Trazodone and Tiredness: What Users Say

• bob...
• Taken for 1 to 2 years
• November 4, 2014

For Insomnia "Gave a 9 instead of 10 because of the Traz 'hangover' when you begin (headaches, fog, laziness) - coffee and aspirin should help this. I recommend starting at the lowest dose possible and moving up. I take 50mg and it works wonders. Was on Ambien for 7 years but got tired of eating randomly, not remembering things I did, and the short amount of sleep time. With Trazodone, you will have a deep and restful sleep (6-8 hrs). Any side effects should go away within a week. Word of caution... you HAVE to lay down, turn out the lights, and close your eyes within 30-45 minutes of taking this. Otherwise, you risk missing the sleep window and could be up all night. Best sleep aid I've tried."

• Kat...
• Taken for 1 to 2 years
• February 26, 2020

For Insomnia "I have been taking trazodone for about a year, and it has really helped with my chronic insomnia, but it definitely comes at a price. I feel very tired the next day that doesn't really go away unless I'm drinking caffeine. The only other side effect I have had is mild headaches, but that's it. I was taking 50 mg, but now I take anywhere between 75-100 mg due to building up a tolerance. I would only recommend this drug to someone (like myself) who has tried every other type of sleep aid and it did nothing for them and also suffers from things like anxiety and depression."

• kjh...
• June 20, 2014

For Depression "Originally, I started taking trazodone for insomnia, but was fearful of taking too much so I minimized my dose, and that was a mistake. I believe it's important to take the amount that starts working consistently for you as you titrate up to a dose that starts working. And you need to give it time to build up in your system. I'm up to 250 mg when I go to bed. I will take another 50 mg, and that tends to give me a couple of hours more sleep if I wake up too early. What's really amazing about this medicine is that I no longer struggle with depression or anxiety. It keeps my brain in chemical balance, and I think clearly with no side effects, except I'm a little tired in the morning. So I drink a big cup of coffee, and that helps."

• Mis...
• Taken for 1 to 2 years
• May 12, 2016

For Anxiety "I am very sensitive to medication. Even though I've been on almost every psychotropic drug since the age of 5. I take 25mg of Zoloft 1x a day and 25mg of trazodone 4x a day for PTSD, panic attacks, GAD, and insomnia. I had to quit taking my Klonopin due to being pregnant and I thought I might end my life due to the panic attacks and constant dread. Surprisingly, trazodone during the day replaced the Klonopin very well and didn't make me so tired to where I couldn't function like I was worried it might. It slowed my negative responses down and my heart rate down to where I wasn't in panic mode, and it's without the more impulsive side effect some of the benzos can give you. I just feel calmer and happier but not like a different person."

• Dan...
• December 21, 2013

For Insomnia "I've started having anxiety attacks about half a year ago, and have been depressed since high school, which had kept me up most nights, worrying about my heart rate. 25mg of trazodone makes me very sleepy and puts an end to racing thoughts, and has also made my uncomfortable dreams subside. I do experience some dizziness and heavy eyelids, but other than that this medicine helps a lot. Went from sleeping around 4 hours to more than 8 again. Although I cannot imagine anyone taking 300 mg of this and being okay the next day."

• ext...
• Taken for less than 1 month
• December 9, 2013

For Anxiety "I've been on trazodone for three weeks. I also take Klonopin 2 milligrams and 1 x 100 mg of trazodone. It does help with sleep, no doubt. I'm a sufferer for over 16 years, so this definitely works. It stops the thinking, the worrying, and eventually it knocks you out. The problem I have is that I feel so lethargic. I'm tired after sleeping seven plus hours after consumption. My eyes are red and hard to open. I want to sleep and this does the trick. However, I hate feeling tired all day. I gave it an eight because in terms of sleep and anxiety, it does the job. But the side effect of feeling tired all day is unbearable."

• ext...
• Taken for less than 1 month
• December 9, 2013

For Anxiety "I've been on trazodone for three weeks. I also take Klonopin 2 milligrams and 1 x 100 mg of trazodone. It does help with sleep, no doubt. I'm a sufferer for over 16 years, so this definitely works. It stops the thinking, the worrying, and eventually it knocks you out. The problem I have is that I feel so lethargic. I'm tired after sleeping seven plus hours after consumption. My eyes are red and hard to open. I want to sleep and this does the trick. However, I hate feeling tired all day. I gave it an eight because in terms of sleep and anxiety, it does the job. But the side effect of feeling tired all day is unbearable."

• ano...
• October 29, 2013

For Insomnia "Started taking trazodone as an aid to sleep since I was upping my alprazolam to try and fall asleep and didn't want to keep upping it (I take 1.5 mg/day). Have had trouble falling and staying asleep since I was young. Also take 40 mg citalopram for depression. Trazodone works great for me at 25 mg, taken ~30 minutes or so before sleeping, along with 0.5-1 mg alprazolam. Does have a dizzying effect, so I never take it unless I know I'm going to bed. Anything over 25 mg for me causes a hangover the next day (fogginess, tiredness), but I am petite. But it works wonders to calm a racing mind and get me to sleep and wake up feeling refreshed on 25 mg. Haven't experienced other side effects while taking mostly every day for ~ 2 years."

• 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."

• iha...
• Taken for 1 to 6 months
• December 13, 2015

For Anxiety "I've been using this drug for about 4 months to help combat insomnia and anxiety, and it works, but not in the best way... For insomnia, this is the ONLY drug that manages to knock me out for about 8 or 9 hours straight, but when you wake up the next morning, prepare to feel groggy and disoriented for at least 5 hours the next day, which is way too long to feel this way, IMHO. For anxiety, you don't feel ANY anxiety while on this drug, but that's because this drug makes you so groggy and tired that you can't really think of anything while on this drug. My advice, take this drug ONLY occasionally, not every night like I did. I'm quitting this drug tonight."

• Flo...
• April 16, 2016

For Sedation "For the longest time, I have always had little sleep. After being prescribed sertraline and trazodone to help me sleep, I have noticed a big improvement in my sleeping habits. I get 9 hours of sleep, and I actually stay asleep. The downside for me is that I feel tired and groggy throughout the day. Hopefully, I will find a new way to not feel this way, which I will share. I take 100 mg before I go to sleep."

• 549...
• August 11, 2017

For Insomnia "I am on many medications for anxiety and depression. I have struggled with sleeping as long as I can remember. Not only could I not fall asleep, but I also could not stay asleep. I found myself unable to focus, not putting my best foot forward, and falling asleep in my morning classes. When my doctor put me on trazodone, my life flipped around. I was a happier person. I currently take 100 mg every night before bed. It helps me fall asleep and stay asleep. While I do believe that sometimes it may cause me to be tired in the morning, it was well worth the trade-off. I hope this can help someone in my past situation."

• Gin...
• February 8, 2016

For Depression "I was given this drug as a prescription for sleep issues that I was having. At the time, I had no known indications of depression or anxiety. It was simply to help with my sleep patterns since I traveled extensively. After taking the drug for a few months, I simply stopped because I was on a more regular sleep cycle. Within a week, I was completely incapacitated, diagnosed with severe depression, anxiety, and exhaustion. I also became terrified of daily activities and was incapable of even showering myself. I have never experienced such a dark space in my life. It wasn't until later that my symptoms were tied to this medicine withdrawal. I am furious about that and am now taking another med to recover from this one, and then weaned off."

• Kat...
• August 2, 2013

For Insomnia "I've taken trazodone (150 mg) every night for 8 years for sleep apnea and severe insomnia. It makes me fall asleep and stay asleep, but it makes me tired and drowsy the next day. It also gives me nightmares, and I wake up in cold sweats, I've even woken up shouting before. I've tried over-the-counter meds and things like Lunesta, but they make me hallucinate, and they don't make me tired enough to fall asleep. Overall, trazodone was effective but with one bad side effect."

• Bel...
• Taken for less than 1 month
• November 5, 2016

For Insomnia "I was prescribed Effexor XR 75 mg for depression/anxiety. The first week I had maybe 2 hours of sleep a night, so my doctor prescribed me trazodone 50 mg. The first night I broke it in half. I had anxiety taking it, so I felt really dizzy and lightheaded. The next night I took 25 mg, and I woke up 4 hours later. Now I take the whole 50. It kicks in after 20 minutes. I feel so relaxed laying in bed while it kicks in, I sleep a solid 10 hours. I take it at 8:30 every night. I love it! I do wake up a little tired. But once I get up and move around a little, I'm okay."

• Luc...
• Taken for 2 to 5 years
• November 15, 2012

For Insomnia "I've had chronic insomnia since I was a child. The trazodone both helps me fall asleep quickly and helps me stay asleep longer (usually 4 to 5 hours of straight sleep versus my usual waking every hour). As far as help with insomnia, I would give trazodone a 10. Unfortunately, though, it does stay in my system a full 12 to 13 hours, which means I am groggy and lethargic in the morning until it wears off, usually around 10 a.m. or 11 a.m. However, once it does wear off, I feel great, and for the rest of the day, I have much more energy than I do when I don't take trazodone and don't sleep well. I take between 15-75 mgs when I'm ready to go to bed. Aside from the morning grogginess, I think this has been a wonderful help."

• Isl...
• Taken for 5 to 10 years
• September 18, 2019

For Insomnia "For folks that start taking trazodone and feel like they have a big, fat hangover the next day (headache, groggy, lethargic, dizziness, nausea, etc.), most of it passes when your body gets used to it. It certainly gets a whole lot better. I hated it at first. For the sinus issues, I told my doctor I felt I was going to drown while I was sleeping, and she put me on nasal fluticasone, which helped immensely with that and allergies. I've been on it for years now, and I sleep all night with very few exceptions (really severe fibro pain). Since I weigh 110 lbs and take 150 mg/night, I'm wondering if some of the not working issues is the dosage people are currently on."

• Not...
• Taken for 1 to 6 months
• October 18, 2019

For Sedation "I was prescribed trazodone to help with insomnia, and it's not worth it. It certainly did its job, normally, sleep meds don't work well for me, but it would have me knocked out within 20 minutes. The problem was, the next day I felt completely exhausted, like I hadn't slept at all, and I had difficulty concentrating and performing at work. I felt like I was drunk or stoned all day, and I was making mistakes at work. My friends and family said I seemed like a different person. At first, I didn't suspect that it was the trazodone, I thought I was just depressed or something, but after I stopped taking it, I felt my normal, happy, energetic self within 2 days. Not recommended."

• gre...
• Taken for 1 to 2 years
• July 8, 2017

For Insomnia "I was on 50 mg of trazodone for almost 2 years in addition to Lexapro. It worked for putting me to sleep, however, I am positive it was slowly making my depression worse. It started with just feeling down and tired in the morning, to eventually turning me into a suicidal zombie for most of the day. I was scared that my depression had worsened and that I would not be able to handle it. Work, family, everything had gotten very difficult to handle. I noticed that it was the worst in the morning and finally put two and two together and decided to quit the trazodone. Within a few days, my condition GREATLY improved. Beware of the medication and any antidepressant for that matter."

• Asr...
• July 20, 2011

For Anxiety "I have been taking trazodone for about 2 weeks for anxiety and sleeping problems. After about 2 nights of taking it, I started getting good results and have been sleeping great, and anxiety improved. The only setback is the next day after a good night's sleep, I am very tired, sleepy, and at times have a weak feeling throughout the day. When evening comes, this problem seems to go away. I also get very mild headaches."

• liu...
• Taken for 6 months to 1 year
• November 8, 2019

For Insomnia "Trazodone is the kind of drug you can only take if you plan on not doing anything the next day. It definitely does the job of putting me to sleep, but I'd say 80% of the time it makes me so lethargic and slow the next morning/afternoon that it affects my work and social life."

• Ccc...
• Taken for less than 1 month
• October 16, 2022

For Headache "I’ve taken Trazodone two days in a row for insomnia. I woke up after the first dose with a headache, lethargy, and an overall feeling of “ick.” As the day went on, my right side jawbone started to ache, as well as my front teeth. I also had congestion and a slight cough. I took a second dose the next night and woke up 1.5 hours later than normal with a headache, jaw pain, congestion, lethargy, and “ick.” I took acetaminophen for the headache and jaw pain and basically laid in bed for the rest of the day. I’m going to discontinue using Trazodone and just live through being unable to sleep. These side effects have reduced my quality of life - I do not want to lay in bed all day with a pounding headache. I’m glad I took it over a weekend, otherwise, I would not have been able to work during a weekday."

• Mea...
• July 26, 2019

For Insomnia "MD had me try to help insomnia. I have only taken it 2 times of 50 mg tablet. The first night around 7:30 p.m., hoping that if it hit hard, I would get a good night's sleep and still be a normal person at work. Had the WORST stuffy nose and felt tired quickly, but woke up every 2 hours ALL night. The next night when I realized it was 2:30 a.m. and the alarm would go off in a few hours, I felt let down. I will try to keep an open mind and give this a few more tries. May be trying something else down the road. One thing I haven't read in other reviews is anyone talking about exercise and diet. I know exercise helps me, this is just an observation. The other thing is I have never had luck with drugs to help with sleep. All the over-the-counter items that are typically blue-colored for sleep aids may start out making me a little sleepy, but then I'm restless-legging it and/or wide awake in a short time. It sounds like many other people have had similar experiences. Must be a DNA thing."

• Avi...
• March 14, 2020

For Depression "Was on trazodone for a year for severe anxiety and mild depression, 50 mg for 2 months, then upped to 100 mg. Went off them a month ago. They helped with the anxiety a lot, associated with therapy (I was agoraphobic and now only have very occasional easily manageable spikes of anxiety), but made my energy levels drop and made me feel like a zombie. I was also sleeping too much (9+ hours a night, still feeling tired in the morning, nearly impossible to wake up most days). I went from mild to severe depression as the complete lack of energy prevented me from doing anything. Was relying on energy drinks/caffeine/supplements to get through the day. I stopped cold turkey as I couldn't stand them anymore, the withdrawals are truly horrible during the first week: hot flashes, high anxiety, irritability, etc. Feel a million times better now. Only rating 3 because of significant help with anxiety."

• Anonymous
• November 5, 2020

For Insomnia "Side effects of trazodone = dry mouth, pee frequently, sleep 11:30-9:30 PM, wake up feeling drowsy/exhausted, intensive dreams, hands shaking, nausea, migraines once in a while, moody, still depressed and cry."