hintlSleepornithine

Does Ornithine Have a Positive Effect on Sleep Quality? What Two Studies Show

オルニチン · ornithine · Last updated:

hintl editorial team / Sleep Research Desk

Sleep genre desk — research review

白い無地のサプリメント容器とこぼれ出たカプセル
Research data last updated: |How this works

Key points

Multiple human studies report a positive effect.

For sleep quality · 2 studies · 243 participants

hintl Evidence Score 59/100 (2 studies, confidence moderate).

Evidence at a glance

How does ornithine affect sleep quality?

promising
59/100 Evidence ScoreConfidence: moderate2 studies1 RCT
How the 59 is built
Study design base
randomized controlled trial
+30/40
RCT bonus
1 RCT
+5/15
Study count bonus
2 studies
+4/10
Participants bonus
Total 243 participants
+10/20
Consistency bonus
human studies agree
+10/10

Scoring method

Multiple human studies report a positive effect.

  • 2 human studies (243 participants total)
  • Studies point in broadly the same direction

  • Research reports indicate a positive effect on sleep quality.
  • The evidence score is 59, indicating moderate reliability.
  • There is research data on healthy workers experiencing stress and on people with specific conditions.

Ornithine is a type of amino acid.

It is generally taken in contexts such as nutritional supplementation.

There are reports that taking ornithine may cause changes in sleep quality.

In a small-scale study involving 52 participants experiencing stress and fatigue, sleep quality was shown to improve. This study targeted 52 healthy Japanese adults. In other words, ornithine may be related to sleep quality even in situations where people are experiencing daily fatigue or stress.

This study used a randomized controlled trial (a reliable research method in which participants are randomly assigned to compare effects). Methods that determine target groups in advance and then divide them by condition in this way are considered to have high objectivity. In addition, as a result of a survey conducted over a 56-day period, reports also included suppression of feelings of anger, in addition to sleep quality.

Ornithine has been used in research not only on healthy people but also on people in specific conditions.

In a study involving 193 participants, changes were reported in symptoms such as sleep quality and fatigue. This study was conducted on people with hepatic encephalopathy (a condition in which reduced liver function affects the brain) due to cirrhosis. Specifically, improvements were suggested in areas such as fatigability and lack of concentration, alongside sleep quality.

The design of this study includes a cohort study (a survey method that continuously observes a specific group to see changes over time). It was also conducted using an open-label (a trial in which participants know what they are taking) and prospective (a survey format that follows the passage of time going forward) method.

A total of 2 studies on ornithine have been confirmed. Of the two cases cited here, one is a randomized controlled trial, and the other is an observational study. Therefore, the overall evidence score (a numerical representation of the quality of the research and the certainty of the results) is 59.

This score indicates moderate reliability, but it is still difficult to judge everything based on this alone. Depending on the content of the research, some individuals may not experience an effect, and it may not suit everyone. Since this research data includes studies of people with specific diseases as well as observational studies that tracked progress, caution is needed in how the results are interpreted.

StudyDesignNumber of ParticipantsDurationMain Result
Nutrition journal (2014, PMID:24889392)Randomized controlled trial (RCT)5256 daysA positive effect was reported
Clinical drug investigation (2011, PMID:21208014)Cohort study19156 daysA positive effect was reported

The subjects of the research include 52 healthy Japanese adults experiencing stress and fatigue, and 193 patients with hepatic encephalopathy due to cirrhosis.

Research has been conducted on both healthy people and people with specific diseases. This can serve as material for checking against your own situation.

There are 2 studies.

The study designs include cohort studies in addition to randomized controlled trials (RCTs).

The reliability of the research results is considered moderate.

What effect is ornithine reported to have on sleep quality?

Research has reported a positive effect on sleep quality. This includes 2 studies.

Has ornithine been studied even in cases of stress?

There is a study of healthy Japanese adults experiencing stress and fatigue. The study reported an effect on sleep quality.

Is ornithine studied even in the presence of disease?

There is a study of patients with hepatic encephalopathy due to cirrhosis. The study includes reports on symptoms such as sleep quality and fatigue.

Two studies suggest that ornithine may have a positive effect on sleep quality. However, the evidence score is 59, indicating moderate reliability. Since this data involves a limited number of participants and also includes observational research, results may vary depending on an individual's condition.

Why not check whether your sleep habits suit you with the self-check assessment?

References

This page's evaluation is based on the following peer-reviewed studies (2). Each link goes directly to the primary source (PubMed / DOI).

  1. Randomised controlled trial of the effects of L-ornithine on stress markers and sleep quality in healthy workers.randomized controlled trial (RCT) · Nutrition journal · 2014
  2. Oral L-ornithine-L-aspartate improves health-related quality of life in cirrhotic patients with hepatic encephalopathy: an open-label, prospective, multicentre observational study.cohort study · Clinical drug investigation · 2011

Things to keep in mind

  • Supplements are not medicines. If you have a medical condition, are pregnant, or take medication, check with your doctor or pharmacist.

Related items

Evidence Scores are computed mechanically from the published research (PubMed / Semantic Scholar / OpenAlex): study design, participant numbers, and consistency across studies. An LLM is used only to extract study data, never to decide a score.

This is research-based information, not medical advice, and not a diagnosis. Consult a qualified professional about your own situation.

How the Evidence Score is calculated

Share this:

hintl editorial team / Sleep Research Desk

Sleep genre desk — research review

We continuously check the published research and translate the technical language into plain terms. The policy is to report a trend in the research, never a flat claim that something "works".

This article was produced by an editorial system from published research and is managed by the editor-in-responsibility (Takuya Hirata, representative of AJARA LLC).