Creatine improved sleep ratings, with measured sleep outcomes uncertain
Men rated sleep more favorably with creatine, but device measurements showed no significant differences in duration, efficiency, or time to fall asleep.
Based on the published abstract. The full paper may contain additional methods, results and limitations.
The 30-second takeaway
Creatine improved sleep-quality ratings and was associated with an earlier bedtime in active men. Cognitive test performance and some shuttle-run measures also improved. Sleep duration, efficiency, and time to fall asleep did not differ significantly from placebo, separating the reported improvement in sleep ratings from measured sleep changes.
The trial involved a small group of active men. Its abstract cannot establish lasting sleep benefits or applicability to other populations.
What researchers found
Self-rated sleep quality
After each 7-day phase, ratings favored creatine over placebo by 0.81 standard deviations, units based on score variability. This is neither a sleep-score point change nor a percentage; raw differences were unreported.
Ratings and device measurements
Participants completed creatine and placebo phases with exercise routines standardized across phases. Wrist-worn devices tracked sleep, while a separate questionnaire captured participants' judgments of sleep quality.
Recovery findings were mixed
Muscle soreness scores on the well-being questionnaire were lower with creatine. Other perceived recovery measures did not differ significantly from placebo, so the abstract does not establish generally faster recovery.
The original publication
Effects of Creatine Monohydrate Loading on Sleep Metrics, Physical Performance, Cognitive Function, and Recovery in Physically Active Men: A Randomized, Double-Blind, Placebo-Controlled, Crossover Trial.
Ben Maaoui K, Delleli S, Mahdi N et al.
Nutrients · 2025
- PubMed ID
- 41470776
- Record checked
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