical News Today. I talked to my doctor to make sure it was safe for me, and it gave me peace of mind.
My Takeaway: A Natural Sleep Ally
The science is solid: Ashwagandha improves sleep quality, shortens the time it takes to fall asleep, and helps you wake up refreshed, as studies from 2023 to 2025 show. For my restless nights, it’s been a lifesaver—calming my mind without knocking me out like a sleeping pill. If stress is stealing your sleep like it was mine, Ashwagandha might be worth a try. Just start slow, take it with food, and check with a healthcare pro to be safe. Here’s to better nights and brighter mornings!