Saffron and sleep: the two 28-day trials
Two trials from the same Australian group tested a standardised saffron extract, affron, in adults who slept badly. Neither reports a percentage improvement, so you will not find one here; what they report is whether sleep ratings improved against placebo.
Trial one: 63 adults, 14 mg twice a day
Adults aged 18 to 70 with self-reported poor sleep took 14 mg of affron twice a day or placebo for 28 days; 55 were analysed. Against placebo, the saffron group improved on the Insomnia Severity Index (p = .017), the Restorative Sleep Questionnaire (p = .029) and sleep quality on the Pittsburgh Sleep Diary (p = .014). (Lopresti, Smith, Metse and Drummond, Journal of Clinical Sleep Medicine, 2020, PMID 32056539.)
Trial two: 120 adults, 14 or 28 mg an hour before bed
Adults with poor sleep took placebo, 14 mg or 28 mg of affron one hour before bed for 28 days. Both saffron amounts produced greater improvements than placebo in sleep quality ratings, the primary outcome, and in mood after waking and Insomnia Symptom Questionnaire scores, with similar results at the two amounts. The study also measured evening changes in a sleep-related hormone. (Lopresti, Smith and Drummond, Sleep Medicine, 2021, PMID 34438361.)
Sleep in the mood trials
The largest adult mood trial (202 adults, 28 mg a day, 12 weeks) found sleep improved only in the subgroup with high sleep disturbance (d = 0.44) (Journal of Nutrition, 2025, PMID 40414301). In women aged 50 to 70, 28 mg a day for 12 weeks improved sleep-related impairment (d = 0.45) but not sleep disturbance (Frontiers in Nutrition, 2026, PMID 42389708).
What to keep in mind
Both sleep trials ran for 28 days, so nothing here speaks to the first week. Both were in adults. And both used questionnaires and diaries rather than a sleep laboratory, which is normal for this kind of research and worth knowing.
This article reports published research for parents and adults who want to read it for themselves. It is not medical advice, it does not describe or recommend any product, and it never replaces a conversation with your GP or your child's clinicians.