Diphenhydramine and Sleepy: What Users Say

• Sic...
• Taken for 1 to 6 months
• June 7, 2019

For Nausea/Vomiting "Have nausea often, especially if I undereat one day. I'll be nauseous and have trouble eating for days on end. I've been given Zofran, Phenergan, and Bentyl at the ER. When those ran out and the nausea didn't, I looked on the web and saw Benadryl recommended. It's worked very well for me every time! You will most likely be pretty sleepy, though. Plan on some nap time."

• dip...
• May 3, 2010

Diphenhydramine for Insomnia "Works excellent if you haven't built a tolerance to it. After a few days of use, you may find the medicine is less effective than it was when you first used it. Benadryl knocks me out quite quickly when I use it, the only problem I have with it is that I tend to oversleep or wake up groggy the morning after, which is generally relieved with some sort of caffeinated beverage."

• Agn...
• February 20, 2009

Diphenhydramine for Allergic Reactions "I have been using Benadryl for the past 4 years, and I never leave home without it. I have sneezing fits both indoors and outdoors, and Benadryl is the only allergy pill that works for me. It works fast and stops my runny nose immediately. Although I do feel sleepy (most of the time), I can't be without it."

• Anonymous
• September 5, 2011

Diphenhydramine for Allergic Rhinitis "I absolutely love Benadryl. It works fast when I need it and relieves the symptoms enough to make me feel comfortable. It does make me sleepy, so I take it at night. I do take it during the day occasionally when I know I don't have to drive anywhere."

• Per...
• Taken for less than 1 month
• February 26, 2017

For Insomnia "I have occasional sleeping problems, such linked to stress, such as not being able to fall asleep for around 2 to 5 hours or waking up in the middle of the night and not being able to fall asleep afterward. Someone recommended I try Nustasium (diphenhydramine). It kicked in after 30 minutes to 1 hour after I took it, and it helped me sleep without waking up till morning for as many as 8-9 hours. However, I felt dizzy and sleepy in the mornings. And in cases when I slept more than 8 hours, like on the weekend, I felt very weak and dizzy the whole day. Might be good for occasional use when I know I need long hours of sleep, as with it I don't wake up early, but certainly not for continuous use, at least for me."

• Big...
• July 25, 2016

For Nausea/Vomiting "Anyone who takes this in order to take pain medication or if also taking any benzodiazepine needs to use caution since all three slow your heart rate and breathing down. Inexperienced users might fall asleep and pass away during FYI."

• mir...
• Taken for 2 to 5 years
• May 4, 2016

For Insomnia "I split the tablets into 6 portions, and I sleep well, but I am very groggy the next morning and find it very hard to wake up. I stay sleepy and tired almost all day long. I feel very uncomfortable driving to work in the morning because I am so groggy."

• mat...
• May 1, 2015

Diphenhydramine "I've been taking Nytol for a week now, and they do work for trouble sleeping, as I work night shifts, and it's hard to sleep when the sun is shining through the window. BUT it's making me miss days of work because I will sleep for 14-16 hours at a time. It's making me sleep through my alarm (I have the SonicBoom alarm clock, which shakes the whole bed and is really loud, but it's now not waking me up). It knocks me out within 30-40 minutes of taking it."

• Fox...
• Taken for 1 to 6 months
• October 21, 2015

For Allergic Rhinitis "This is a wonderful drug for when my Allegra doesn't fully control my AR symptoms. It makes me feel sleepy and a bit dizzy, but it's totally worth it. Just don't take this drug if you have to drive anywhere."

• dan...
• Taken for less than 1 month
• October 2, 2022

Diphenhydramine for Insomnia "I started taking half a tablet before bed, for a long time, I've had poor sleep, and these tablets work - a bit too well. You sleep better, but they also have left me feeling so groggy and sleepy the next day, sort of drugged feeling. I know because I skipped one night - didn't take any - and the next day I felt normal. Then, the next night, half a tablet again before bed, and all day the next day very sleepy - so sleepy you struggle to do anything. I also take beta blockers, so this could be the reason. Who knows. But they work. If you haven't taken them before, I advise you to only take half a tablet before bed rather than a whole one, and you might need caffeine to wake up a bit the next day."

• Ana...
• Taken for 1 to 6 months
• January 30, 2018

For Insomnia "I suffer from frequent insomnia 'patches,' and didn't want to take a more addictive drug like temazepam, so my doctor prescribed diphenhydramine. Works really well, I feel myself getting drowsy within 15 minutes and generally stay asleep all night! Could do without the oversleeping and drowsy feeling the day after, but it could be worse."

• Con...
• Taken for 10 years or more
• January 16, 2025

"I'm sorry, I did not explain why I gave it a 6. 0.25mg makes me very groggy. The anti-nausea effects wear off, and I become more and more loopy as I re-dose every 6 hours. I'm still throwing up. I'm sleeping all the time. I know it is the drug because I stopped for 2 weeks and was much more alert, but also could not eat. The medication stops me from vomiting every 15 minutes while making me sleep a lot. I must have quite the concussion. That was 6 weeks ago. It's not expensive, that's a plus. But compared to the anti-nausea stuff they gave me in the hospital, it's not the greatest. I took a break for my organs. The bottle says 'see a doctor,' but I already have? My GP is gone for 'training' the next 6 months?"

• Anonymous
• March 6, 2010

For Nausea/Vomiting "I had a severe migraine, was driven to the hospital when regular pain relievers did not work. I was given IV Benadryl along with an anti-nausea medicine and fluids. I felt sleepy almost immediately, and my pain was lessened. The huge downside was that I felt a huge amount of anxiety for 48 hours afterward. I do not suffer from anxiety normally. I believe this was an adverse reaction of the Benadryl."

• mar...
• December 10, 2008

Diphenhydramine for Urticaria "Benadryl made my 16-year-old so sleepy that he had to be sent home from school, but it did take away his hives."

• Anonymous
• June 6, 2009

Diphenhydramine for Allergic Rhinitis "Benadryl seems to help, but makes me so sleepy it isn't really worth the symptom relief."

• How...
• Taken for less than 1 month
• September 16, 2021

Diphenhydramine for Allergic Reactions "Stops the itch by making you sleepy. After half an hour, I end up falling asleep and not having any itching needs."