Ashwagandha for sleep, and when to take it

Does ashwagandha help you sleep?

A long shift, a late gym session, a group chat that won't stop buzzing. Then you lie down and your brain decides it's time to replay the whole day. No wonder ashwagandha for sleep is such a popular search.

The short answer is that it can help a little Moderate. A 2021 review pooled 5 trials with 400 adults and found ashwagandha improved sleep more than a placebo. The effect was small, and it was larger in people with insomnia, at 600 mg a day or more and after 8 weeks or longer [1].

In those trials, people fell asleep a little sooner, slept a little longer and woke less in the night. In 3 of them, people also felt slightly more alert when they got up [1]. The trials measured sleep with questionnaires and wrist sensors, so none can tell you anything about deep or REM sleep.

What did the sleep trials find?

Here's the research in one place, from the pooled review to the newest trial.

In the 2020 trial, wrist sensors also showed that people fell asleep sooner, slept longer and woke less in the night than on the placebo Early [2]. Shoden is a more concentrated extract than KSM-66, which is why its trials use smaller amounts.

Most sleep trials were small and run in India, and the extract's maker supplied it or helped pay for the study [1][3]. That's common in supplement research, but it's why more independent trials would help.

How long does ashwagandha take to work?

Think of it as a dimmer switch, not an on-off switch. In the 2026 trial, people were falling asleep sooner by week 4, the first check [3]. In the review, the effect was bigger in trials that ran for 8 weeks or longer [1].

So give it about 8 weeks of daily use before you decide whether it's helping.

Does ashwagandha make you sleepy?

Not often. In the 2026 trial, only 1% of people reported drowsiness, and side effects were no more common on ashwagandha alone than on the placebo [3]. US health advice still says it may cause drowsiness in some people [4].

In other words, it isn't a sleeping pill. If it does make you drowsy, take it in the evening, and our guide to ashwagandha side effects covers what to know about driving.

When should you take ashwagandha for sleep?

Morning or night? Whichever you'll stick to. No trial has compared taking ashwagandha in the morning with taking it at night, so there's no proven best time.

The trials took different approaches. Some gave it once a day [2] and others twice a day, and the 2026 trial gave it after breakfast and again after dinner [3]. Because the benefits built up over weeks of daily use, taking it every day matters more than the time on the clock.

Plenty of people take it with breakfast as part of a morning routine. Others prefer the evening because it fits their wind-down. Our complete guide to ashwagandha covers timing and dose in more depth.

Can you take ashwagandha with magnesium or melatonin?

Magnesium. There's no known interaction, so many people take the two together. No trial has tested them together on their own, though. Our guide to ashwagandha and magnesium compares what each does for sleep.

Melatonin. One 2026 trial in India gave 200 adults ashwagandha, 3 mg of melatonin, both or a placebo. Ashwagandha and melatonin worked about as well as each other, and the two together helped people fall asleep fastest Early [3]. It was a small pilot trial with unusually tidy results, so it needs repeating.

In the UK, melatonin is a prescription medicine, as our melatonin guide explains. The NHS says not to take herbal remedies that make you feel sleepy while you take it [5]. If you're prescribed melatonin, ask your GP or pharmacist before you add ashwagandha.

Can you take ashwagandha with sleeping pills?

Our guide to ashwagandha side effects covers who else shouldn't take it.

Where Nooroots fits

Nooroots Ashwagandha + Lion's Mane gives you 120 mg of KSM-66 and 500 mg of lion's mane extract in two caffeine-free capsules a day. It's made for calm focus and calm resilience on demanding days, as part of a morning routine.

KSM-66 is a root-only extract standardised to 5% withanolides, and every amount is on the label. For more ways to wind down at night, see our guide on how to fall asleep fast.

Frequently asked questions

How much ashwagandha should I take for sleep?

There's no agreed dose. Sleep trials used 120 to 600 mg a day, depending on the extract, and the review found bigger effects at 600 mg or more [1]. Follow the amount on your product's label.

Can I take ashwagandha before bed?

Yes. No trial has compared bedtime with the morning, so take it when it suits you. Some trials gave a dose after dinner [3].

Does ashwagandha improve deep sleep?

Nobody knows yet. No trial has measured deep or REM sleep in a sleep lab. The trials used questionnaires and wrist sensors, which measure how long you sleep, not the stages of sleep [1].

Can ashwagandha cause insomnia?

It isn't a known side effect. In the 2026 trial, side effects were no more common on ashwagandha alone than on a placebo [3]. If you feel it keeps you awake, try taking it in the morning instead.

Is ashwagandha better than melatonin for sleep?

Not in the one trial that compared them, where the two worked about as well as each other [3]. In the UK, melatonin is only available on prescription.

Can you take ashwagandha every night?

Yes, most trials gave it every day for 6 to 12 weeks. US health advice says it may be safe for up to 3 months and that there isn't enough information on longer use [4].

References

Every study here is listed so you can read it yourself. This guide is for general information and doesn't replace advice from your GP or pharmacist. We review it when new research is published.

1. Cheah KL, Norhayati MN, Husniati Yaacob L et al. (2021). Effect of Ashwagandha (Withania somnifera) extract on sleep: a systematic review and meta-analysis. PLOS ONE 16(9): e0257843. PMID 34559859
2. Deshpande A, Irani N, Balkrishnan R et al. (2020). A randomized, double blind, placebo controlled study to evaluate the effects of ashwagandha (Withania somnifera) extract on sleep quality in healthy adults. Sleep Medicine 72: 28–36. PMID 32540634
3. Movva N, Salve J, Wankhede K et al. (2026). Comparative evaluation of ashwagandha (Withania somnifera) root extract and melatonin for improving sleep quality in adults: a prospective, randomized, double-blind, placebo-controlled study. Clocks & Sleep 8(2): 15. PMID 42029558
4. National Center for Complementary and Integrative Health. Ashwagandha: usefulness and safety. Last updated March 2023. Accessed 18 October 2026. nccih.nih.gov/health/ashwagandha
5. NHS. Taking melatonin with other medicines and herbal supplements. Page last reviewed 13 February 2023. Accessed 18 October 2026. nhs.uk/medicines/melatonin