Ashwagandha and Sleep architecture
Each entry’s own grades, side by side. A grade says how strong the evidence is for one outcome — it does not rank one entry over the other.
Compound or practice
Ashwagandha
The best-evidenced adaptogen for cortisol and stress — with a real question mark on long-term use.
Grade B5 graded outcomesrevised Jun 15, 2026
A hand-written entry in Prometheus's bundled library. Its grades are the entry's own reading of the evidence, not a peer-reviewed review.
Compound or practice
Sleep architecture
The recovery system everything else compounds on — deep and REM timing matter more than raw hours.
Grade A4 graded outcomesrevised Jun 28, 2026
A hand-written entry in Prometheus's bundled library. Its grades are the entry's own reading of the evidence, not a peer-reviewed review.
Graded in both
Outcomes are matched by name. Two entries can describe the same outcome in different words, so one listed further down may still be graded in the other.
No outcome has the same name in both entries. They may still overlap under different wording — read the two lists below.
Graded only in Ashwagandha
- Perceived stress / anxiety Moderate effectEvidence grade A
- Cortisol reduction Moderate effectEvidence grade B
- Sleep quality Small effectEvidence grade B
- Testosterone (stressed men) Small effectEvidence grade C
- Long-term safety (>6 months) Unclear effectEvidence grade D
Graded only in Sleep architecture
- Insomnia severity (CBT-I components) Large effectEvidence grade A
- Deep-sleep minutes (schedule consistency) Moderate effectEvidence grade A
- Next-day cognition Moderate effectEvidence grade A
- REM cost of evening alcohol Moderate effectEvidence grade A
Conditions
Only in Ashwagandha
- Generalized anxiety ImprovesEvidence grade B
- Stress-driven insomnia ImprovesEvidence grade B
- Subclinical hypothyroidism May improveEvidence grade C
- Liver conditions May worsenEvidence grade D
Only in Sleep architecture
- Insomnia ImprovesEvidence grade A
- Depression ImprovesEvidence grade B
- Hypertension ImprovesEvidence grade B
- Type 2 diabetes ImprovesEvidence grade B
What each entry says about the other
- Sleep architecture’s entry · Goes with: When the insomnia is cortisol-driven, treat the stress floor too
Both columns are read from the entries as they stand in this library. A comparison is not advice to take either one, and it is no substitute for a clinician who knows the person.