Health topic

Sleep

These are reviewed research connections, not a ranked list of remedies. An ingredient can appear here because evidence was uncertain, preclinical, or limited to a specific preparation and setting.

Ailment-to-evidence view

What the reviewed research points to

This order reflects the depth of the reviewed evidence, not which option works best or what anyone should take. Mixed and negative findings stay in the list because they can be more useful than a promising headline.

Deeper reviewed evidence Promising, with limits

Ashwagandha

The randomized evidence points in a favorable direction, but it rests on five trials, 400 participants, mixed extracts, and limited long-term safety data.

Studied form
Oral ashwagandha extracts from different plant parts and specifications; retail-product equivalence was not established
Outcome
Sleep quantity, sleep quality, morning alertness, anxiety, and quality of life
Evidence
Systematic review and meta-analysis of placebo-controlled randomized trials
See the evidence and cautions →
How this order is calculated

Evidence syntheses come before individual randomized trials, which come before early human and preclinical work. Sample-size bands add a small amount. Positive, mixed, negative, and safety-only directions do not change the depth score. Study independence is not yet scored, so overlapping reviews must not be counted as separate confirmation.

Connected ingredients

What appears in the current evidence map

Source-linked records

1 reviewed record

Evidence synthesis Promising, with limits 5 trials with 400 adults

Ashwagandha extracts and sleep: a small pooled signal

Five small trials produced a pooled improvement in overall sleep, with a larger signal in the insomnia subgroup. That is encouraging, not definitive. The products varied, heterogeneity was substantial, and the review said serious-adverse-effect and long-term safety data were limited.

What was studied
Oral ashwagandha extracts from different plant parts and specifications; retail-product equivalence was not established
Setting
Studied alone
Why it ranks here
The randomized evidence points in a favorable direction, but it rests on five trials, 400 participants, mixed extracts, and limited long-term safety data.
Limits and cautions
  • Only five trials and 400 adults were included.
  • The pooled result had substantial heterogeneity.
  • Root, leaf, and mixed-part extracts with different specifications cannot be assumed equivalent.
  • No serious adverse effects were reported in the included trials, but the review said the data were too limited to establish long-term safety.
  • The subgroup findings do not establish an ideal dose or duration.

Ashwagandha is not appropriate for everyone. Pregnancy, breastfeeding, thyroid or autoimmune disease, upcoming surgery, liver concerns, and medicines that affect sedation, blood pressure, blood sugar, thyroid function, or immunity deserve clinician or pharmacist review.