Standardized ashwagandha root extract and sleep quality

Objective: To determine whether standardized ashwagandha root extract improves sleep quality in adults with sleep complaints. Participants were assigned to extract or placebo and followed with subjective sleep questionnaires, sleep latency measures, and next-day functioning assessments. The intervention group reported better sleep continuity, reduced time to fall asleep, and improved morning refreshment compared with controls, with the largest effects in individuals who began the study with poorer baseline sleep. The formulation appeared well tolerated over the study period, and adverse events were infrequent and mild. Mechanistically, the findings are compatible with ashwagandha's proposed anxiolytic and stress-buffering actions, which may indirectly support sleep initiation and maintenance. However, the evidence remains limited by small sample size, reliance on subjective instruments, and short follow-up. The study contributes to a growing but still preliminary body of literature supporting ashwagandha for sleep-related support rather than as a replacement for standard insomnia treatment.