Does ashwagandha help anxiety and sleep?
Maybe a little, but the proof is weak. Trials found lower anxiety scores, yet US health experts call the evidence unclear. The stronger case is for sleep. Even there, the gain is small.
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Does ashwagandha help with anxiety?
It may help a little. A review of 12 trials with 1,002 adults found lower anxiety scores than with a dummy pill (a placebo). But the authors rated the certainty as low.
The US government’s health agency for complementary medicine (NCCIH) puts it plainly. It says the evidence is unclear for anxiety. Many trials were small and used different products.
| Question | What trials found | How sure |
|---|---|---|
| Anxiety | 12 trials, 1,002 adults: lower anxiety scores than a dummy pill. | Low certainty. US experts call it unclear. |
| Anxiety or poor sleep | 5 trials, 254 people: lower anxiety scores. | Bigger trials are needed. |
| Sleep | 5 trials, 400 adults: a small gain in sleep, too big to be chance. | Moderate certainty, with bigger gains from 8 weeks. |
Sources: Anxiety review; Anxiety and sleep review; Sleep review; NCCIH
Low certainty is like a blurry photo. You might see something, but you can’t be sure what it is or how big it is. So it might help you a bit, or not at all.
If worry runs your days, start with the proven help further down. Then decide if a herb is worth a try.
Does ashwagandha help you sleep?
The stronger case is for sleep. NCCIH says some ashwagandha products may be effective for insomnia (trouble getting or staying asleep).
A review of 5 trials found a small gain in sleep, too big to be chance. People with insomnia gained more than healthy adults.
How small? One trial gave 60 adults with insomnia and anxiety ashwagandha or a dummy pill for 10 weeks. A wrist tracker timed how long they took to fall asleep.
| Group | At the start | After 10 weeks |
|---|---|---|
| Ashwagandha | 42 minutes | 29 minutes |
| Dummy pill | 42 minutes | 34 minutes |
Source: Langade 2019 trial
Both groups got better. The herb’s own effect is the gap between them, about 5 minutes a night. The authors say larger studies are needed.
So set your hopes at a slightly easier night, not a knockout. Our sleep hygiene guide covers the habits that do more.
How much ashwagandha, and for how long?
The UK’s food safety experts are still trying to set a safe amount. So here is what the trials used. It isn’t a dose to copy.
What the sleep trials did
- 1
Dose
120 to 600 mg of extract a day.
- 2
Length
6 to 12 weeks, most for 8 weeks or more.
- 3
Bigger gains
600 mg a day or more, for 8 weeks or more.
- 4
Time limit
NCCIH: may be safe for up to 3 months.
Sources: Sleep review; NCCIH
For stress, one review linked 300 to 600 mg a day to a helpful effect. Shop products differ, so the trial results may not carry over to the tub you buy.
There isn’t enough data on long-term safety. If you try it, give it a set end date. Our guide to stopping ashwagandha covers coming off it.
Is ashwagandha safe?
For most people in the short term it may be. It can cause drowsiness, stomach upset, diarrhoea and vomiting. Rarely, it has been linked to liver injury.
The Food Standards Agency got more and more reports of problems from 2021 to 2024. So its toxicity experts are reviewing it. Their statement was still a draft in September 2026.
A paper for these experts lists five published liver cases, from Iceland and the US. The liver damage typically came with severe yellowing of the skin and itching. It cleared up on its own, and liver tests went back to normal in 1 to 5 months.
Before you try ashwagandha
- Skip it if you’re pregnant or breastfeeding.
- Skip it if you have a thyroid condition or a condition where your immune system attacks your body.
- Skip it if you have kidney or liver problems.
- Skip it if you’re about to have surgery.
- Ask a pharmacist first if you take any medicine, especially for diabetes, blood pressure, thyroid, seizures or sleep.
- Skip it if you have prostate cancer that is sensitive to hormones.
Sources: NCCIH; NHS: herbal medicines
It may also clash with medicines that calm the immune system. Never stop or change a prescribed medicine without your prescriber.
More detail in our guides to ashwagandha side effects and herbal supplements and liver damage.
What helps anxiety and sleep more?
Herbal medicines aren’t available on the NHS, and aren’t tested like standard medicines. For anxiety, a GP will usually suggest talking therapy before medicine, such as CBT (cognitive behavioural therapy).
CBT helps you change the thoughts and habits that keep worry or poor sleep going. If you’re 18 or over, you can refer yourself to NHS talking therapies.
Insomnia usually gets better by changing your sleep habits. The NHS suggests getting up at the same time every day and relaxing for an hour before bed.
It also says no tea or coffee in the 6 hours before bed. Caffeine can make anxiety harder to control too. Regular exercise can ease anxiety and help you sleep.
Comparing calming supplements? See L-theanine, magnesium for anxiety and our wider stress supplements guide.
When to speak to a GP
- You feel anxious most of the time and it affects your everyday life, or your treatment isn’t helping.
- Changing your sleep habits hasn’t helped, you’ve had trouble sleeping for months, or it makes daily life hard to cope with.
- Your skin or the whites of your eyes look yellow, maybe with itchy skin, darker pee or paler poo. Ask for an urgent GP appointment or call 111, and say what supplements you take.
- You take a prescribed medicine and want to add ashwagandha. Ask your GP or pharmacist first.
Need urgent help for your mental health? Call 111 and choose the mental health option, or ask for an urgent GP appointment.
Call 999 or go to A&E if someone’s life is at risk, for example after serious self-injury or an overdose. Do the same if you can’t keep yourself or someone else safe.