herb · for poor sleep quality
Reishi
Thought to act on your brain’s calming system, deepening sleep and cutting night waking.
Say that in clinical terms
GABAergic sedative effects and TNF-alpha modulation improve sleep architecture and reduce nighttime awakenings.
How strong is the research?
Evidence evidence
Only one studyLow-quality evidence
3 papers read, 1 supporting.
Who was studied: The trial most likely enrolled people with a traditional-medicine diagnosis overlapping fatigue and anxiety.
How much to take
before bed
1000–1500 mg
Improves sleep architecture without sedation. Safe for long-term use.
Before you take it
- Platelet inhibition via triterpenes — clinically significant interaction with anticoagulants (warfarin), antiplatelet agents (aspirin, clopidogrel), thrombolytics, and NSAIDs; documented in human and animal studies since 1984 (PMID 4085058, PMID 2098581)
- CYP2E1 inhibition confirmed; potential effects on CYP3A4 and CYP1A2 — review all concomitant hepatically metabolized medications before co-administration
- Rare but documented hepatotoxicity with concentrated powdered extracts, including a fatal fulminant hepatitis case (PMID 17621752, 2007) and an additional case report in Journal of Hepatology (PMID 15464254, 2004); liver function monitoring is warranted with long-term or high-dose use
- No NIH Tolerable Upper Intake Level established for Reishi mushroom; controlled human safety data beyond 12 weeks is limited
- Insufficient evidence for safety in pregnancy or lactation — use should be avoided in these populations
What we make of it
A real trial exists, but the calming mechanism we describe is overstated.
The detail
There does appear to be a genuine trial on reishi and sleep. The claim that it acts directly on the brain’s calming receptors goes beyond what has been shown in people.