How to Take Ashwagandha for Sleep and Anxiety: A Practical Guide

Does ashwagandha actually help you sleep?

Modestly, in the trials so far. Randomized trials that showed benefit for stress, anxiety, and sleep in adults used a standardized extract for 6-8 weeks: a root extract at 250-600 mg per day in the stress and anxiety trials, and the Shoden extract at 120 mg once daily in the sleep trial (Chandrasekhar et al. 2012, Indian J Psychol Med; Salve et al. 2019, Cureus; Deshpande et al. 2020, Sleep Med).

Effects are not sedative-strength. A meta-analysis of five sleep trials found a small effect (Cheah et al. 2021, PLoS One), and a meta-analysis of 12 stress and anxiety trials rated the certainty of the evidence as low (Akhgarjand et al. 2022, Phytother Res). Nothing on this page diagnoses, treats, prevents, or cures anything; see our medical disclaimer.

What ashwagandha actually is

Ashwagandha (Withania somnifera) is a shrub in the nightshade family whose root is used in Ayurvedic medicine. Modern supplements are typically standardized to a percentage of withanolides, its steroidal lactone actives. Extracts vary widely: KSM-66 is a water-based extract of the root only, Shoden is a root-and-leaf extract standardized to 35 percent withanolide glycosides (Mishra & Kumar 2024, Heliyon), and generic standardized powders vary in withanolide percentage, solvent, and origin. Read our ashwagandha encyclopedia entry for the full picture.

Choosing an extract

• KSM-66: used in many of the human trials, including the Salve stress trial; root-only, water-extracted, standardized by the ingredient supplier to more than 5 percent withanolides (Salve et al. 2026, Phytother Res). Trial doses: 250–600 mg per day (Salve et al. 2019).
• Shoden: higher withanolide content (35 percent withanolide glycosides). The sleep trial cited below used 120 mg once daily.
• Generic root powder: unstandardized powder taken by the gram, as in traditional preparations. Cheap, but variable, with no withanolide figure to compare against the trials.

If your goal is matching the published stress and anxiety trials, a standardized root extract at 600 mg per day (300 mg twice daily) is the closest analogue; for the sleep trial, it is Shoden at 120 mg per day. See our best ashwagandha roundup for products that hit these criteria.

How much ashwagandha to take, and when

Trial doses ran from 120 mg a day (Shoden, for sleep) to 600 mg a day (root extract, for stress), taken once daily or split morning and evening. No trial cited here compared one time of day against another.

• For anxiety: 250–600 mg per day, split morning and evening as in the trials. The cited stress trials ran about 8 weeks and reported their main results at the end of that period, so there is little trial data on what happens beyond 8 weeks.
• For sleep: the Deshpande 2020 trial gave 150 healthy adults with non-restorative sleep 120 mg of Shoden extract once daily for 6 weeks. Self-reported sleep quality rose 72% versus 29% on placebo, and wrist actigraphy showed better sleep efficiency, total sleep time, and sleep latency. In the Salve 2019 trial, a root extract at 250 or 600 mg per day also improved a simple sleep-quality score over 8 weeks. Both trials were small and short, so treat these results as preliminary.
• With or without food: the effect of a meal on absorption has not been well studied. The Salve 2019 trial gave capsules after food, and one insomnia trial gave 300 mg of root extract twice daily with milk or water for 10 weeks (Langade et al. 2019, Cureus).

How long does ashwagandha take to work?

The trials above measured results after 6 to 10 weeks of daily use, so a trial-matched dose needs about that long before you judge it; none tested an immediate calming effect. Don’t plan on open-ended use: the NCCIH says ashwagandha may be safe for up to three months, but long-term safety is unknown. If nothing has shifted by then, ashwagandha is unlikely to be your answer.

When to stop or avoid

• Pregnancy and breastfeeding: avoid. Ashwagandha has historically been used as an abortifacient and safety data are lacking (BfR 2024); the NCCIH advises against it.
• Autoimmune conditions (Hashimoto’s, lupus, rheumatoid arthritis): the NCCIH does not recommend it for autoimmune disorders.
• Thyroid medication: ashwagandha may raise thyroid hormone levels. In a small 8-week trial in people with subclinical hypothyroidism, 600 mg per day raised T3 and T4 and lowered TSH versus placebo (Sharma et al. 2018, J Altern Complement Med). The NCCIH does not recommend it for people with thyroid disorders.
• Liver injury is rare but documented: a case series of five patients who developed jaundice 2–12 weeks after starting ashwagandha supplements (Björnsson et al. 2020, Liver Int), and an Indian series of eight single-ingredient cases in which five patients had pre-existing chronic liver disease and three of them developed acute-on-chronic liver failure and died (Philips et al. 2023, Hepatol Commun). Germany’s BfR advises people with liver disease not to take it. Stop and see a clinician if you notice jaundice, dark urine, or right-upper-quadrant pain.
• Sedatives, thyroid drugs, immunosuppressants, and diabetes, blood-pressure, or seizure medication: the NCCIH lists possible interactions; clear it with your prescriber.
• Before surgery: the NCCIH does not recommend it; tell your surgical team.
• In Europe: status varies by country. Denmark’s food authority treats ashwagandha products as illegal to sell as food, and Germany’s BfR advises against ashwagandha food supplements, noting that no safe intake level has been established.

What “working” looks like

Ashwagandha is not a benzodiazepine. In the trials, the effects were lower perceived stress scores and somewhat faster sleep onset after several weeks. If you are looking for an on-demand anxiolytic, this is the wrong tool.

Frequently Asked Questions

Related

• Encyclopedia: Ashwagandha
• Review: The best ashwagandha supplements
• Science: What the research says about adaptogens
• Disclaimer: Medical disclaimer