Ashwagandha vs. L-Theanine: Enhancing Sleep and Reducing Stress

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Ashwagandha and L-Theanine are both beneficial dietary supplements that have crossed my path over the years.

They share many of the same attributes, like decreasing stress and anxiety, improving sleep quality, and helping to relax.

However, they work in unique ways, each with its benefits. Both looked promising to me, and I decided to try them out and share that experience in this article.

This article will contain everything you need to know to decide whether to give Ashwagandha or L-Theanine a shot.

In the practical information, I’ll discuss what the compound is, how it works, if it’s safe (who should avoid it), the (possible) benefits, and (possible) side effects.

Practical information about Ashwagandha

What is Ashwagandha?

Ashwagandha is a herbal supplement that can reduce stress, improve sleep quality, and positively affect testosterone production.

It’s made from a green shrub tree and can be found in parts of Asia and Africa.

The active ingredients in Ashwagandha are the withanolides.

There are three high-quality categories of Ashwagandha supplements available.

The Ashwagandha supplements I like best are from Nootropics Depot. I’ll put a link after the information to an in-depth review for each.

• ‍KSM-66 Ashwagandha has been deemed the king of full-spectrum Ashwagandha supplements (around 5% withanolides). Review.
• Sensoril Ashwagandha is especially great for balancing stress levels and supporting a healthy sleep pattern because it’s higher in Glycowithanolides (around 10% withanolides). Review.
• ‍Shoden Ashwagandha is a relatively new and highly purified full-spectrum Ashwagandha supplement (around 35% withanolides). Review.

How does Ashwagandha work?

Ashwagandha is a classified adaptogen that can help us handle stress better.

Taking it at night can help calm the body and reduce anxiety, improving sleep quality.

Ashwagandha can also positively affect testosterone by increasing the production of the luteinizing hormone. This hormone triggers testosterone production and supports our reproductive system.

Is Ashwagandha safe, and who should avoid it?

Ashwagandha supplements are non-toxic and safe to consume for most healthy adults.

Ashwagandha should be avoided by people with certain medical conditions, such as autoimmune disease, diabetes, low or high blood pressure, thyroid disorders, or stomach ulcers.

Ashwagandha is also best avoided by pregnant or breastfeeding women.

What are the benefits of Ashwagandha?

Ashwagandha can help with:

• Handling stress
• Improving the quality of sleep
• Reducing anxiety
• Boosting testosterone (thus improving muscle/ strength/ sexual desires/ mood/ body composition/ etc.)

What are the side effects of Ashwagandha?

In some uncommon cases, it may cause drowsiness, nausea, an upset stomach, diarrhea, or allergies.

More research is needed to pin down every possible side effect.

Practical information about L-Theanine

What is L-Theanine?

L-Theanine is an amino acid mainly found in black tea, green tea, and a few variants of mushrooms.

It’s not essential for the human body, and we don’t produce it ourselves.

How does L-Theanine work?

L-Theanine influences the neurotransmitters in our brains. More specifically, it increases the production of GABA (Gamma-aminobutyric acid) and the output of our happy hormones: serotonin and dopamine.

These regulate stress, mood, alertness, concentration, emotion, sleep, the perception of fear, etc.

Is L-Theanine safe, and who should avoid it?

L-Theanine is generally recognized as safe by the FDA. Doses of up to 900 mg daily have been found safe for eight weeks.

The effects of higher dosages/ a more prolonged duration are currently unknown but are POSSIBLY safe.

What are the benefits of L-Theanine?

L-Theanine can help with:

• Reducing anxiety/ fear
• Reducing stress
• Insomnia
• Improving mental focus
• Improving sleep quality
• Helping to relax
• Boosting the immune system
• Reducing blood pressure (by lowering stress/ helping to relax)

What are the side effects of L-Theanine?

The possible side effects of L-Theanine are almost non-existent to very minimal. In high dosages, it could cause:

• Nausea
• Irritability
• A headache
• An upset stomach

My experience with Ashwagandha

I’ve been taking Ashwagandha (mainly KSM-66) daily for years. It’s one of my all-time favorite supplements because the benefits for me are numerous.

I take 600 mg of Ashwagandha KSM-66 within 2 hours before sleep.

Supplementing Ashwagandha has dramatically decreased my stress and anxiety, and I can take on life more confidently. My sleep quality improved because I fell asleep faster and slept noticeably deeper.

I also experienced testosterone-related benefits, such as more energy, better sexual health, faster results in the gym, etc.

My testosterone levels have improved slightly from Ashwagandha, but not nearly as much as from taking Tongkat Ali.

My experience with L-Theanine

I’ve taken L-Theanine daily for multiple months, and I can confidently say it works incredibly.

I take one 200 mg pill on an empty stomach with caffeine in the morning (a 2:1 ratio is best) and, optionally, one more in the afternoon.

I can best describe it as getting a calm energy boost with unrivaled mental clarity. I’m more productive and can focus significantly better, which allows me to get more work done.

Bigger tasks or challenges don’t bother me as much, which decreases procrastination big time. Also, I notice it improves my mood, and I feel better overall.

If you take it before bedtime, it can improve sleep quality by it’s calming, stress-reducing effects. However, I prefer the daytime benefits and rather take other supplements (like Ashwagandha) at night.

Winner Ashwagandha versus L-Theanine: Indecisive

It isn’t easy to pick a decisive winner when placing Ashwagandha versus L-Theanine because they’re both useful in their respective way.

Both can have a beneficial effect on stress, anxiety, and feelings of depression. I’ll quickly compare the unique benefits of each, so you can see which you prefer.

I take Ashwagandha daily at night (within two hours of bedtime), which has noticeably improved my sleep quality, morning energy levels, sex drive, and (free) testosterone levels (slightly).

I take L-Theanine first thing in the morning with caffeine (a 2:1 ratio on an empty stomach), which gives me a calm sense of energy with insane mental clarity.

It makes me more productive, procrastinate less, and helps me conquer the challenge crossing my path. Because of its effects on Dopamine and Serotonin, it’s great for boosting mood and feeling better in general.

If you take L-Theanine at night, it helps to relax your body by boosting GABA production, which improves sleep quality.

Both supplements improve my quality of life, and I don’t plan on stopping with either of them. In my opinion, they have great synergy and benefit each other.

I recommend you choose the one that fits your personal needs best or try both together as I do.

The Ashwagandha and L-Theanine I take come from Nootropics Depot and have given me the most significant benefits.

They heavily research their supplements in an in-house lab and have a mission to provide supplements that contain what’s on the label. This should be mandatory, but often that’s not the case.

You can click on either of them below to check them out.

Ashwagandha KSM-66 (2x 300 mg)

L-Theanine (1-2x 200 mg)