Saffron to Improve Your Sleep

Improve Your Sleep with Saffron

Ever considered adding a dash of spice to your bedtime routine? A new study suggests saffron, a well-known kitchen ingredient, might improve your sleep.

In the 28-day study published in 2021, researchers divided 120 adults with insufficient sleep into three groups. One group took a placebo, the second group took 14mg of a standardized saffron extract, and the third took 28mg of the same extract. These supplements were taken an hour before bedtime.

The researchers then measured different aspects of the participants’ sleep, including sleep quality, insomnia symptoms, mood states upon waking, restorative sleep, and functional outcomes of sleep. They also measured the evening concentrations of melatonin and cortisol in the participants’ saliva.

The saffron groups showed better sleep quality, mood upon waking, and reduced insomnia symptoms than the placebo group. Furthermore, these improvements were similar regardless of whether the participants took 14mg or 28mg of saffron. Interestingly, saffron supplementation was linked to increased evening melatonin levels, a hormone that promotes sleep. However, there were no significant differences in evening cortisol levels (a stress hormone) between the groups. Importantly, saffron supplements were well-tolerated with no significant side effects reported.

In conclusion, this study adds further evidence that saffron supplements could enhance sleep in adults struggling with insufficient sleep. Further studies are needed to confirm these findings and explore the potential sleep-improving mechanisms of saffron.

Want to dive deeper into the study? Click here.