Trazodone and Insomnia: What Users Say

• Mid...
• September 20, 2019

For Insomnia "Years of nearly paralyzing anxiety, depression, and insomnia. On and off around 2 dozen meds. Every single antidepressant I tried made my sleep worse and had to resort to benzos. After 5 years now I finally decided to try Trazodone (50mg before bed) so I could get off the benzos that were ultimately doing more damage than good. First 3 weeks I felt extremely irritable and bipolar and just awful. Around week 3 I finally noticed a shift. First time in years I'm sleeping through the whole night and not waking up with anxiety. Even just addressing those 2 major things is great and I'm finally getting my head above water for the first time in years. If you try it, give it at least a month. It's safer than benzos (doesn't build tolerance). Hopeful for the future for the first time in years. If you've tried almost everything and don't handle SSRIs or most other ADs well, give trazodone a try, but give it time to work. I know it's hard and you might feel worse for a bit but you gotta be patient."

• ora...
• Taken for 6 months to 1 year
• May 8, 2015

For Insomnia "I can honestly say this medication has saved my life. For years, I had been taking diphenhydramine (Benadryl) and had no sleep-wake cycle and never felt completely awake. About 8 months ago, I tried out Ambien and Lunesta but my doctor wouldn't let me take them for any longer than a couple of weeks. Then, Trazodone was recommended, and while the first night was absolutely terrible (nausea, insomnia, overslept), and I am never going back. I can take it long term, it's cheap, it makes me feel genuinely tired and not drugged tired, and I finally have a sleep-wake cycle again. It is also very calming, which helps sleep come a lot faster. I can now get up in the morning and not hate my life. Bless this drug. I don't know where I'd be without it."

• Unk...
• Taken for 1 to 2 years
• February 2, 2017

For Anxiety "I was prescribed this medication several years ago for anxiety disorder and depression, with serious insomnia. It worked like a charm to help me get a really good night's sleep and saved my sanity. I took it daily for about 2 years. It really knocked me out, so that if someone woke me in the middle of the night, I was pretty much incoherent and felt heavily drugged. I did feel alert and rested in the morning. The worst thing for me was a rare side effect that caused my bone marrow to stop producing white blood cells. A swollen lymph node resulted in a blood test, which showed no white blood cells at all. I was scared of cancer, but my doctor told me to stop taking this drug and the tests afterward were back to normal. I suggest you get blood tests if on this medication."

• Smo...
• February 22, 2013

For Depression "I was on 100mg of Trazodone for sleep and it worked pretty well. But my depression got worse and I dreaded going back on the various antidepressants I had tried and eventually discontinued due to side effects or things improving in my life. I'm now on 150 mg of Trazodone, and it is clearly making a difference. It's not a magic wand to make everything better, but it allows the 'fog' of depression to lift a bit so you can see and feel more normal. Side effects are less than other antidepressants and it helps me sleep. Yeah!"

• Cat...
• April 30, 2020

For Depression "Doc prescribed me Trazodone for depression. I started with 25 mg because I react very sensitively to meds, and the first night I had arrythmia, anxiety, cold sweat, and insomnia. These side effects disappeared after 2 weeks, except for occasional arrythmia. I slept well in the beginning, but I was also extremely tired during the day. I felt a bit more emotionally stable, so I started taking 50 mg, which was a horrible decision. I had severe sexual dysfunction, wasn't able to feel anything during sex. I slept all day, felt extremely weak, my heart was pounding, and I felt like I had to faint a lot. It did nothing for my depression, I felt worse than before! I was crying a lot, and when I wasn't crying, I didn't feel anything at all. After a few weeks on 50 mg, I stopped taking it because I couldn't handle the side effects. Overall, I was on Trazodone for 2.5 months. I had withdrawal symptoms like insomnia, extreme anxiety, suicidal thoughts, and others. I can't recommend this medication to anyone."

• Mom...
• Taken for less than 1 month
• May 23, 2020

For Anxiety "I got on trazodone just recently, literally Day 3 at half a pill. I will begin a full pill this weekend. I am on it for anxiety, depression, and lack of sleep!! Well, it has kept me wide awake and miserable. I work 12-hour shifts almost daily, so when I get off and tend to the home, I want to sleep. So I took this pill, it did not help or make me sleep!! So disappointed!! My doctor said it’s not normal for it to make you stay awake considering what’s in it to help you sleep! Calling doctor back, and I am going to stop it ASAP while I can. Sincerely, sleepy parent"

• Use...
• January 30, 2015

For Depression "I've tried several SSRI-class medications over the years starting around age 15...(sertraline, Lexapro, Celexa). All of them gave me uncomfortable side effects...(anorgasmia, RLS, nightmares, inability to sleep). I was never able to take them long enough to get any antidepressant or anxiolytic effects due to the unbearable side effects. I finally went and got a prescription for Trazodone along with a prescription for Valium around 5 days ago. I started by taking 12.5mg for 4 days. Last night I upped my dose to 25mg. Today is the first time I've woken up and actually felt good. I can fall asleep quickly and easily and my mood has been greatly improved. I highly recommend this medicine to anyone who has not had good experiences with conventional SSRIs."

• sun...
• August 21, 2014

For Insomnia "I take 100mg a night. I could not get to sleep or stay asleep. This medicine helps. I started it with 2 other medicines, at first on 3 medicines I had nightmares. Dropped one, then the next, then the trazodone. Stayed off it for about 3 weeks with no problems except was having trouble sleeping. Taking it again and within 20 minutes I'm OUT! I think the nightmares were from other meds & getting off alcohol."

• Sco...
• July 3, 2014

For Insomnia "I took this medication only 2 nights. It made me have horrible nightmares, almost night terrors. And even after I calmed down from the nightmares that woke me, I was very panicked and freaked out and couldn't go back to sleep. This medicine is certainly NOT for me!"

• Anonymous
• October 11, 2010

For Anxiety "I was prescribed this medication for anxiety because other anxiety medications caused insomnia. It definitely helps with the irritability I was experiencing. I sleep well if I take half of a 50mg pill. Unfortunately, when I take a whole pill, I have trouble sleeping. Despite not sleeping well, I usually have more energy and I am more productive the next day when I take a higher dose. I also noticed that when I'm taking this medication I sometimes have a hard time speaking, words come out jumbled! Overall, this medicine has the least amount of side effects of all the medications I've taken for anxiety (no appetite gain, no sexual side effects, no headaches or mood swings)."

• Nur...
• Taken for 2 to 5 years
• June 30, 2015

For Insomnia "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."

• Nug...
• July 7, 2019

For Sedation "It does put me to sleep within 30 min, and I'm out for 8 hours. First few nights at 50 mg-weird body sensations, no help with sleep. I pushed through for a few nights, upped the dose to 100 mg and it started working. But, I had to increase dosing for this effect to hold. My last dose was up to 300 mg. Sluggishness too much to bear, so I tapered down, which was quite difficult-crying spells, anxiety, hostility, and rebound insomnia. But nothing else worked for mind-boggling, soul-crushing, why-can't-I-sleep insomnia, which then returned. I'm back on 150 mg, getting sleep thankfully, but do have a hangover in the morning. The hangover is a sluggish feeling. I force myself to work out first thing in the a.m., which helps wean the sluggishness, but it takes a lot of discipline. I've determined I'd rather go through this process for 8 hours of sleep, as opposed to suffering through the mental anguish of not falling asleep, up all night, feeling like a human failure. Trial and error with dosing."

• Egg...
• Taken for 10 years or more
• September 20, 2019

For Depression "Was on this drug trazodone for 11 years, 50 mg only. In April this year, I began to feel depressed and the GP put me on another antidepressant, sertraline. He advised me to wean myself off trazodone over a 2 or 3-week period. Never experienced anything like it. Awful hot and cold sweats, trembling, and worst of all, insomnia. Six months have passed, but the insomnia is almost as bad as ever, despite my taking strong sleeping tablets. My advice is to think very carefully before using this drug, as it has really messed up my life big time."

• ASC...
• Taken for less than 1 month
• May 1, 2019

For Insomnia "I developed insomnia as a side effect of my anxiety medication. My doctor prescribed 50 mg of Trazodone to help counteract that side effect. It has been amazing! I fall asleep within 20 minutes of taking it, sleep soundly all night, and wake up feeling rested in the morning. If I awaken at night, I am now easily able to fall back to sleep. I do find that it takes me longer to wake up in the mornings, but I’ve adjusted to this by setting my alarm a bit earlier."

• The...
• Taken for 1 to 6 months
• March 9, 2023

For Anxiety "Trazodone made me worse. The anxiety, depression, and feeling of being overwhelmed were bad before, but after, they got worse. Before, I could drive and, on better days, meet friends in cafes. Now, I can’t leave the house alone. My husband takes me everywhere. I’m gripped with irrational fear 24/7. Dreams take me to childhood places that I don’t wish to revisit, not that I dream much on 3-4 hours of broken sleep per night. I was on 25 mg for 12 nights, 50 mg for 8 nights, 100 mg for 19 nights, and 125 mg for 4 nights. A week after increasing to 100, I knew I’d struggle with this and the next increase, but I stuck with it. When I saw my GP, I was experiencing very bad insomnia, had no appetite, had palpitations (bradycardia 38 bpm, tachycardia 174 bpm for up to half an hour), internal tremors, headaches, dizziness, blurred vision, etc. It was reduced by 25 mg every third night, but I was in crisis by day 7 of the reduction, so I took lorazepam to calm me down. Avoid at all costs or start slowly and think hard before increasing the dose."

• A9S...
• January 24, 2018

For Depression "I've been struggling with severe anxiety and depression for almost 5 years now, (I'm 21), and the first week (on 50 mg) was AWFUL. Fast forward to the next week, and for the first time in a long time, I started to feel like a human again. Getting out of bed became easier, and my motivation to do my schoolwork came back! I've noticed that sometimes I'll be in a good mood, and I'll feel myself get overly happy? Hard to explain, but it's better than having suicidal thoughts on an almost daily basis, am I right? It helped with my anxiety-related insomnia a bit, and the amount of anxiety attacks I'd have per day has decreased (but my anxiety is still pretty bad). Thinking of asking my doc to up the dosage?"

• Mic...
• Taken for 6 months to 1 year
• January 21, 2019

For Insomnia "I started having trouble sleeping in March 2018 and thought I was losing it. I went to the doctor, and first, they tried me on an SSRI. This did not work at all. I had a bad reaction to it and dropped 36 pounds in less than three weeks. So, they took me off, and for a while, I was able to manage some fitful sleep with Unisom sleep tabs. For light insomnia, I think those pills are awesome, but I was dealing with something a bit more robust. So, I got an appointment with a psychiatrist who put me on trazodone in June 2018. Since then, I've been doing so much better. I started on 50 mg, which only kept me asleep for 5 hours, then, 100 mg, which was like 5.5 hours. Then, we upped it to 150 mg, where I have been for the past 6 months, getting anywhere from 7 to 9.5 hours of sleep each night. Every once in a while (once a month or so), my anxiety will ramp up, and I'll have a restless night despite the trazodone, but I consider that to be natural. I'm really grateful for this drug."

• Nez...
• Taken for 6 months to 1 year
• April 27, 2017

For Depression "I am a 50-year-old struggling through the initial stages of menopause. The hot flashes and insomnia have been miserable, and HRT is not an option. My GP recommended trazodone, and I am so grateful! The hot flashes seem to be cyclical with me, so I can go months with no issues, and then they come back, so I only use trazodone at the height of sleep disruption. I usually can take 25 mg, and it works fine, other times, I take 50 mg. It takes about an hour for it to kick in, and I sleep through the hot flashes, which are every 30 minutes. I love this medication, and it is so inexpensive!"

• Lad...
• April 8, 2017

For Insomnia "My doctor prescribed trazodone for sleeplessness and anxiety. I did sleep, however, over time, I had daytime hallucinations, bad dreams, loss of memory, trouble talking, loss of focus, anxiety, swelling on the back of my head, ringing in my ears, and insomnia. After six months, I weaned myself off of the medication and felt horrible. It took me 3 weeks to get back to normal. I slept only 2 to 3 hours per day over a week and then 4 hours, then 7. This medication was bad for me over time. I taught myself to sleep without medication."

• Sam...
• Taken for 6 months to 1 year
• February 3, 2020

For Major Depressive Disorder "I started taking trazodone for depression and insomnia. I have been on it for 7 months. I have a lot of trouble waking up in the morning, and it's really bad, so I'm always late to work. Once I take my pill at night, give me 10 minutes and I'm knocked out. For depression, it worked wonderfully for me. I'm getting off of it because the sleeping is getting really bad for me. This medication could work for someone and not for someone else. It's all different for each person."

• Jew...
• Taken for 6 months to 1 year
• August 11, 2017

For Insomnia "So I suffer from depression, OCD, and anxiety. I have been on sertraline (Zoloft), which has helped with everything but hasn't helped with all the anxiety (evening and morning anxiety). I have problems turning my mind off at night. I also have had sleeping issues for years, and my Zoloft made it worse. My primary care physician prescribed Trazodone to take before bed. I sleep so well when I take it, but I have to take it early enough or I can't wake up in the morning. It knocks me out, and I do get a restful sleep, but it lasts in my body for a good 10 hours. So I have to be aware of when I am taking it at night. If it is too late, then I don't take it. Thus, I don't get a restful sleep, but at least I'm not late to work. Overall, I recommend it."

• lgl...
• Taken for less than 1 month
• August 18, 2018

For Insomnia "I used to take Ambien every night for over 7 years. My doc wanted me to try trazodone because I’m also on hydrocodone for the pain associated with rheumatoid arthritis, which I’ve had for 9 years. New data on this combination shows that as I get older, the risk of stopping breathing during the night rises. I stopped the Ambien two nights ago and replaced it with 50 mg of trazodone. Amazingly, I slept! I didn’t expect to get any sleep for at least a week while my body adjusted to not having Ambien, but I did. I had a little difficulty falling asleep, but once I did, I stayed asleep and actually slept later than usual. I took the trazodone about two hours before bed."

• Wid...
• Taken for less than 1 month
• August 9, 2016

For Sedation "I was given trazodone by mistake in the hospital after hysterectomy. I normally take clonazepam for sleep and asked for that but was given trazodone instead. One of the worst nights of my life. I was anxious and unable to sleep, and whenever I closed my eyes, I had visions of gory dismembered body parts that would not go away (like a vision of hell or something, crazy). It went on all night long, never experienced that before. I only took it that one night in the hospital (didn't find out 'til later it was the wrong drug). Evil, evil drug. At least for me."

• Cal...
• Taken for less than 1 month
• August 26, 2019

For Insomnia "I’m a bit of a newbie with trazodone, but I thought I should share my experience. Every time I took it, I would end up having worse insomnia, as well as feeling very ‘out of it’ in the morning and during the day. On my third night taking it, I woke up having a seizure. I got medical help, and the seizure was due to the trazodone. Now, not everyone can be affected this way, from what I’ve read in these reviews, many people love trazodone because it works for them. I am happy for anyone who has found a great solution to their problems. I do also want to say, though, if you really don’t feel good while you’re on trazodone and feel like you’re just getting worse, please consult with your doctor and keep them updated, just in case. All the best, everyone xx"

• Yo ...
• Taken for 1 to 6 months
• July 22, 2015

For Sedation "I just started this medication a few months ago to get off Klonopin. It gives me insomnia as soon as I pop one. When I finally get sleep, it's bad dreams. I don't feel rested when I wake up. I've never felt shittier."