Ashwagandha is a plant used in Ayurvedic medicine to combat insomnia and achieve better sleep quality.
Ashwagandha (Withania somnifera) is a plant species of the genus Withania and is a tall plant with purple or green flowers and a red fruit. This plant is mainly found in India and the rest of South Asia, Africa, and the Mediterranean, and plays an important role in traditional Indian herbal medicine of Ayurveda. The root of the Ashwagandha plant is ground into powder or made into a supplement.
Grass has no narcotic effect but helps reduce stress, gives you more vitality, and helps regulate your sleep-wake rhythm.
To help your body recover, B vitamins and magnesium are essential. This will help you return to your optimal energy levels.
How does ashwagandha work?
Each of our cells contains DNA. When a cell divides, it is important that the DNA remains intact. That is why we have 'telomeres', which protect our DNA from damage. When we are young, these telomeres are long. Each time a cell divides, the telomeres shorten. The shorter the telomeres become, the more slowly the cells divide. Because ashwagandha is an adaptogenic herb that soothes the adrenal glands and thyroid, it helps maintain long telomeres [5]. This stops premature aging and is important for the condition of our skin, heart, insulin action, muscle mass, hormonal balance, and bone density. To help your body recover, magnesium and zinc are essential.
How does Ashwagandha help against insomnia?
Ashwagandha has several different effects that benefit your sleep, such as:
- It helps you relax and reduce stress.
- It has good antioxidant properties.
- Promotes digestion
- Helps repair damaged brain cells.
Supplementation with an extract of ashwagandha root (Withania somnifera) improves sleep quality in people with insomnia.
Ashwagandha Study For the study, 60 subjects with insomnia were randomly divided into a supplement group (40 subjects) and a placebo group (20 subjects). The supplement contained 300 mg of ashwagandha root extract and was administered twice daily for 10 weeks. Sleep duration and quality were recorded using so-called sleep actigraphy.
Both in the supplement group and in the placebo group, participants fell asleep faster after five and 10 weeks, but after 10 weeks, participants in the supplement group fell asleep significantly faster than subjects in the placebo group.
Sleep efficiency also improved significantly under the influence of ashwagandha supplementation. This was not the case in the placebo group. The root extract also significantly improved sleep quality and reduced anxiety. An ashwagandha root extract has the potential to naturally and safely improve sleep quality.
