Table of ContentsView AllTable of ContentsUsesHow It WorksSafetySide EffectsWhen to Contact Your Provider
Table of ContentsView All
View All
Table of Contents
Uses
How It Works
Safety
Side Effects
When to Contact Your Provider
Trazodoneis a prescription drug used to treat depression and anxiety. Because it can make you sleepy, it is sometimes also prescribed off-label to treat sleep disorders such as insomnia. Trazodone is sold under the brand names Desyrel, Oleptro, and others.
Trazodone is fast-acting, short-lasting, and poses a relatively low risk of addiction compared to other sedatives. Even so, some healthcare providers and experts advise against its use.
Oleg Breslavtsev / Getty Images
Trazodone for Insomnia
Trazodone is an older drug that has been used to treatdepressionand severe anxiety for many years. It is considered an older-generation antidepressant. It was FDA-approved for treating anxiety and depression in 1981.
Trazodone isn’t a sleep medicine, but it has sedative or hypnotic effects, meaning that it causes drowsiness. For this reason, it is often prescribed off-label to treat insomnia oracute insomnia.
Insomnia is long-term or chronic, occurring at least three nights a week and lasting three months or more. Acute insomnia is short-term and may last for days or weeks.
Minimum and Maximum Doses of Trazodone for SleepWhen using trazodone for sleep, the drug is given at low doses—typically between 25 and 100 milligrams (mg)—which reduces the risk ofdrug toleranceand daytime sleepiness. For some people, even lower doses may prove effective and cause fewer side effects.
Minimum and Maximum Doses of Trazodone for Sleep
When using trazodone for sleep, the drug is given at low doses—typically between 25 and 100 milligrams (mg)—which reduces the risk ofdrug toleranceand daytime sleepiness. For some people, even lower doses may prove effective and cause fewer side effects.
How long does it take for trazodone to work?As a sleep aid, trazodone typically takes about 30 minutes to make you drowsy. People who take trazodone for sleep often say it helps them fall asleep and stay asleep throughout the night.
How long does it take for trazodone to work?
As a sleep aid, trazodone typically takes about 30 minutes to make you drowsy. People who take trazodone for sleep often say it helps them fall asleep and stay asleep throughout the night.
Controversial Use
The American Academy of Sleep Medicine does not currently recommend the use of trazodone to treat insomnia. This suggests that the potential risks and harms outweigh the benefits.
The American Academy of Sleep Medicine has also found that trazodone doesn’t significantly improve the ratio between the amount of time spent in bed and the amount of time spent sleeping, nor does it significantly improve waking time after sleep onset.
Despite the limited clinical evidence, many healthcare providers prescribe trazodone as a first-line treatment for insomnia. A 2023 study concluded that healthcare providers who recommend trazodone may not be fully aware of the weak clinical evidence.
Does Trazodone Cause Dependency?
Studies investigating the risk of trazodone dependency are very limited. However, the authors of a 2017 research review noted that trazodone produces a low risk for dependency and addiction.
Furthermore, an older study that specifically investigated the addiction potential of trazodone found that it had less abuse potential than other popular sleep medications (zolpidem and triazolam).
Is it okay to take trazodone every night?Trazodone seems to be well-tolerated for short-term treatment of insomnia.However, there haven’t been many studies into the long-term safety and effectiveness of this medication as a treatment for sleep disorders.Ask your healthcare provider if taking trazodone every night is appropriate for you.
Is it okay to take trazodone every night?
Trazodone seems to be well-tolerated for short-term treatment of insomnia.However, there haven’t been many studies into the long-term safety and effectiveness of this medication as a treatment for sleep disorders.Ask your healthcare provider if taking trazodone every night is appropriate for you.
Who Should Not Use Trazodone
There are certain instances where you may want to avoid using trazodone for insomnia.
You should not use trazodone if you are:
Trazodone may also not be appropriate for people who have psychiatric illnesses, including bipolar disease and schizophrenia. Check with your doctor if you have heart disease, cerebrovascular disease (affecting blood flow in the brain), seizures, or kidney or liver problems.
You shouldn’t stop taking the medication abruptly. Instead, it may need to be slowly reduced under a healthcare provider’s supervision.
Is trazodone better than Ambien for sleep?The American Academy of Sleep Medicine recommends Ambien (zolpidem) over trazodone for the treatment of sleep onset and sleep maintenance insomnia. While Ambien may help you get longer and better-quality sleep, trazodone has been shown to only slightly improve sleep time but not sleep quality.
Is trazodone better than Ambien for sleep?
The American Academy of Sleep Medicine recommends Ambien (zolpidem) over trazodone for the treatment of sleep onset and sleep maintenance insomnia. While Ambien may help you get longer and better-quality sleep, trazodone has been shown to only slightly improve sleep time but not sleep quality.
You may experience side effects with trazodone. Some of them are common, and others are rare but can be severe.
These possible side effects include the following.
Common
You may or may not experience any side effects when taking trazodone. When reported, some of the most common side effects include:
Why is trazodone not helping me sleep?Trazodone does not help everyone sleep, and studies have found that this medication has only minor benefits for many people.If you are taking trazodone for insomnia and it doesn’t seem to be helping, talk to your healthcare provider. A different dose may be more effective, or you may need to switch to another medication.
Why is trazodone not helping me sleep?
Trazodone does not help everyone sleep, and studies have found that this medication has only minor benefits for many people.If you are taking trazodone for insomnia and it doesn’t seem to be helping, talk to your healthcare provider. A different dose may be more effective, or you may need to switch to another medication.
Severe
With the use of any drug, there are also risks of serious side effects. When using trazodone, these may include:
Will trazodone make me drowsy in the mornings?Trazodone may cause morning drowsiness, especially when you first start taking it or if you take it too late at night. Depending on the individual, the sleep-promoting effects of trazodone can last between five to nine hours. You should not drive or operate heavy machinery until you know how trazodone affects you.
Will trazodone make me drowsy in the mornings?
Trazodone may cause morning drowsiness, especially when you first start taking it or if you take it too late at night. Depending on the individual, the sleep-promoting effects of trazodone can last between five to nine hours. You should not drive or operate heavy machinery until you know how trazodone affects you.
When to Check With Your Healthcare Provider
As noted above, certain people should use the medication with caution or not at all. Your doctor will need to monitor you when starting the medication or making dose changes. In particular, you should watch for any symptoms of being suicidal or unusual behavior changes.
If you experience any difficulties, you should be in close contact with your primary health provider. If insomnia persists, consider treating it withcognitive behavioral therapy for insomnia (CBTI), which involves professional guidance on healthy sleep behaviors.
You can use our Healthcare Provider Discussion Guide below to start that conversation with your healthcare provider.
Insomnia Healthcare Provider Discussion GuideGet our printable guide for your next healthcare provider’s appointment to help you ask the right questions.Download PDFEmail AddressSign UpThank you, {{form.email}}, for signing up.There was an error. Please try again.
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Summary
Trazodone is an antidepressant that also causes drowsiness. Because of its sedative effects, it’s sometimes used off-label to treat insomnia, either short-term or long-term.
Talk with your doctor about the possible side effects and whether it’s safe for you to take trazodone.
13 SourcesVerywell Health uses only high-quality sources, including peer-reviewed studies, to support the facts within our articles. Read oureditorial processto learn more about how we fact-check and keep our content accurate, reliable, and trustworthy.Jaffer KY, Chang T, Vanle B, et al.Trazodone for insomnia: A systematic review.Innov Clin Neurosci. 2017;14(7-8):24-34.Khouzam HR.A review of trazodone use in psychiatric and medical conditions.Postgrad Med. 2017;129(1):140-148. doi:10.1080/00325481.2017.1249265Scammell TE, Jackson AC, Franks NP, Wisden W, Dauvilliers Y.Histamine: Neural circuits and new medications.Sleep. 2019;42(1):zsy183. doi:10.1093/sleep/zsy183Sateia MJ, Buysse DJ, Krystal AD, Neubauer DN, Heald JL.Clinical practice guideline for the pharmacologic treatment of chronic insomnia in adults: An American Academy of Sleep Medicine clinical practice guideline.J Clin Sleep Med.2017;13(2):307-349. doi:10.5664/jcsm.6470Albanese A, Vukelic B, Ose D, Taylor E, Fortenberry KT.Is trazodone effective and safe for treating insomnia?Am Fam Physician. 2023;107(2):196-197.Pelayo R, Bertisch SM, Morin CM, Winkelman JW, Zee PC, Krystal AD.Should trazodone be first-line therapy for insomnia? A clinical suitability appraisal.J Clin Med. 2023;12(8):2933. doi:10.3390/jcm12082933Rush CR, Baker RW, Wright K.Acute behavioral effects and abuse potential of trazodone, zolpidem and triazolam in humans.Psychopharmacology. 1999;144(3):220-233.Yi XY, Ni SF, Ghadami MR, et al.Trazodone for the treatment of insomnia: a meta-analysis of randomized placebo-controlled trials.Sleep Med. 2018;45:25-32. doi:10.1016/j.sleep.2018.01.010Creado S, Plante DT.An update on the use of sedative-hypnotic medications in psychiatric disorders.Curr Psychiatry Rep. 2016;18(9):78. doi:10.1007/s11920-016-0717-yRam D, Gandotra S.Antidepressants, anxiolytics, and hypnotics in pregnancy and lactation.Indian J Psychiatry.2015;57(Suppl 2):S354-71. doi:10.4103/0019-5545.161504Nezafati MH, Vojdanparast M, Nezafati P.Antidepressants and cardiovascular adverse events: A narrative review.ARYA Atheroscler.2015;11(5):295-304.El zahran T, Morgan BW, Hon S, Herrington L, Geller RJ.Unintentional trazodone overdoses in children ≤6 years of age: data from poison center over a period of 16 years.Clin Toxicol (Phila).2019;57(1):56-59. doi:10.1080/15563650.2018.1485928MedlinePlus.Trazodone.Additional ReadingSateia MJ, Buysse DJ, Krystal AD, Neubauer DN, Heald JL.Clinical practice guideline for the pharmacologic treatment of chronic insomnia in adults: An American Academy of Sleep Medicine clinical practice guideline.J Clin Sleep Med.2017;13(2):307-349. doi:10.5664/jcsm.6470
13 Sources
Verywell Health uses only high-quality sources, including peer-reviewed studies, to support the facts within our articles. Read oureditorial processto learn more about how we fact-check and keep our content accurate, reliable, and trustworthy.Jaffer KY, Chang T, Vanle B, et al.Trazodone for insomnia: A systematic review.Innov Clin Neurosci. 2017;14(7-8):24-34.Khouzam HR.A review of trazodone use in psychiatric and medical conditions.Postgrad Med. 2017;129(1):140-148. doi:10.1080/00325481.2017.1249265Scammell TE, Jackson AC, Franks NP, Wisden W, Dauvilliers Y.Histamine: Neural circuits and new medications.Sleep. 2019;42(1):zsy183. doi:10.1093/sleep/zsy183Sateia MJ, Buysse DJ, Krystal AD, Neubauer DN, Heald JL.Clinical practice guideline for the pharmacologic treatment of chronic insomnia in adults: An American Academy of Sleep Medicine clinical practice guideline.J Clin Sleep Med.2017;13(2):307-349. doi:10.5664/jcsm.6470Albanese A, Vukelic B, Ose D, Taylor E, Fortenberry KT.Is trazodone effective and safe for treating insomnia?Am Fam Physician. 2023;107(2):196-197.Pelayo R, Bertisch SM, Morin CM, Winkelman JW, Zee PC, Krystal AD.Should trazodone be first-line therapy for insomnia? A clinical suitability appraisal.J Clin Med. 2023;12(8):2933. doi:10.3390/jcm12082933Rush CR, Baker RW, Wright K.Acute behavioral effects and abuse potential of trazodone, zolpidem and triazolam in humans.Psychopharmacology. 1999;144(3):220-233.Yi XY, Ni SF, Ghadami MR, et al.Trazodone for the treatment of insomnia: a meta-analysis of randomized placebo-controlled trials.Sleep Med. 2018;45:25-32. doi:10.1016/j.sleep.2018.01.010Creado S, Plante DT.An update on the use of sedative-hypnotic medications in psychiatric disorders.Curr Psychiatry Rep. 2016;18(9):78. doi:10.1007/s11920-016-0717-yRam D, Gandotra S.Antidepressants, anxiolytics, and hypnotics in pregnancy and lactation.Indian J Psychiatry.2015;57(Suppl 2):S354-71. doi:10.4103/0019-5545.161504Nezafati MH, Vojdanparast M, Nezafati P.Antidepressants and cardiovascular adverse events: A narrative review.ARYA Atheroscler.2015;11(5):295-304.El zahran T, Morgan BW, Hon S, Herrington L, Geller RJ.Unintentional trazodone overdoses in children ≤6 years of age: data from poison center over a period of 16 years.Clin Toxicol (Phila).2019;57(1):56-59. doi:10.1080/15563650.2018.1485928MedlinePlus.Trazodone.Additional ReadingSateia MJ, Buysse DJ, Krystal AD, Neubauer DN, Heald JL.Clinical practice guideline for the pharmacologic treatment of chronic insomnia in adults: An American Academy of Sleep Medicine clinical practice guideline.J Clin Sleep Med.2017;13(2):307-349. doi:10.5664/jcsm.6470
Verywell Health uses only high-quality sources, including peer-reviewed studies, to support the facts within our articles. Read oureditorial processto learn more about how we fact-check and keep our content accurate, reliable, and trustworthy.
Jaffer KY, Chang T, Vanle B, et al.Trazodone for insomnia: A systematic review.Innov Clin Neurosci. 2017;14(7-8):24-34.Khouzam HR.A review of trazodone use in psychiatric and medical conditions.Postgrad Med. 2017;129(1):140-148. doi:10.1080/00325481.2017.1249265Scammell TE, Jackson AC, Franks NP, Wisden W, Dauvilliers Y.Histamine: Neural circuits and new medications.Sleep. 2019;42(1):zsy183. doi:10.1093/sleep/zsy183Sateia MJ, Buysse DJ, Krystal AD, Neubauer DN, Heald JL.Clinical practice guideline for the pharmacologic treatment of chronic insomnia in adults: An American Academy of Sleep Medicine clinical practice guideline.J Clin Sleep Med.2017;13(2):307-349. doi:10.5664/jcsm.6470Albanese A, Vukelic B, Ose D, Taylor E, Fortenberry KT.Is trazodone effective and safe for treating insomnia?Am Fam Physician. 2023;107(2):196-197.Pelayo R, Bertisch SM, Morin CM, Winkelman JW, Zee PC, Krystal AD.Should trazodone be first-line therapy for insomnia? A clinical suitability appraisal.J Clin Med. 2023;12(8):2933. doi:10.3390/jcm12082933Rush CR, Baker RW, Wright K.Acute behavioral effects and abuse potential of trazodone, zolpidem and triazolam in humans.Psychopharmacology. 1999;144(3):220-233.Yi XY, Ni SF, Ghadami MR, et al.Trazodone for the treatment of insomnia: a meta-analysis of randomized placebo-controlled trials.Sleep Med. 2018;45:25-32. doi:10.1016/j.sleep.2018.01.010Creado S, Plante DT.An update on the use of sedative-hypnotic medications in psychiatric disorders.Curr Psychiatry Rep. 2016;18(9):78. doi:10.1007/s11920-016-0717-yRam D, Gandotra S.Antidepressants, anxiolytics, and hypnotics in pregnancy and lactation.Indian J Psychiatry.2015;57(Suppl 2):S354-71. doi:10.4103/0019-5545.161504Nezafati MH, Vojdanparast M, Nezafati P.Antidepressants and cardiovascular adverse events: A narrative review.ARYA Atheroscler.2015;11(5):295-304.El zahran T, Morgan BW, Hon S, Herrington L, Geller RJ.Unintentional trazodone overdoses in children ≤6 years of age: data from poison center over a period of 16 years.Clin Toxicol (Phila).2019;57(1):56-59. doi:10.1080/15563650.2018.1485928MedlinePlus.Trazodone.
Jaffer KY, Chang T, Vanle B, et al.Trazodone for insomnia: A systematic review.Innov Clin Neurosci. 2017;14(7-8):24-34.
Khouzam HR.A review of trazodone use in psychiatric and medical conditions.Postgrad Med. 2017;129(1):140-148. doi:10.1080/00325481.2017.1249265
Scammell TE, Jackson AC, Franks NP, Wisden W, Dauvilliers Y.Histamine: Neural circuits and new medications.Sleep. 2019;42(1):zsy183. doi:10.1093/sleep/zsy183
Sateia MJ, Buysse DJ, Krystal AD, Neubauer DN, Heald JL.Clinical practice guideline for the pharmacologic treatment of chronic insomnia in adults: An American Academy of Sleep Medicine clinical practice guideline.J Clin Sleep Med.2017;13(2):307-349. doi:10.5664/jcsm.6470
Albanese A, Vukelic B, Ose D, Taylor E, Fortenberry KT.Is trazodone effective and safe for treating insomnia?Am Fam Physician. 2023;107(2):196-197.
Pelayo R, Bertisch SM, Morin CM, Winkelman JW, Zee PC, Krystal AD.Should trazodone be first-line therapy for insomnia? A clinical suitability appraisal.J Clin Med. 2023;12(8):2933. doi:10.3390/jcm12082933
Rush CR, Baker RW, Wright K.Acute behavioral effects and abuse potential of trazodone, zolpidem and triazolam in humans.Psychopharmacology. 1999;144(3):220-233.
Yi XY, Ni SF, Ghadami MR, et al.Trazodone for the treatment of insomnia: a meta-analysis of randomized placebo-controlled trials.Sleep Med. 2018;45:25-32. doi:10.1016/j.sleep.2018.01.010
Creado S, Plante DT.An update on the use of sedative-hypnotic medications in psychiatric disorders.Curr Psychiatry Rep. 2016;18(9):78. doi:10.1007/s11920-016-0717-y
Ram D, Gandotra S.Antidepressants, anxiolytics, and hypnotics in pregnancy and lactation.Indian J Psychiatry.2015;57(Suppl 2):S354-71. doi:10.4103/0019-5545.161504
Nezafati MH, Vojdanparast M, Nezafati P.Antidepressants and cardiovascular adverse events: A narrative review.ARYA Atheroscler.2015;11(5):295-304.
El zahran T, Morgan BW, Hon S, Herrington L, Geller RJ.Unintentional trazodone overdoses in children ≤6 years of age: data from poison center over a period of 16 years.Clin Toxicol (Phila).2019;57(1):56-59. doi:10.1080/15563650.2018.1485928
MedlinePlus.Trazodone.
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