Ashwagandha vs Melatonin for sleep
Short answer: For sleep, users rate them about the same: 77% report improvement with Ashwagandha (233 reports) and 78% with Melatonin (915 reports).
Ashwagandha has 48 meta-analyses and 59 randomized trials on PubMed; Melatonin has 688 and 1,128.
Based on 2,447 reports about Ashwagandha and 1,370 about Melatonin. Not medical advice.
| Ashwagandha Supplement | Melatonin Supplement | |
|---|---|---|
| Users say it helped | 44%helped1,321 reports · high confidence | 42%helped726 reports · high confidence |
| Verdict | Mixed | Mixed |
| Research | AResearch: Strong | AResearch: Strong |
| Meta-analyses / RCTs | 48 / 59 | 688 / 1,128 |
| Mainly used for | ||
| Sleep % reporting improvement | 77% (233) | 78% (915) |
| Anxiety % reporting improvement | 88% (881) | 44% (16) |
| Mood % reporting improvement | 53% (446) | 32% (37) |
| Energy % reporting improvement | 53% (125) | 32% (25) |
| Libido % reporting improvement | 62% (127) | 38% (8) |
| Common side effects | anhedonia, drowsiness, fatigue, depression | drowsiness, vivid dreams, fatigue, depression |
| Typical dose reported | 800-1600 mg / after dinner | 0.5 mg / bedtime |
The current systematic review and dose-response meta-analysis of RCTs revealed a beneficial effect in both stress and anxiety following Ashwagandha supplementation. However, further high-quality studies are needed to firmly establish the clinical efficacy of the plant.
Phytother Res, 2022 ↗“I paired it with maca and ashwaganda and it legit felt like a steroid cycle.”
Overall, eszopiclone and lemborexant had a favorable profile, but eszopiclone might cause substantial adverse events and safety data on lemborexant were inconclusive. Doxepin, seltorexant, and zaleplon were well tolerated, but data on efficacy and other important outcomes were scarce and do not allow firm conclusions. Many licensed drugs (including benzodiazepines, daridorexant, suvorexant, and trazodone) can be effective in the acute treatment of insomnia but are associated with poor tolerability, or information about long-term effects is not available. Melatonin, ramelteon, and non-licensed
Lancet, 2022 ↗“I have taken it nightly for 19 years. Doses ranging from .1 to 10mg. Right now I take 3mg per night. It helps me sleep.”
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Percentages come from first-hand user reports and are not clinical outcomes. Talk to a doctor before starting, stopping or combining anything. How we rate