Comparison
Ashwagandha vs Melatonin
Side-by-side of Ashwagandha and Melatonin. Every row below is pulled from the compound schema and will update as our data grows. For deeper reads, follow through to each compound page.
Ashwagandha
Ashwagandha supplement guide: KSM-66 and Sensoril extracts at 300-600 mg/day cut morning cortisol and stress in RCTs. Dose, side effects, testosterone data.
Melatonin
Melatonin as a sleep supplement: 0.3-1 mg matches physiological output, 3-10 mg is pharmacological. Shifts circadian phase, shortens sleep latency.
Effects at a glance
Ashwagandha
- •Reduces morning serum cortisol by ~20 to 30% at 300 to 600 mg/day standardized extract over 8 weeks
- •Lowers subjective stress on DASS-21 and PSS scales versus placebo in chronically stressed adults
- •Modest grip-strength and 1-RM gains of ~5 to 8% in trained men when paired with resistance training
- •Improves self-reported sleep quality and onset latency in adults with insomnia symptoms
- •Small testosterone increases (~10 to 15%) reported in stressed or subfertile men, less clear in healthy populations
- •May raise free T3 and T4; can interact with levothyroxine and unmask subclinical hyperthyroidism
Melatonin
- •Shortens sleep onset latency by ~7 to 12 minutes at physiological 0.3 to 1 mg doses
- •Advances circadian phase when taken 30 to 60 minutes before target bedtime, useful for jet lag and shift work
- •Does not meaningfully increase total sleep time in healthy adults without circadian misalignment
- •Endogenous nighttime production is not suppressed by short-term exogenous supplementation
- •Higher doses (3 to 10 mg) raise plasma levels above physiological range and often increase morning grogginess
- •Effective for delayed sleep-wake phase disorder and reducing jet-lag severity in eastward travel
Side-by-side
| Attribute | Ashwagandha | Melatonin |
|---|---|---|
| Category | natural | supplement |
| Also known as | Withania somnifera, KSM-66, Sensoril | N-acetyl-5-methoxytryptamine |
| Half-life (hr) ↗ | 10 | 0.75 |
| Typical dose (mg) ↗ | 600 | 0.5 |
| Dosing frequency | daily | daily, 30 to 60 minutes before target sleep time |
| Routes | oral | oral, sublingual |
| Onset (hr) | 2 | 0.5 |
| Peak (hr) | - | 1 |
| Molecular weight | - | 232.28 |
| Molecular formula | - | C13H16N2O2 |
| Mechanism | GABAergic modulation and HPA-axis attenuation; withanolides reduce cortisol secretion and inhibit NF-kB signaling. | Agonist at MT1 and MT2 receptors in the suprachiasmatic nucleus, signaling biological night and promoting sleep-onset gating plus circadian phase shifts. |
| Legal status | Dietary supplement in most jurisdictions; regulated in Denmark | OTC in US; prescription in UK, EU, Japan |
| WADA status | allowed | allowed |
| DEA / Rx | OTC supplement | OTC supplement in US; Rx in UK, EU, Japan, Australia |
| Pregnancy | Not recommended | Insufficient data; not routinely recommended |
| CAS | - | 73-31-4 |
| PubChem CID | - | 896 |
| Wikidata | Q310109 | Q179243 |
Safety profile
Ashwagandha
Common side effects
- mild GI upset
- drowsiness
- headache
Contraindications
- pregnancy
- autoimmune disease (theoretical immune stimulation)
- hyperthyroidism
- concurrent sedative use
Interactions
- benzodiazepines: additive CNS depression(moderate)
- thyroid hormone (levothyroxine): may raise T3/T4, altering dose requirements(moderate)
- immunosuppressants: theoretical antagonism via immune stimulation(moderate)
Melatonin
Common side effects
- vivid dreams
- morning grogginess (higher doses)
- headache
- dizziness
Contraindications
- autoimmune disease (theoretical)
- concurrent anticoagulant therapy without monitoring
Interactions
- fluvoxamine: CYP1A2 inhibition raises melatonin levels substantially(major)
- warfarin: possible increased bleeding risk(moderate)
- benzodiazepines and alcohol: additive sedation(moderate)
- antihypertensives: may alter blood pressure response(minor)
Which Should You Take?
Ashwagandha comes out ahead for most readers on the criteria we weight: 3 catalogued goals, OTC dietary supplement, oral dosing, with a Tier-B outcome catalogued. Melatonin is the right call when one of the conditionals below applies.
- → If your priority is stress and HPA-axis regulation, pick Ashwagandha.
- → If your priority is focus or working memory, pick Ashwagandha.
- → If your priority is sleep onset or sleep quality, pick Melatonin.
- → If your priority is circadian regulation, pick Melatonin.
Edge case: Half-lives differ materially (Ashwagandha ~10 hr vs Melatonin ~0.75 hr). Ashwagandha reaches steady state faster; Melatonin is easier to dial in if tolerability is uncertain.
Default choice: Ashwagandha. Lower friction to source, and broader goal coverage. Reach for Melatonin only if your priority sits squarely in the goals it owns above.
This verdict is generated from each compound's schema (goals, legal status, evidence outcomes, dosing route). It updates automatically as our compound data evolves; the deeper read sits on each individual compound page.
Common questions
What is the difference between Ashwagandha and Melatonin?
Ashwagandha and Melatonin differ in category (natural vs supplement), mechanism, and typical dosing. See the side-by-side table for full details.
Which has a longer half-life, Ashwagandha or Melatonin?
Ashwagandha half-life is 10 hours; Melatonin half-life is 0.75 hours.
Can you stack Ashwagandha with Melatonin?
Stack compatibility depends on mechanism overlap, legal status, and individual response. Check each compound page for specific interactions and contraindications before combining.
Go deeper