Ashwagandha Extract Shown to Help with Sleep

Writen by Jessica Patella, ND.  Ashwagandha root extract resulted in significant improvements in sleep parameters, sleep quality, mental alertness and anxiety parameters when compared to placebo in both healthy participants and those suffering from insomnia.

Sleep is considered one of the most important factors in health, yet an estimated 35.2% of adults are not getting enough sleep (less than 7 hours).  This number is even higher for high schoolers, with 76.6% of 18-year olds (seniors) getting less than 8 hours of sleep ^1,2.  Insomnia, the most common sleep disorder ³, is characterized by difficulty falling asleep, staying asleep or a poor quality of sleep that results in daytime impairment ¹.  A new study has found that Ashwagandha, long used for sleep-inducing effects, helped improve sleep quality in both healthy participants and those suffering with insomnia ¹.

The main conventional treatments for insomnia are benzodiazepines and cognitive-behavioral therapy (CBT).  The challenges are that the benzodiazepine drugs have multiple side effects, including daytime sedation and they can result in dependence ⁴.  While CBT can be helpful, it can be difficult to find trained professionals ⁵.  Due to the fact that insomnia is associated with severe comorbidities, such as anxiety, depression, suicide, substance abuse, cardiovascular disease and decreased immune functioning, ⁶ this led researchers to find an alternative ¹.

Ashwagandha (Withania somnifera) is an herb that has traditionally been used in Ayurvedic medicine.  It is a shrub of the Solanaceae family and typically the root of the plant is used.  Overall, the plant is an adaptogen, with one of its main functions of helping sleep ¹.

The research included 80 healthy adults from 18-50 years of age.  There were two parallel groups, one with healthy adults (n=40), the second with healthy adults with insomnia (n=40).  Each parallel arm was then randomly divided into either Ashwagandha (n=20/40 total) or placebo (n=20/40 total) for 8 weeks.  The intervention groups received Ashwagandha root extract capsules (300 mg/cap) and took one capsule twice daily ¹.

Both healthy and insomnia participants saw significant improvement in sleep parameters in the ashwagandha root extract group, although the improvement was even more significant in those with insomnia.  In those with insomnia, the Sleep Onset Latency (p=0.013), Hamilton Anxiety Scale-A outcomes (p<0.05), mental alertness on rising (p=0.01) and sleep quality (p<0.05) all showed statistically significant improvements over 8 weeks ¹.

Ashwagandha root extract resulted in significant improvements in sleep parameters, sleep quality, mental alertness and anxiety parameters when compared to placebo in both healthy participants and those suffering from insomnia ¹.  Researchers suggest more research to evaluate the safety and mode of action of Ashwagandha ¹.

Source: Langade, Deepak, Vaishali Thakare, Subodh Kanchi, and Sunil Kelgane. “Clinical evaluation of the pharmacological impact of ashwagandha root extract on sleep in healthy volunteers and insomnia patients: A double-blind, randomized, parallel-group, placebo-controlled study.” Journal of Ethnopharmacology 264 (2021): 113276.

© 2020 Elsevier B.V. All rights reserved.

Click here to read the full text study.

Posted July 27, 2021.

Jessica Patella, ND, is a naturopathic physician specializing in nutrition and homeopathic medicine and offers a holistic approach to health. She earned her ND from Southwest College of Naturopathic Medicine in Tempe, AZ, and is a member of the North Carolina Association of Naturopathic Physicians. Visit her website at www.awarenesswellness.com.

References:

1. Langade D, Thakare V, Kanchi S, Kelgane S. Clinical evaluation of the pharmacological impact of ashwagandha root extract on sleep in healthy volunteers and insomnia patients: A double-blind, randomized, parallel-group, placebo-controlled study. J Ethnopharmacol. 2021;264:113276.
2. CDC. Short Sleep Duration Among US Adults. 2021; https://www.cdc.gov/sleep/data_statistics.html. Accessed July 23, 2021.
3. Morin CM, LeBlanc M, Daley M, Gregoire JP, Mérette C. Epidemiology of insomnia: prevalence, self-help treatments, consultations, and determinants of help-seeking behaviors. Sleep Med. 2006;7(2):123-130.
4. Gillin JC, Byerley WF. Drug therapy: The diagnosis and management of insomnia. The New England journal of medicine. 1990;322(4):239-248.
5. Edinger JD, Sampson WS. A primary care “friendly” cognitive behavioral insomnia therapy. Sleep. 2003;26(2):177-182.
6. Taylor DJ, Lichstein KL, Durrence HH. Insomnia as a health risk factor. Behav Sleep Med. 2003;1(4):227-247.