

What has serotonin to do with depression? (2015) This means that even when you aren't taking medication for depression anymore, CBT-I will help you continue to get a good night's rest.
#Working through zoloft insomnia how to#
You can learn how to relax and fall asleep more efficiently and change the way you think about sleep in general. With CBT-I, you learn to manage your insomnia by changing your thoughts and feelings about sleep. However, avoid vigorous activity at least one hour before bed. So if you're feeling down or anxious from insomnia, consider getting some exercise in the morning or during the day. Your body feels better and boosts your overall mood after some physical activity. Workouts release endorphins, which may help you feel relaxed and ready for bedtime, but there are other reasons too. It's been shown that those who exercise regularly get more sleep than those who don't. Work out regularlyĮxercise can be a great way to help you sleep. If you use melatonin and notice any adverse effects on your health (such as memory loss), talk with your doctor. Melatonin is not addictive or habit-forming like other sleep aids, although its long-term use has yet to be studied in humans. You can purchase melatonin over the counter, and it's relatively inexpensive. In addition to reducing your dosage of Zoloft, you may also want to try taking a melatonin supplement. Don’t drink alcohol right before bedtime (as a nightcap). If you need to drink alcohol, do so in moderation and only on the weekend. Alcohol may help you sleep faster, but overall it disrupts sleep, particularly the dream stage (REM stage) of sleep.Īlcohol can also worsen other symptoms of depression, leading to more insomnia. Limit your alcohol intakeĪlthough alcohol is a depressant and will make it easier to sleep, it reduces sleep quality and duration, especially when alcohol is consumed in excess. As a rule of thumb, give yourself three hours after eating before you go to bed. One study⁴ found that consuming caffeinated beverages after 2 PM can disrupt sleep even when consumed 12 hours before bedtime.Īlso, avoid going to bed immediately after a large meal. These disrupt your body's internal clock and cause difficulty falling asleep later in the evening. Blue light suppresses melatonin, the sleep hormone, and can disrupt your ability to fall asleep.Īvoid stimulating substances such as soda, tea, tobacco, and caffeine in the afternoon and evening hours. Keep phones, laptops, and all other sources of blue light out of your bedroom. Invest in a comfortable mattress and pillow.ĭon’t use your bedroom for anything else but sleeping and intimacy. Maintain a healthy sleeping environment: set the temperature at 73.4F³ and maintain darkness and silence. Get some early morning sunshine to reset your internal clock. Go to bed when you’re tired and don’t get in bed if you’re not tired. Listen to your body’s natural clock: go to bed and wake up at the same time every day. Some ways to observe good sleep hygiene include: More specifically, it is a method used to treat insomnia and is based on the fact that insomnia may sometimes be due to poor sleeping habits reinforced over the years. Sleep hygiene means healthy habits and an environment conducive to sleep. For example, amitriptyline and doxepin have a sedating effect that can help users sleep better. Tricyclic antidepressants are even better than SSRIs when treating depression, but they may have more side effects than SSRIs. Although it is stimulating in the daytime, it doesn’t cause insomnia and can even promote sleep at night. Wellbutrin (bupropion) is a norepinephrine and dopamine reuptake inhibitor (NDRI) used to treat depression and anxiety. Trazodone is especially effective at inducing sleep (an off-label effect).

Mirtazapine and trazodone are antidepressants used to treat insomnia. There are many other options for treating depression and anxiety, including the following: If this dosage still causes significant side effects, talk to your doctor about switching to a different medication. The standard starting dose is 25-50mg daily, but this dosage depends on the reason for administration. Your doctor will start you off with a low dose of Zoloft to minimize side effects. If taking Zoloft at night causes side effects, try taking it in the morning instead. Since Zoloft is taken once a day, you will have a lower concentration of it in the blood by the time you go to sleep at night, which will help reduce insomnia.

Sertraline, the main ingredient in Zoloft, takes 4–10 hours to be fully absorbed and reach peak concentration in the blood. Taking Zoloft in the morning is one of the best ways to deal with its side effects. How do you stop Zoloft's insomnia? Take it in the morning
