Should You Take Ashwagandha in the Morning or at Night?
The herb ashwagandha (scientific name Withania somnifera), or “winter cherry” or “Indian ginseng,” is a very widely used herb in Ayurveda. Ashwagandha is known for increasing strength, longevity, and decreasing stress in the human body. The stress reduction capability in ashwagandha is due to the presence of the substance “adaptogen”.
As ashwagandha is so popular and widely used, a common question that arises that when the herb should be taken during the day, will the morning or at night? This is not a straightforward answer, as this depends on the goal of the person, the lifestyle, and the body response of the person. This article will discuss the benefits of consuming ashwagandha at each time (morning and night), the background information, and a guide on what time could work better for a person.
Effects of Ashwagandha
Before discussing when to take ashwagandha, it’s good to know the effects of ashwagandha.
- Stress and Cortisol Reduction
Ashwagandha is rich in adaptogens; this substance has been shown to reduce cortisol levels, which is a stress hormone. Hence, ashwagandha helps in stress and anxiety reduction and relaxation.
2. Sleep quality change
By reducing stress, ashwagandha calms down the nervous system, reduces stress, and thus helps to improve or regularize the sleep cycle.
3. Energy support
Ashwagandha helps to increase muscle strength, physical energy, breathing capacity, and stamina. Hence, ashwagandha is very popular among players and athletes.
4. Increased brain function
Ashwagandha helps in various cognitive skills, including memory and focus. It improves overall brain health due to the presence of adaptogens and antioxidants in it.
How can ashwagandha help if consumed in the morning?
1. Provides energy throughout the day
Ashwagandha provides strength and helps to reduce tiredness. Hence, if it is taken after breakfast, it can give a lot of energy and can work as a supplement to caffeine-rich stimulant drinks like tea or coffee.
2. Increase in mental concentration
Ashwagandha’s adaptogenic characteristics reduce anxiety and make a person calm. This can help concentrate better and remember things better. It can help to increase clarity even when one is undergoing some kind of stress.
3. Stress reducer
The biological clock increases Cortisol in the morning, with the response called Cortisol Awakening Response (CAR). Taking ashwagandha in the morning can help to reduce Cortisol levels and help to deal with stress throughout the day.
4. Support for physical strength
Players and athletes take ashwagandha in the morning as it provides strength. Ashwagandha helps specifically with muscle strength and recovery.
Hence, ashwagandha is best for people who have issues with morning fatigue, people who need mental clarity in the morning (students and working professionals like researchers), athletes and players, and for people who must undergo a lot of stress throughout the day.
How can ashwagandha help if consumed at night?
1. Restful sleep
Ashwagandha is good and widely known for calming down the nervous system and helping with the quality of sleep, and reducing the time needed to fall asleep. So, taking ashwagandha before sleep can provide a restful night with deep sleep. This can be particularly helpful for people suffering from insomnia.
2. Reduction in stress and anxiety during evening time
If someone struggles during the evening time after having a long, stressful day at work, ashwagandha is a good option to reduce stress and help that person relax at night.
3. Regulates Cortisol at night
The stress hormone- Cortisol naturally decreases at night, and the sleep hormone- Melatonin increases. Ashwagandha’s cortisol-lowering properties even help with this process more and provide good sleep at night.
4. Muscle repair during sleep time
The human body naturally goes into a healing mode and starts repairing body systems. Taking ashwagandha at night may help in the muscle repair mechanism, as this herb is good for muscle recovery and repair.
Hence, Ashwagandha is best for people to take at night who suffer from insomnia or have bad sleeping patterns, people who suffer from poor anxiety levels in the evening, a person trying to recover muscles at night (like athletes and players), for night shift workers who don’t have a regular sleep cycle.
Can ashwagandha be taken both morning and night?
Sometimes the dosage of ashwagandha can be split between the morning and night. Half can be taken in the morning and half before bed at night. This can give a relaxed and less-stressful day to start with in the morning, and also can help relax during the night with better sleep. However, whether this will work or not depends on the form it is taken in, as ashwagandha is available in powder, capsule, and liquid extract forms.
Dosage for Ashwagandha
Capsule or extracts: about 300-600 mg per day. In powder form. About 1-2 teaspoons mixed with warm, smoothie, or water.
The starting dose should always be small and can be slowly increased/adjusted based on one’s body responses.
How to decide the time
- Take it in the morning:
If you feel tired in the morning after walking
If you need more energy and want to focus more
If you have a lot of stress during the day
If you work out in the daytime
- Take it at night:
If you cannot fall asleep or wake up in between
If you are highly anxious in the evening
If you want some your muscles recover in the night
How to take ashwagandha and precautions
The best way to take ashwagandha is to take it with milk or water. But it should be taken in a regular fashion. But to see the effects, it should be continued for a few weeks. Although ashwagandha is very safe, there could be some side effects other than stomach upset, headaches, and/or drowsiness. A pregnant or breastfeeding woman should consult a doctor or medical practitioner before taking ashwagandha.