Ashwagandha extract supports sleep quality and quantity, says recent study

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A recently published double-blind, randomized, placebo-controlled clinical study found that supplementation with ashwagandha supports sleep quality and quantity. In the study, 60 subjects were randomized in a 2:1 ratio to receive either 300 mg of KSM-66 ashwagandha root extract (from Ixoreal Biomed; Los Angeles, CA) in capsules, or an identical placebo filled with starch, twice daily with milk or water for 10 weeks. Sleep actigraphy (Respironics Philips) was used for assessment of sleep onset latency (SOL), total sleep time (TST), sleep efficiency (SE), and wake after sleep onset (WASO). Other assessments were total time in bed (sleep log), mental alertness on rising, sleep quality, Pittsburgh Sleep Quality Index (PSQI), and Hamilton Anxiety Rating Scale (HAM-A) scales.

Results showed that after ten weeks supplementation with ashwagandha significantly reduced SOL and WASO scores, significantly improved SE, and significantly improved sleep quality, compared to placebo. There were also significant improvements in PSQI and HAM-A. Compared to placebo, subjects taking ashwagandha also showed significant increases in mean total sleep time, and mean total time in bed.

“The new study corroborates the use of ashwagandha root extract as a first-class adaptogen that helps promote restful sleep and reduce anxiety,” said ethnobotanist, Medicine Hunter Christopher Kilham, in a press release. Kilham served as Explorer in Residence at the University of Massachusetts, Amherst for 14 years. “We know that Americans are not getting enough sleep. Ashwagandha offers a simple, safe and natural way to achieve deep sleep for badly needed rest and repair, without drowsiness or negative effects,” he adds. “You simply do not need to resort to potentially harmful or addictive drugs to achieve healthy sleep.”

“Sleep is of course critical to well-being and healthy functioning,” explained Ixoreal CEO Kartikeya Baldwa, in a press release. “Published research has associated insomnia with chronic diseases such as obesity, type 2 diabetes, cardiovascular disease, neurological issues, mood swings, and increased mortality."