Blogs

Time of Day to Take Ashwagandha

Ashwagandha, otherwise known as Withania somnifera, is a plant that has been used in traditional medicine for thousands of years.

It’s an adaptogen, a plant that can support your body’s response to stress as well as potentially lower stress levels and improve your sleep.

What are the Benefits of Ashwagandha?

Ashwagandha has been found to have natural benefits on sleep, stress, anxiety levels, immune health and blood sugar. Read more about how ashwagandha works here!

Or, if you would like to learn more about the scientific research and evidence behind ashwagandha’s benefits, feel free to read those here.

It’s exciting to see that there is immense research to back up the anecdotal claims of a herb used throughout the millennia, especially since it has benefits for modern-day problems.

Further reading: Shoden® Ashwagandha and why it’s better than KSM-66 and Sensoril®.

Do I take Ashwagandha in the Morning or Night?

Ashwagandha is usually taken as a tablet, capsule, powder or liquid extract, although most studies have been tested on tablets, capsules and powders, so that’s something to keep in mind.

There’s no specific time of day to take ashwagandha, so you can time it any time, day or night. When you decide to take it depends on the reason you’re taking it and whether or not you feel side effects.

How long does ashwagandha take to kick in? It’s also important to remember that ashwagandha can take days to weeks for you to notice effects. One study showed people taking 300mg took upwards of 10 weeks to fully feel ashwagandha’s effects on their sleep.

How long does ashwagandha take to work for anxiety? Another study found that ashwagandha took six weeks and up to 60 days to feel benefits on anxiety, showing the importance of staying consistent with the supplement.

Let’s run through some benefits of each time of day.

Morning

So, ashwagandha and mornings? If you’re one to take a range of supplements each morning, then it might be easiest to simply add ashwagandha to your morning stack, so you don’t forget to take it.

As for the best time to take ashwagandha for anxiety, some people even take ashwagandha in the morning to experience its anti-stress effects during the day. What about ashwagandha and mood? If you’re looking for the mental health and calmness benefits of ashwagandha, you may even want to take it both in the morning and in the evening to see if you feel any benefits. If taking it both morning and night, make sure to split your daily dosage in half, rather than taking a full dose at each time.

What about ashwagandha with food or empty stomach? If you have a sensitive stomach and if you want to take ashwagandha in the morning, it might be best to take ashwagandha with your first meal to reduce any unwanted stomach discomfort, which is something that occurs to many people when they take vitamins and supplements.

In terms of whether you can take ashwagandha in the morning on an empty stomach, while you can, there’s just a high chance of an individual experiencing mild stomach discomfort, so it’s always a good idea to take it just after breakfast once you have food in your belly.

Does ashwagandha make you groggy in the morning? Ashwagandha doesn’t cause grogginess or drowsiness, so it has no impact on whether you take it in the morning. If anything, some people experience a burst of energy when taking it.

Night

If you’re taking ashwagandha just for its benefits on sleep, you might want to take it before bed to help you relax.

If you’re someone who experiences stomach discomfort when you take ashwagandha, give taking it at night a go to see if that helps. Ashwagandha doesn’t cause drowsiness either, so it’s perfectly safe to take in the evening.

How many hours before bed should I take ashwagandha? It’s best to not take ashwagandha right before bedtime as some people experience an energy boost after taking it, which can then disrupt your sleep. It’s best to take ashwagandha about an hour, don’t take it after this, before bed to improve your sleep.

End Note

Whichever time you choose to take ashwagandha that suits your goals and schedule, it’s important to stay consistent with it. As mentioned above, ashwagandha takes time to build in your body for you to then feel its benefits, so make sure you take it at the same time each day.

In this way, it doesn’t necessarily matter what time you take ashwagandha as your body is still building up its levels and providing you its benefits throughout the day. It matters that you take it daily!

Other than this, make sure to read the directions of the ashwagandha supplement you’re taking to see if they have any specific usage requirements.

As always, make sure to speak with your doctor before taking ashwagandha. While it’s safe for most people, those who are pregnant, breastfeeding or taking certain medications, like immunosuppressants, sedatives and antidepressants, should speak with their medical professional first.

If you’re ready to see if ashwagandha has benefits for you, how about try Xandro Lab’s Shoden® Ashwagandha 480mg!

Or, learn the difference between Shoden®, Sensoril® and KSM-66 Ashwagandha here.