SynthesisPloS one2021
Effect of Ashwagandha (Withania somnifera) extract on sleep: A systematic review and meta-analysis.
Synthesis in PloS one, 2021. The graph could read no effect estimate from its abstract, so it casts no vote on the map. Cited by 40 papers, 2 of them syntheses that pooled it.
What it found
Each row is one number read from the abstract, on the scale the paper reported it, with its interval. Left of the dashed line favours the treatment, right favours the comparator. Under each row is the sentence it came from. New to these charts? A ten-minute tutorial.
The abstract states no effect estimate the extractor could read, or names no intervention and outcome on the map, so this paper lights no cell and moves no belief. It is still indexed, cited and linked below.
The trial behind it
Trials whose registry record cites this paper, or whose number appears in the abstract. A trial that started after this paper was published is citing it as background, not reporting it.
Neither the registry nor the abstract names a trial number. If this is a trial report, that itself is worth knowing.
Who cites it
40 citing papers in PubMed, 2 syntheses or guidelines pooled it, 75 citations in OpenAlex.
- Effects ofNutrients · 2026Pooled it
- Effects ofFrontiers in pharmacology · 2026Pooled it
- Modulating stress and sleep through a multi-compound dietary supplement: a randomized, double-blind, placebo-controlled trial.Journal of the International Society of Sports Nutrition · 2026Trial
- Ashwagandha ( Withania somnifera ) Root Extract Improves General Health in Elderly Men and Women: A Prospective, Randomized, Double-Blind, Placebo-Controlled, Efficacy and Safety Study.Phytotherapy research : PTR · 2026Trial
- Efficacy and safety of ashwagandha root extract in children and adolescents with mild attention-deficit/hyperactivity disorder: a randomized, double-blind, placebo-controlled trial.Journal of medicine and life · 2026Trial
- Safety and tolerability of Ashwagandha (Frontiers in nutrition · 2026Trial
- Plant Part-Specific Differences in Ashwagandha (Food science & nutrition · 2026Review
- Article
- Nutraceutical Applications ofFoods (Basel, Switzerland) · 2026Review
- Dietary Protocols to Promote and Improve Restful Sleep: A Narrative Review.Nutrition reviews · 2026Review
- Oral Administration of Withaferin A Increases Infiltration of CD4Journal of cancer prevention · 2026Article
- The Clinical Implications of Ashwagandha (Nutrients · 2026Review
- Mouse neuronal dendritic complexity and resilience to stress-induced depression in Drosophila melanogaster are enhanced by Withania somnifera alkaloids.Journal of ethnopharmacology · 2026Article
- Ashwagandha (Withania Somnifera): a comprehensive narrative review of its role in enhancing physical performance and health.Nutrition & metabolism · 2026Review
- Ashwagandha (Iranian journal of basic medical sciences · 2026Review
- The effect ofBJPsych open · 2025Review
- Parasomnia, Acute Confusion, and Transient Amnesia Temporally Associated With Ashwagandha Ingestion.Cureus · 2025Article
- Biopsychological Effects of Ashwagandha (Muscles (Basel, Switzerland) · 2025Review
- Ashwagandha (Nutrients · 2025Review
- The 4Rs Framework of Sports Nutrition: An Update with Recommendations to Evaluate Allostatic Load in Athletes.Life (Basel, Switzerland) · 2025Review
Corrections and comments
PubMed lists nothing against this paper. Absence here is not a guarantee, only a check that was made.
Authors and funding
4 authors at 1 institution in 1 country.
Funding
No grant is acknowledged in the PubMed record.
Abstract
objectiveTo determine the effect of Ashwagandha extract on sleep.
methodsA comprehensive search was conducted in CENTRAL, MEDLINE, SCOPUS, Google Scholars, World Health Organization Trials Portal, ClinicalTrials.gov, Clinical Trial Registry of India, and AYUSH Research Portal for all appropriate trials. Randomized controlled trials that examined the effect of Ashwagandha extract versus placebo on sleep in human participants 18 years old and above were considered. Two authors independently read all trials and independently extracted all relevant data. The primary outcomes were sleep quantity and sleep quality. The secondary outcomes were mental alertness on rising, anxiety level, and quality of life.
resultsA total of five randomized controlled trials containing 400 participants were analyzed. Ashwagandha extract exhibited a small but significant effect on overall sleep (Standardized Mean Difference -0.59; 95% Confidence Interval -0.75 to -0.42; I2 = 62%). The effects on sleep were more prominent in the subgroup of adults diagnosed with insomnia, treatment dosage ≥600 mg/day, and treatment duration ≥8 weeks. Ashwagandha extract was also found to improve mental alertness on rising and anxiety level, but no significant effect on quality of life. No serious side effects were reported.
conclusionAshwagandha extract appears to has a beneficial effect in improving sleep in adults. However, data on the serious adverse effects of Ashwagandha extract are limited, and more safety data would be needed to assess whether it would be safe for long-term use.
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What OpenQuestion holds
Registered trials
Read under generation 80e0d062 · epoch 390. Bibliography from PubMed, PubMed Central and OpenAlex; grants from NIH RePORTER; trial links from ClinicalTrials.gov; estimates, votes and beliefs from the OpenQuestion graph.