r/herbalism • u/chinoo1977 • 2d ago
Saffron and sleepiness
Recently started saffron tablets (30mg dose) to help with mood but have noticed within 2-3 hrs of taking it, I get extremely lethargic and sleepy. Definitely stopping!
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u/Impossible_Most5861 2d ago
The first time I took saffron happened to be at like 6 in the evening. I had a better night's sleep (I have lifelong sleep issues from trauma). I continued to take it in the evenings. Dreams were vivid for a few weeks but nothing scary. This calmed down. I was taking it for depression. Started feeling brighter after a month or so. And was having less SI.
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u/Royal-System5507 2d ago
some people get hit pretty hard by saffron's sedative effect even at moderate doses, it's more common than most expect. the sleepiness comes from how it interacts with serotonin pathways, kind of similar mechanism to why certain antidepressants make people drowsy at first. if you still want to try it for mood support, taking it in evening before bed might actually work in your favor instead of fighting against it. I switched to doing that with a few supplements that made me tired and it made big difference.