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Study summary · Brain, cognition & mood

Does saffron extract improve sleep quality in individuals with mild to moderate sleep disorders associated with anxiety?

In one paragraph

Saffron Extract, a randomized trial in 66 subjects (Nutrients 2021, PMID 33925432) — after 6 weeks, saffron supplementation increased time in bed (actigraphy), improved ease of getting to sleep (LSEQ), and improved sleep quality, sleep latency, sleep duration, and global scores (PSQI). Scope: 66 subjects, over 6 weeks, and the abstract states no limitations.

Source: Nutrients 2021, PMID 33925432 ↗ · Research map · How Magellan grades evidence · evidence confidence: medium

Nutrients · 2021 · PMID 33925432 · DOI 10.3390/nu13051473

Plain-English summary written and published by Magellan Longevity · medical review by Gabriel Radu, DO (physiatrist, NPI 1376861765). We summarize what the paper reported — we did not run this study.

The takeaway

Saffron extract improved objective and subjective measures of sleep quality and duration in people with mild to moderate sleep disorders and anxiety.

The question

Does saffron extract improve sleep quality in individuals with mild to moderate sleep disorders associated with anxiety?

What they tested

The study implicitly hypothesized that saffron extract would improve sleep quality, sleep latency, and sleep duration in subjects with mild to moderate sleep disorders associated with anxiety.

How they did it

A randomized, double-blind, controlled study was conducted with 66 subjects experiencing mild to moderate sleep disorder associated with anxiety. Participants were randomized to receive either a placebo (maltodextrin) or 15.5 mg of saffron extract per day for 6 weeks. Objective sleep data was collected using actigraphy at baseline, mid-intervention, and end of intervention. Subjective sleep quality was assessed using the LSEQ and PSQI questionnaires, and quality of life was assessed with the SF-36 questionnaire.

What they found

After 6 weeks, saffron supplementation increased time in bed (actigraphy), improved ease of getting to sleep (LSEQ), and improved sleep quality, sleep latency, sleep duration, and global scores (PSQI). The placebo group showed no changes in these parameters.

What it means

Saffron extract may be a natural and safe nutritional strategy to improve sleep duration and quality.

Limitations

The abstract does not explicitly state any limitations of the study.

Where the published abstract does not list limitations, we say so rather than inventing them. Read the full paper on PubMed before drawing conclusions.

“saffron extract could improve sleep duration and quality”— from the published abstract, Nutrients 2021

The paper at a glance

Magellan’s evidence labelimproves sleep latency, duration (our label for this citation — see PubMed for the paper’s own title and authors)
JournalNutrients
Year2021
PMID33925432 ↗
DOI10.3390/nu13051473 ↗
TopicBrain, cognition & mood

Read the source: PubMed record (authors, abstract, full citation) ↗ · Publisher via doi.org ↗

Where Magellan uses this paper

This citation sits behind the evidence grade on the pages below. Grades are set from the research and are independent of affiliate commissions.

Saffron Extract

Multiple randomized controlled trials and meta-analyses report that saffron (commonly about 20-30 mg/day for mood and 14-100 mg/day in sleep studies, over 4-8 weeks) reduces symptoms of mild-to-moderate depression versus placebo and performs comparably to SSRI antidepressants in head-to-head trials with fewer adverse…

Saffron Extract

Saffron is the dried red stigmas of the Crocus sativus flower, long used as a culinary spice and in…

Check price on Amazon ↗

Research describes the compound or intervention studied. It is not a claim about any specific product.

Molecules & mechanisms in this paper

Each of these is named in the paper’s own words above. Open the monograph for the full mechanism and its other citations.

Sleep

Cite this page

These citations point at this summary. To cite the original paper with its full author list, use the PubMed record or doi.org.

APA
Magellan Longevity. (2026). Does saffron extract improve sleep quality in individuals with mild to moderate sleep disorders associated with anxiety? [Plain-English summary of Nutrients 2021, PMID 33925432, DOI 10.3390/nu13051473]. Magellan Longevity. https://magellanlongevity.com/study/s119.html
BibTeX
@misc{magellan_s119, title = {Does saffron extract improve sleep quality in individuals with mild to moderate sleep disorders associated with anxiety?}, author = {{Magellan Longevity}}, year = {2026}, howpublished = {\url{https://magellanlongevity.com/study/s119.html}}, note = {Plain-English summary of PubMed PMID 33925432; DOI 10.3390/nu13051473; Nutrients 2021. Reviewed by Gabriel Radu, DO}, urldate = {2026-08-11} }
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How this summary was made. Every section above restates what the published abstract of PMID 33925432 reports — the question, the design, the numbers, the authors’ own conclusion and their stated limitations. We do not add claims the paper did not make, and we keep negative and no-effect findings in. Magellan’s evidence grades are set from research like this and never from affiliate commissions.

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Educational information, not medical advice. This is a plain-English summary of published research; it is not a treatment recommendation and nothing here is intended to diagnose, treat, cure, or prevent any disease. Individual studies can be wrong, and a single paper rarely settles a question. Talk to your physician before acting on any research, especially if you are pregnant, nursing, or taking medication.