Trazodone for Insomnia User Reviews (Page 5)

• Shana
• February 15, 2013

"Unlike many folks on this thread, I take the highest recommended dose. If I do not, I will not stay asleep. I have never had problems falling asleep, but staying asleep. I would wake up 3 hours after falling asleep and be up the rest of the night. I was taking SIX Benadryl per night to fall asleep, and my husband finally made me go to the doctor. He started me on 100mg and told me to go up to 400mg (the highest recommended dose) depending on how I slept. I now sleep like the dead - I fall asleep easily, and stay asleep until my alarm goes off - waking up completely refreshed. I cannot imagine trying to sleep without this medicine."

• Eden
• November 24, 2015

"I have C-PTSD and have had terrible insomnia since I was 12 years old (I'm now 28), and Trazodone has been a true lifesaver for me. It's hard to cope with the PTSD-related flashbacks and anxiety in general, but everything was a million times worse when I could not sleep. I've been taking trazodone for about 3 years now and I am still amazed at what it feels like to actually sleep through the night and wake up feeling well-rested and clearheaded. I'd been on dozens of other drugs and this is the only one that helped me to sleep and it makes me feel able to cope with the rest of my problems. It has been a miracle drug for me."

• Anonymous
• Taken for 2 to 5 years
• August 28, 2013

"I have been using trazodone for three years. I started on 25mg and this is still sufficient. I like that I do not have any side effects. I would encourage people to try trazodone before any type of scheduled sleep aid."

• OUguy
• Taken for 5 to 10 years
• January 10, 2013

"Was prescribed 50 mg as a sleep aid. Been taking it for 6 years without having to change the dosage. Works great, I always am able to get to sleep and stay asleep. Occasionally wake up drowsy if I take it too late or don't get at least 6-6 1/2 hrs of sleep. Other than that, no side effects that I can speak of. Would recommend."

• Helpful
• November 13, 2019

"For anyone taking this trazodone, I recommend taking it and going straight to bed. Do not stay awake on it. I had a gene sight test done, which led me to this drug. I have tried just about every drug out there for depression, and this has been the only one that worked because of a specific gene in my DNA that won't allow me to process SSRIs. This drug has been a miracle for me. The only thing that would make it better is if it helped more with anxiety. Thank goodness for good sleep and no depression!"

• Ap676
• Taken for less than 1 month
• October 19, 2019

"I work 3rd shift and was having a problem sleeping. My doctor prescribed 50 mg of trazodone and told me to take it with my 1 mg of clonazepam. That was over 8 hours ago. I am wide awake, never caused any drowsiness, in fact, right the opposite, so this has been a miserable day! Has anyone else experienced this? Trazodone having the opposite effect?"

• weavers
• Taken for 2 to 5 years
• July 29, 2014

"I take 200mg of trazodone and 3mg eszopiclone (Lunesta) every night and have for the past 2 years. My trouble is not falling asleep but rather being able to stay asleep. If I didn't use medication, I would only sleep 3-4 hours a night. I believe the trazodone does make me groggy, but the sleep is most important. Those who say it causes nightmares or crazy dreams, this is true, but those cease after a week or two on the medication."

• mamab...
• September 17, 2014

"I go through often occasions of insomnia, and I take 50-100 mg of Trazodone, usually after a few nights with no sleep because I don't like how groggy it leaves me feeling in the morning, but it really does help me sleep. It kicks in within an hour for me, though sometimes it can still take me a few hours to actually fall asleep, but I always do. I don't think it gives me more nightmares, but I do have very vivid dreams. All in all it does its job and will keep taking it."

• NurseV
• Taken for 2 to 5 years
• June 30, 2015

"After suffering from insomnia since I was a child, I have tried many medications, home remedies, and nothing really helped. When I was in nursing school, it only became worse. I went to see my doctor, he recommended Seroquel. I was on Seroquel for about a year, and I hated it: horrible nightmares, groggy feeling, not sleeping, irritable, and it worsened my bipolar symptoms. When I told him I was not taking Seroquel anymore, he gave me Trazodone. It worked right away, I sleep as a 'normal' person does (8 hours). This medication has really changed my life with sleeping more and mood swings under control. I have been taking it for a few years now."

• Mee
• July 25, 2019

"I know what I experienced after taking trazodone was a 'mental injury'... at least that is what I call it. After taking it for about a month, I started to feel extremely depressed. The depression slowly turned into the most crippling anxiety I have ever had the displeasure of living through. Anxiety that left me feeling physically ill and in pain throughout my entire body. Anxiety that caused my lips to go numb, my hands to cramp up, and my brain to zap. Then came the really dark thoughts... I was so scared! Then, after a mental breakdown, my husband took me to the emergency room where I was diagnosed with 'serotonin syndrome'. I ended up being placed on high doses of anti-anxiety medication and didn't know if I would ever be the same. Luckily, I was able to safely wean off of all medications with the help of prayer, yoga, psychotherapy, friends, family, and my loving husband. PLEASE BE CAREFUL WHAT YOU PUT INSIDE OF YOUR BODY!"

• Johan...
• Taken for less than 1 month
• May 13, 2024

"I think that a dose of 10-15mg is quite enough for falling asleep. You can take it as needed. The tablet is best taken 1-2 hours before bedtime. It is likely that the size of the dose is also conditioned by weight. I myself weigh 80kg/180cm and 10mg is enough for me. Otherwise, in the morning, I get dizzy, confused, and have poor concentration until 12:00 in the morning... I slept 4 hours a night for 3 years, I tell you, it's a nightmare. This is how prisoners were tortured in ancient Greece, the worst punishment was forbidden sleep. To everyone who suffers from chronic insomnia, I also recommend a dose of magnesium here and there before bed, which helps the central nervous system. In short, trazodone works if you take it wisely. Don't forget physical activity, good nutrition, and nutritional supplements, such as B complex, Omega 3, Q10... For those of you who wake up in the middle of the night, sometimes doing 20 push-ups helps me a lot!"

• Chris...
• January 23, 2017

"I'm a horrible sleeper. Left to my own devices, I would typically sleep from 11 till 1, be awake from 1 till 5, and sleep from 5:30 till 6:30. And that was it. My doc didn't want to give me more Ativan or clonazepam, and Imovane etc. made me feel like a truck had run over me the next day. Tried trazodone, and I sleep better than I have at any point in my entire life. I am so grateful. 50mg 30 minutes before sleep. It makes my nose a little stuffy; otherwise, no side effects."

• Timmy...
• Taken for less than 1 month
• April 22, 2015

"So last night I tried taking it. Kinda hesitant on taking it but I tried 50 mg and let me tell you, the past two weeks I've never felt asleep so fast and stayed asleep all night. I've tried everything from OTC sleep aids to natural remedies, and nothing worked as well as this. No side effects either! Gave me a good night's rest and finally after two weeks I feel like myself again. We shall see how it works for my anxiety though."

• Jenbe...
• May 28, 2014

"My psych suggested using trazodone (50mg) for my insomnia issues along with my antidepressant Prozac (20 then 40mg). The first night I took it, I couldn't get to sleep for a few hours, but once I was asleep, I was knocked out. When I woke up, I was groggy all day. So, I didn't take it the next night. Then, the night after that, I tried it again, and I slept like a baby that night and the next two nights after that. My only issue with it is my dreams are very vivid and are on the nightmare side. But I like the meds. If my dreams continue to be bad, I may try something else."

• Revie...
• Taken for 6 months to 1 year
• November 26, 2019

"This trazodone has been a lifesaver for my insomnia - I had no problem going to sleep but would wake every 30 minutes with nightmares. It got to the point I dreaded falling asleep. After a few weeks, I had sleep deprivation and all the hell that came with it. I tried OTC meds and hydroxyzine, but they only knocked me out for a couple of hours with no restful sleep, and I felt terrible waking. Not only did trazodone help me to stay asleep, it also calmed my dreams and gave me good, restful sleep. Side effects for me are a stuffy nose off and on and slightly drowsy upon waking, which goes away after my morning coffee. I feel tons better now compared to the zombie-like shell of myself before."

• Charl...
• Taken for 2 to 5 years
• May 24, 2017

"I've been taking trazodone for about 4 years. I started because my mind would not settle down enough at night to allow me to go to sleep. Trazodone at 50 mg doesn't knock me out or make me so sleepy I can't stay awake, but it absolutely settles my mind enough that I can lay down and sleep. Yes, I'm a little groggy when I first open my eyes, but within an hour, I'm wide awake and looking forward to another night's sleep."

• Grate...
• Taken for 5 to 10 years
• August 31, 2023

"I suffered from insomnia for more than 40 years, gradually growing worse as the years passed. I've gone many nights with no sleep and many more with 2 to 3 hours. For years I took Benadryl which helped, but which eventually ceased to work. Finally, I saw a doctor who prescribed trazodone. It worked wonders for me. Most nights, I could depend on getting 5-8 hours of sleep with negligible side effects. That was 6 years ago. I take two tablets before bed, and most nights I go to sleep within half an hour. I sometimes wake up during the night, but usually, I can fall asleep again. I believe all of those years of sleeplessness did damage to my health, but I am very grateful to have found something that allows me to sleep."

• Anonymous
• Taken for 2 to 5 years
• July 4, 2016

"I take 50 mg of trazodone each night and usually have little to no awakenings throughout the night. I sleep 8 hours and wake fully rested. I've had no side effects and would definitely recommend this medication to anyone having problems with sleep."

• Spunky...
• Taken for less than 1 month
• August 29, 2013

"Most of my life I've been a good sleeper but as I've aged, not so much anymore. The reasons are mostly related to pain. My rheumatologist prescribed trazodone because I could not tolerate most of the other meds. So I've been taking Tylenol PM with good results but with an awful hangover of 5-6 hours the morning after. So far, the trazodone has given me the same benefit minus the morning fog. I've cut the pill in half and it has given me several nights of painless continued sleep. Awakening rested, painless, and ready to start my day. Hopefully, this may solve my sleepless problem and some pain too. I don't like medication but sometimes it really is necessary."

• sleeeep
• February 22, 2017

"I have been taking trazodone for almost two months now. I went in to the doctor wanting a solution for insomnia but then quickly realized it was due to my situational depression. I told him that I never wanted to go on pills for depression but then he explained to me that trazodone is an antidepressant but doesn't have the horrible side effects such as Prozac. He also told me it's not addictive and that it's a very old antidepressant, so it wouldn't really do much in that category. These pills have made my life so much easier... I used to get anxiety a little bit after I took them but it went away after a week or two. I am prescribed 50 mg but I only take half, it doesn't really knock me out, but I can get to bed before 1 am, which is great."

• CTano
• Taken for less than 1 month
• August 19, 2018

"Trazodone was prescribed for insomnia and depression. I started off with 50 mg at bedtime but tapered back to 25 mg (halved the pill) because my short-term memory was a little on the blink. Since I lowered the dose, all is well. I’ve had no depression (believe me when I say I’ve tried all the antidepressants). I get sleepy within 30 minutes, I’ve slept all night 90% of the time. Morning drowsiness minimal, especially after coffee. Happy user so far. First-ever review!! I’m in my early 60s."

• Martin
• Taken for 1 to 6 months
• September 2, 2020

"My physician prescribed trazodone for my insomnia beginning in June 2020. I was always able to fall asleep with no problem, but staying asleep was. I was waking about 4-5 times a night for unknown reasons. I was really hoping that trazodone would help me stay asleep. I never took more that 50mg at one time because of the reported side effects at higher doses. Unfortunately, the drug did not help me stay asleep. But, it did cause a terrible case of dry mouth which woke me up off and on all night to drink water. I also had some blurry vision problems in the mornings which went away by noon. So, I discontinued the drug. The dry mouth and blurry vision went away immediately. I am going to give trazodone fair rating because I am certain it works for some people, just not for me. Good luck to the others who try it."

• Laryss
• January 10, 2020

"My doctor put me on trazodone for insomnia about 5 years ago. I started on one 25 mg tablet, and it worked great, I would usually fall asleep pretty quickly. After a couple of months, I noticed it was taking three or more hours to fall asleep. My doctor says to take two tablets. Fell asleep quickly every night. In the last year, I have had pain in my right lower ribcage, as time went on, it was quickly becoming moderate pain. In the last 3 months, I have had severe pain with spasming and have been in the emergency room twice because of the severity of the pain. After my second trip to the ER and being told nothing was wrong, a thought jumped in my head to ask about it being a long-term effect of the trazodone. I have had three doctors tell me no, trazodone should not be the cause. Well, I stopped taking it just to see, and within 4 days, the pain in my side was gone! I stayed off the trazodone for two weeks and started again with one tablet, the pain was back after two nights."

• Debde
• April 19, 2015

"I have been taking it for a few years now, I take it every night or I can't shut my brain down. I love it, I sleep all night and I don't have any problems feeling groggy in the morning. I swear by it. I have tried over-the-counter and natural remedies, and nothing worked until Trazodone."

• Mary...
• Taken for 5 to 10 years
• July 11, 2016

"I have been on and off trazodone for months, even years. Nothing but positive feelings from me, sure, it took tweaking the dose from 50 mg to the current 150-300 nightly, as my day goes. Stress-wise, most nights I get 5 or so peaceful hours of sleep, can wake to pee, and go right back to sleep. No headache later. Bye."