Doxylamine and Drowsiness: What Users Say

• Liz...
• October 21, 2019

Doxylamine for Insomnia "I take 1/2 Unisom pill every night. I fall asleep within 15 minutes. I sleep 8 hours. I will wake up a few times but fall right back asleep. If I take a whole pill, I will sleep 12 hours and be groggy all day. 1/2 pill works perfect for me."

• RRa...
• Taken for 6 months to 1 year
• August 9, 2018

Doxylamine for Insomnia "I used to never have a problem sleeping; however, within the last year, I have been waking up in the middle of the night, and then it takes me several hours to fall back asleep (usually just before my alarm goes off). Now I take 1/2 a pill and I either sleep through the entire night, or if I wake up I am able to fall right back to sleep. I also feel good in the morning after taking 1/2 a pill. Unisom has been wonderful during this time in my life. Please note: When I take a whole pill, I am completely knocked out and lack motivation the next day."

• Smo...
• Taken for 1 to 6 months
• October 12, 2018

Doxylamine for Insomnia "I/2 tablet knocks my husband out for the night, and he’s groggy the next day (he’s a big guy... 225 lbs). I can take a whole tablet and not sleep most of the night. I weigh 145 lbs. So this drug affects everyone differently, for sure."

• KT1...
• Taken for less than 1 month
• April 11, 2013

Doxylamine for Insomnia "It actually works! I have had sleep issues for years. The prescription meds do nothing for me. The Klonopin I was taking to help me fall asleep stopped working, so I tried Unisom SleepTabs and it took about 30-45 mins to kick in, but I was able to fall asleep and STAY asleep. It's the first time in a long time that I slept through the night. I was groggy when I got up, but a shower and some coffee woke me right up."

• paf...
• July 30, 2015

For Insomnia "I have been taking doxylamine for the past 10 years. This is a Kirkland product, 25mg tablets. If I take a whole tablet, it knocks me out and I am numb in the morning. Still, it is the only sleep remedy I've had success with, and when I try to discontinue because of the uncertainty of long-term use, I don't sleep. At 76, I am doing my best to retain my cognitive function, and I have serious questions about the long-term effects of this drug. To sleep or not to sleep, and I will choose sleep whatever the risk. I find that I can take 1/2 tablet, and that has the desired effect...even 1/4 will sometimes do it. I would love to hear about the experience that others have had. For me, this is the only thing that works, and I have tried everything."

• Anonymous
• Taken for less than 1 month
• May 4, 2015

Doxylamine for Insomnia "I am a healthy 21-year-old but have trouble getting and staying asleep. I have tried melatonin, and I feel it may help me get to sleep but not stay asleep. The other night, I lay awake until 5:30 am trying to keep my eyes closed with no luck. So the next day, I researched some over-the-counter sleep aids, and Unisom had great reviews. That day, I picked some up. I took one at ten that night and started getting sleepy an hour later. By 11:30, I was fast asleep. Although I woke up a few times throughout the night, as I usually do, I was still tired and found it very easy to fall back to sleep without tossing and turning for ten minutes at a time. I woke up at 9:00 am the next day feeling minimally drowsy. I will continue to take Unisom."

• Abs...
• Taken for less than 1 month
• January 9, 2015

Doxylamine for Insomnia "Could not sleep 2 nights in a row. So I decided to try 2 Unisom tablets. Took around 10pm. Slept amazingly. Woke up at 7:30 am, took kids to school (felt like I was exhausted), went back to bed, woke up at 1pm Still pretty groggy and sluggish. Trying to wake up."

• Sin...
• Taken for 2 to 5 years
• June 27, 2017

Doxylamine for Insomnia "I have taken half a tablet of doxylamine succinate (Sleep Aid), in the evening, for about 3 years now. I originally took it for migraines, but discovered quickly how it made me very drowsy after about 2 hours. It has NEVER failed to work. Taking a whole tablet made me sleep for 10-12 hours, now I get my 8 hours every night with half the dose. It is one of the safest antihistamines on the market. I experimented a few months ago by not taking one, and I couldn't get to sleep, plus I got restless legs. So now I take it every night."

• 30y...
• March 7, 2016

Doxylamine for Insomnia "I actually find the gels a lot more successful in falling asleep and waking up alert. It sort of kicks you awake the next morning. The SleepTabs, however, make you groggy the next morning. Try the gel caps!"

• hsc...
• November 26, 2011

Doxylamine for Insomnia "Takes an hour to kick in but lasts a long time and will give me eight to nine hours of sleep. It has a very long half-life (9-15 hrs) and can leave me feeling drowsy for a long time throughout the day."

• fri...
• December 14, 2011

Doxylamine for Insomnia "I have taken just about every over-the-counter sleep aid, and all prescribed ones as well, and this works pretty well for me. I have to take the maximum dose of Ambien to even feel drowsy, this is much cheaper (no insurance) and works as well or possibly a little better. DO NOT TAKE ANY MORE THAN RECOMMENDED."

• Chr...
• March 5, 2015

For Insomnia "Does it work? You bet, it does. I have suffered from insomnia for 18 years, so I know when I'm asleep or not. This med is wonderful in keeping you asleep for 5 1/2 to 6 hours. This med is also effective in getting you to sleep. The downside... My God, is it drowsy. I'm usually a guy who doesn't complain, but this med makes you super drowsy. In addition to the drowsiness, it will make you irritable because you don't feel good. In conclusion, I would recommend it because the psychological benefit of knowing you slept slightly outweighs its side effects. I hope this info helps. Best of dreams."

• AbA...
• July 31, 2015

Doxylamine for Insomnia "Unisom definitely makes good on its word. Within about 15-30 min after taking a pill, drowsiness comes into play, with sleep following soon after. Expect irritability. Especially when someone or something is causing you to come in and out of your sleep. After waking, expect 4-5 hours of drowsiness, and at least 5-8 hours until all side effects clear."

• Mr ...
• Taken for 1 to 2 years
• September 2, 2015

For Insomnia "I have had my battles with the inability to stay asleep for 10 or 12 years. I go to sleep just fine but wake up at the 5-hour interval and cannot get back to sleep. I would get very tired during the day - it was terrible. I heard of this at Costco and started taking 1/2 tab per night. Bang! 8 hours of great sleep! I don't have drowsiness and feel like I used to. It doesn't knock me out - I can wake up to go to the bathroom. (I am over 55 and a guy) but I go right back to sleep. I love this stuff. I hope it's not bad for me because I need good sleep."

• Anonymous
• Taken for 2 to 5 years
• September 18, 2015

For Insomnia "I have been taking it for 4 years, 1/2 tablet 12.5 mg. For over 20 years, I fell asleep, then woke up and stayed up. Now, I sleep almost every night all night. No side effects noticed. I'm drowsy if I take a whole tablet, but it's good on half. I freak out if I forget them on holidays because I know I won't sleep. It's no better or worse than before I started taking them, but I just love my sleep and hate not sleeping. So, thumbs up. I take no other meds or drugs."

• Pau...
• December 5, 2015

For Insomnia "I've been taking doxylamine succinate for about 10 years, and it works great, much better than diphenhydramine and other over-the-counter aids, and at a much lower cost than prescription sleep aids. I used to work the graveyard shift for years and found that when I got a 'regular' job, I just couldn't sleep all night. Tried everything, this one's the best. Take a half pill if it makes you feel groggy, but I can shake off the grogginess more easily than I can shake off exhaustion from lack of sleep."

• Akm...
• Taken for less than 1 month
• April 10, 2016

Doxylamine for Insomnia "Couldn't sleep last night. Finally at 3 AM, I looked in the cabinet and found this. I took 2 blue tablets. 30 mins, I was asleep. A friend texted at 10 AM, woke up, and I was extremely groggy, unsteady, and had heavy eyelids. Just felt weird. I drank a cup of coffee and was still groggy. Hours later, I still felt bad. Went back to bed at around 2. I decided to check out what the heck happened. Looks like I took too much. It did put me to sleep at the expense of my Saturday off feeling like crud. Will try 1 next time. 2 was too much for sure."

• Non...
• Taken for less than 1 month
• March 17, 2017

For Insomnia "My bedtime got later and later until it was early morning as I wasn't tired and never fell asleep when I went to bed. Brain was overactive continually. Bought a packet of Doxylamine and took one tab an hour before bedtime. Relaxation kicked in one and a half hours later, and I slept solidly for 12 hours! Totally useless the next day as groggy and no energy. The next night cut the tab into quarters, but that proved too little as I had no effect. Will take half a tab tonight, which hopefully will be the right amount. It relaxed tension and brain activity and teeth gritting, so for me, seems a muscle relaxant enabling my mind to let go and shut down. Subconscious anxiety is my problem that prevents sleep. I am a worrywart."

• Deb...
• Taken for 1 to 6 months
• February 12, 2019

Doxylamine for Insomnia "Started taking doxylamine succinate (aka Unisom) for occasional sleeplessness about 6 weeks ago. I'm a 59-year-old woman, healthy, menopausal. Box says the dose is 25 mg. I started with 12.5 mg because I'm sensitive to most meds. It worked VERY well. I fell asleep fast and stayed asleep, no issues except maybe a mild drowsiness feeling during the day here or there. Fast forward to last week, I'm experiencing dizziness, mild balance issues, headache. Don't know if it's because I took it 3-4 days in a row sometimes and stopped for a day or two? I just know it's a bummer because it works, but this stupid dizziness and balance thing is hanging on into day 2, and I don't want to take it anymore because of that. They say it's 'not habit-forming.' I think my body got used to it and I'm 'withdrawing.'"

• Anonymous
• Taken for 1 to 6 months
• November 10, 2015

For Insomnia "Diphenhydramine didn't work for me, so I tried doxylamine. First night, took one 25 mg pill and was out within the hour, got a full eight hours, but woke up super groggy. The groggiest lasted most of the next day, definitely wasn't worth it. I tried it again two days later with only half a pill. Had the same great sleep with only minimal grogginess. I've continued to take 1/2 of a 25 mg pill 2-3 times a week when I know sleeping will be a struggle, with great results. I'd recommend anyone who experiences the sleep hangover to try a lower dose before writing it off."

• Hiw...
• Taken for less than 1 month
• May 18, 2020

Doxylamine for Insomnia "Because of the lockdown due to coronavirus, my sleep pattern was distorted, and I was not getting enough sleep. So, I decided to get a sleep aid and researched online. This Unisom SleepTabs came up as one of the most effective to getting good sleep and waking refreshed. But the promises are wild and far from reality. I took the pill at bedtime but could not fall asleep for hours. In the morning, I woke up with all dizziness and a drowsy feeling. My body was aching all over. I could not focus at all and lacked clarity during the day. I don't recommend it at all!"

• PMD...
• April 10, 2015

For Insomnia "I've been using Kirkland brand doxylamine succinate now for many years. I take only 1/2 a 25 mg pill and find it works just as well as a full pill, without making me drowsy the next morning. Here and there I find myself without a pill if I'm out of town and forget them or run out, and what happens is I just go back to the same insomnia I had for ten years prior to taking these. Therefore, I don't think they're addictive in my case, rather, if I don't take them, I'm back where I started. Insomnia was a problem I suffered from for years, not just a temporary deal."

• Cor...
• July 21, 2015

For Insomnia "I have taken Unisom (doxylamine) for 30 years. I cannot sleep without it. I am a little drowsy when I get up, but after a couple of cups of coffee, I am great. I have tried every other kind of sleep aid that is made, but nothing works like Unisom tablets. Even the other Unisom (gel, etc.) do not work for me."

• bet...
• Taken for 1 to 6 months
• October 8, 2019

For Insomnia "This drug, Unisom with doxylamine succinate, has really helped me to get good sleep for the past two months. I take from 1/3 to 1/2 of a pill because taking an entire pill makes me really groggy the next morning. Prior to this, I was waking up every hour or two and was experiencing anxiety, and I really appreciate this sleep aid so much as I sleep straight through the night now."

• Kri...
• Taken for less than 1 month
• July 23, 2017

Doxylamine for Insomnia "I was prescribed Diclegis by my OB for extreme nausea and vomiting during pregnancy. Diclegis is not covered by insurance, so I researched what it was, and it's basically Unisom and Vitamin B6. Now the active ingredient is what is in the sleep tabs, not gels. The gels have diphenhydramine, so if you are using this review to help ease nausea during pregnancy, make sure you are buying the sleep tabs. Anyway, I take one tab at night (check it is the right dose: doxylamine 10mg) and it totally works. I don't wake up feeling nauseated at all, and I sleep through the night. I do feel a little groggy in the AM, but it's hard to tell if it's from the pill or pregnancy in general. Upon further research, I discovered that the tabs were originally designed to help with nausea. Hope this helps!"