Suvorexant and Insomnia: What Users Say

• mid...
• December 18, 2019

For Insomnia "I was prescribed this drug with confidence it would help me sleep. I have had insomnia for over 40 years and was only ever able to sleep consistently using Trazodone for seven years at a high dose, until it eventually quit working. Belsomra caused all my muscles to become very hard, tense, and tight. I dropped off to sleep and became awake suddenly without that gradual dozing off or gradual awakening that is the normal part of sleeping. When asleep, I could barely move my body and I was only slightly in a state of light sleep as I heard things happening in the house that I did not used to hear and was not really resting. It increased my pain levels. Also, I was in a state of being unable to wake up out of the bad dreams I had, as I was sort of paralyzed. I was encouraged to keep trying this medication until my body could adjust to it. I tried it for 45 days and things only got worse and worse. I had horrible dreams and daytime anxiety which is unusual for me."

• Jes...
• Taken for less than 1 month
• October 5, 2022

For Insomnia "I was so anxious to take this after so many negative reviews. I’m lucky I don’t have much trouble falling asleep, but I wake up early hours and some nights will take hours to get back to sleep. I had the 20 mg, and it was excellent, although I did wake up a couple times, I went straight back to sleep. I didn’t even wake up groggy and still smashed out a workout. So don’t be scared of the negative reviews like I was."

• Jak...
• July 8, 2021

For Insomnia "I have struggled with insomnia all my life (I'm 71). I have tried most of the sleep meds with sporadic success. I tried Belsomra 2 years ago with only limited success. I started taking it again about 6 weeks ago. I am ready for sleep about 30 minutes after taking it. It works perfectly 5 out of 7 nights. The other 2 nights either I wake up early or I just cannot get to sleep. I'm not sure why it works so well now, but I call 5 out of 7 a huge success."

• Ano...
• Taken for less than 1 month
• February 6, 2020

For Insomnia "Belsomra is FDA approved, my doctor kept telling me. I didn't care. I just wanted something that would work. She said there were no samples. You take it on an empty stomach. It caused nightmares and gave me insomnia. I was on 10mg."

• Grr...
• Taken for 1 to 2 years
• July 19, 2021

For Insomnia "I have had sleep maintenance insomnia for years that persisted after behavior modification (diet and exercise changes, screen time habits, dark bedroom, white noise while I sleep, etc.). Any medication that worked wore off after a short period of use (presumably due to drug tolerance), and many had other problems like next-day sleepiness and rebound insomnia. Then Belsomra. I've been on it well over a year now as a daily medication. Still on the lowest dose, and it's still working. It isn't magic, I still have to have good habits. But if I do my part, Belsomra does the rest. I routinely sleep 7, often 8 hours a night now. Up from 4-5 hours 2 years ago. It's a life-changing improvement."

• Bra...
• March 31, 2016

For Insomnia "This was the worst insomnia drug I have ever tried. It seemed to wake me every one to two hours in a semi-awake, paralytic state while still living the nightmare. I also have bad anxiety, which it seems to make worse. I recently called my doctor and unloaded on them. Thank God I only took samples and will not be paying for the prescription."

• KTJ...
• Taken for less than 1 month
• July 10, 2017

For Insomnia "I started Belsomra 15 mg about 3 weeks ago. It has not worked for me at all. After taking the medication earlier (7:45-8:00 PM) and spending several sleepless nights, my doctor increased my dosage to 1 and 1/2 tablets. The last few nights, I have been up past 4 AM. Even when I finally doze off, I wake up at least once an hour. I will call my doctor in the morning, I'll be awake. Exhausted! But awake!"

• Cyn...
• Taken for less than 1 month
• May 5, 2017

For Insomnia "I suffer from insomnia for nearly 8 months now and have tried melatonin, OTC sleep aids, Ambien, trazodone, etc. Nothing worked. Asked my doctor if I could try Belsomra and was given a sample 10 mg dose for 3 days. It kept me awake all last night and tonight as well. So tired of not being able to sleep!!!"

• LQT...
• Taken for 1 to 6 months
• May 3, 2017

For Insomnia "I have long QT syndrome. So I cannot take anything to help me sleep because it could cause cardiac arrest. However, I have a horrible time trying to fall asleep and stay asleep. It's terrible. But I can take Belsomra safely. And it has been a godsend for me. I take the 20 mg dose, and as long as I am in bed at the time it kicks in, I fall asleep fairly easily and stay asleep for a solid 6 hours. I wake up feeling refreshed. (I had a bad case of insomnia-3 hours to fall asleep, waking up 4 or 5 times a night, getting 3 hours of sleep a night, if that.) Belsomra has made sleep possible."

• Kay...
• Taken for 1 to 6 months
• March 15, 2023

For Insomnia "I was up about twice per hour urinating. I'm not sure if it was the 10 mg of Belsomra that made insomnia worse or perhaps the combination of my sleep doctor adamantly warning me that I may stop breathing along with the peeing. I don't know. Someone said it took four weeks for it to take effect. After 2 and 1/2 weeks, I gave up. I've been awake for way too long for it to take me further from sleep. The cost of this drug is outrageous. I would expect super positive effects in much less time."

• Ste...
• Taken for 1 to 6 months
• February 18, 2019

For Insomnia "I have been taking 20 mg of Belsomra for about a month. It does nothing. If anything, it makes my insomnia worse. I take it according to the directions, but only manage 2-3 hours of restless sleep. I do not recommend this expensive medicine as it does not work."

• Jec...
• October 18, 2016

For Insomnia "I have had chronic insomnia since about age 16, so approximately 15 years now. I've run the gamut from herbal supplements, OTC, antidepressants, anticonvulsants, hypnotics, sedatives, etc. Literally, there hasn't been one I've yet to try. Tried it at 5 mg to ensure no next-day drowsiness. Absolutely 0 sleep...in fact, felt wired. Tried again at 10 mg, same experience. Tried at 15 mg, couldn't fall asleep for 8 hours, but then did for about 2, and it was time to get up for work, which was like zombie mode. I'm kind of glad this one didn't work out for me, as with insurance, it would've cost me over $300, and the savings card with it only dropped it down to $90/month! If you are going to try it, print out the free 10-day trial!"

• Mar...
• Taken for less than 1 month
• June 22, 2023

For Insomnia "Insomnia had been one of my lifetime health issues and has slowed me down a lot. I have tried so many things since childhood. My new pulmonologist suggested Belsomra and gave me a script. My husband and I were shocked at the cost of Belsomra, but I said, 'Wow, maybe I will get some sleep.' The result was a night of total madness-not only could I not sleep, but I had a hard time sitting down. My brain was not only active, but I could not even sit and read a book. I have a friend who had a script, and this also happened to her. (We often compare our insomnia.) I called the company and spent 25 minutes talking with someone, who wanted the details but made no offer of reimbursement. Apparently, the doctor who ordered it was also contacted, and he said he could not spend time talking with the company. Hope it works for someone."

• sle...
• November 29, 2017

For Insomnia "I have severe chronic insomnia. I alternate between Ambien, Belsomra, and Trazodone - so as not to build a tolerance to any one of them. After nearly two years of following this protocol, it turns out that the lesser of these evils is Belsomra. At first, it didn't help, but after a few months, it started working pretty well. Ambien causes rebound insomnia. Trazodone causes horrific nightmares. Belsomra is gentle and increasingly effective. Whatever you do, don't take benzodiazepines. It's easy to become tolerant and then form a physical dependence. Anxiety and insomnia worsen. Withdrawal is a living hell. I speak from experience."

• sle...
• October 16, 2015

For Insomnia "I've been on Lunesta for 5 years. Horrible to be an insomniac for this long. Tried Belsomra over the last four days, and it's pretty amazing. You take it an hour before bedtime, and you have to be in a mental state of letting go of your fear of not sleeping in order for this to work. It gets me to a drowsy, sleepy mode. The issue is that I keep waking up throughout the night and am waking up super early, so while it's solid on sleep initiation, I don't know why I can't stay asleep. But, having said all of this, I'm pretty impressed with how I feel on only 4-5 hours of sleep. It seems as though, even though I'm waking up periodically, I must be getting higher quality sleep than on the other drugs. Overall, I'm quite optimistic."

• Kin...
• January 9, 2017

For Insomnia "I started on 15 mg of Belsomra. The doctor said if this did not work, he would put me on 20. I had trouble falling asleep and drifted in and out of sleep all night and felt like crap the next day. I constantly felt the need for a daytime nap. He upped the dosage to 20 mg, and nothing changed. I could not get a good night's sleep. I never felt good day or night. We left for Florida after I was on the drug for a month plus, and I could not keep the car on the road as I kept falling asleep. My wife became angry and made me stop taking the pills. What to do with them at that point? I turned them in at the police station under the drug disposal plan rather than throw them in the garbage. They informed me they were a narcotic."

• Bra...
• Taken for less than 1 month
• November 3, 2018

For Insomnia "I've been on Ambien for 16 years, was prescribed 10 mg, then started taking the 12 mg Ambien CR. Then it would only keep me asleep for 3 or so hours at a time, so my Dr. gave me samples of this Belsomra 20 mg. I took it at 11 PM, here I am at 4 AM and still wide awake, not impressed or rested by no means. I will not be taking any of this anymore, as it doesn't work. At least my Ambien gave me 3-4 hours of rest at a time. No hard side effects other than WIDE AWAKE, which is not what I wanted. I'd advise anyone who has taken Ambien or Lunesta or any other sleep aid that if it remotely works, not to ever try this sleep aid. It is definitely not what you would expect."

• Ira...
• Taken for less than 1 month
• September 30, 2018

For Insomnia "Have been suffering from insomnia for about six months now. Tried different medications, and some worked, but after a couple of nights, would stop working. So, have been alternating different medicines, letting the previous one leave my body. Dr. prescribed Belsomra 15 mg. Picked up yesterday afternoon. Of course, the insurance did not cover it, and I had to pay $150 for 10 tablets ($15 a pop). Took it at 10 PM with great hopes that I could get some sleep. Here I am at 4 AM writing this review. I understand different people react differently to drugs, but it did not work for me at all. It even made the insomnia worse. I just took Alprazolam hoping to get some sleep. 9/30/18"

• HJD...
• Taken for 1 to 6 months
• April 4, 2021

For Insomnia "After taking Belsomra for three weeks, I developed a severe itch on my scalp, which a month later doctors have no answers or cure for. It feels like a neuropathic itch as I have no rash or nothing visible from the outside. I was never warned about this. My sleep specialist washed his hands of the matter and just said, 'Stop taking it.' I was not taking any other medication while on this drug. Never have I had anything like this, it is unbearable as I now can't sleep without sleeping tablets. I would never recommend this drug, the side effects are worse than insomnia."

• Car...
• December 16, 2017

For Insomnia "Just wanted to mention that I wonder if a lot of these reviews are patients who were taken off (probably suddenly) benzo-type sleeping pills like Temazepam (Restoril), Triazolam (Halcion), Estazolam, etc. Doctors can no longer prescribe them and opiates, and other general fear. Benzo dependence is a nightmare and causes a lot of the side effects reported here. You must be gradually withdrawn from benzos, and even then can still be a nightmare. The biggest withdrawal symptom, besides feeling like the flu, is insomnia. And Belsomra is not going to help much until you get past the withdrawals. There are many other withdrawal symptoms you can look up. Belsomra 20 mg is okay, but I still have insomnia and early waking, just not as bad."

• Mel...
• Taken for less than 1 month
• January 26, 2016

For Insomnia "I have complex regional pain syndrome (CRPS). It's a painful condition that keeps me up all night long. I take narcotics (least possible) and other CNS depressants. I have tried everything for insomnia, and Ambien was my fail-proof last ditch for seven years. But Ambien stopped working. I was taking 20 mg a night. For the first time, I took Belsomra last night - 10 mg (supposedly ineffective dose), and I slept better than I have in years. Lunesta sucks. I'm really not okay with taking anti-psychotics, seizures, or benzos for sleep as they can affect your mind later. What's the point of sleep if you don't heal? Benzos change REM sleep anyway, and your memory fails in ten years. I slept last night. I'm grateful for the med. $10 a pill is expensive but worth it. I will keep trying them. Downloaded coupons."

• Jub...
• Taken for less than 1 month
• March 26, 2018

For Insomnia "There is, as a couple of previously mentioned comments stated, a very demonic feel to the sleep transition. I felt like I was slowly being drawn into a stagnant, murky, death-like state, rather than being afforded a peaceful stage one sleep transition. I kept shocking myself awake, feeling as though something was there. Something evil. I typically sleep approximately 2-3 hours a night (broken sleep). Sleep anxiety and incessant internal dialogue issues cause me to dread going to bed. When I wake, there is sometimes what I choose to call 'subconscious visual residue' (elements of the dream in conscious state still apparent). These images dissipate in seconds (no big deal... used to it). I also lucid dream and do not consider this medication compatible with those who do. Nope, not for me. Jubie, 30-year insomniac. I took them (20mg) and by day 3 I had only slept 5 hours combined."

• Tar...
• Taken for less than 1 month
• October 17, 2018

For Insomnia "I was prescribed the drug to help me get through all the sleep cycles. On the first night I took it, I got about 3 hours of sleep. Night two and day three, I was awake for over 24 hours! My doctor stopped it immediately and started me back on Lunesta at 10 mg, which helped, but I’ve not slept more than 7 hours."

• Bul...
• March 24, 2018

For Insomnia "I’ve been using this medicine for two weeks now. It’s horrible, the first week I slept maybe 2 hours a night, the next week I slept 5 hours. During the day, I feel so drowsy I want to just shut my eyes. It messes with my daily routine and job. Depression is another side effect that happens also. I was very happy being on Lunesta 3 mg for 5 years now with no side effects. The pharmacist wrote a letter to my doctor to inform her that she needs to cut me back and get me off. My life was completely perfect before this. Now I’m back to where I started 6 years ago with insomnia or a prescription of useless medicine with terrible side effects. How can these people decide what works for me?"

• Mom...
• Taken for less than 1 month
• May 31, 2018

For Insomnia "If there was a way to give negative stars, I would. Where do I start? My insurance company required a pre-auth. It took my doctor's office a while to fulfill the request, which I already anticipated. Then I get the call from the doc that the pharmacy has it! I'm like, YES! I can sleep. Well, the pharmacy says it's on order. Ugh, fine. I wait another day. Get it, and that night took the pill and waited for it to work its magic. Problem is that it never worked any magic. All it did was keep me WIDE awake for hours. It was stupid expensive. Just don't try this stuff-it's a waste of money."