Does Trazodone Make You Tired the Next Day?
Trazodone is taken for its drowsiness, but for some people it lasts into the next day.
By withClaro Editorial · 2026-11-02 · 4 min read
Clinical section reviewed by Dr. Jason Tan, Consultant Psychiatrist, on October 27, 2026.
Key takeaways
- In the FDA depression trials, drowsiness affected 41% of outpatients on trazodone against 20% on placebo; the label doesn't say at what time or dose people took it in those trials, so they don't measure next-morning grogginess directly.
- Of 70 people in Reddit threads about tiredness who said whether they felt tired, 62 felt tired or groggy on trazodone and 8 did not; the threads were picked for tiredness.
- Levels peak 1 to 2 hours after a dose, and the label says it can build up in some people, which is one reason the heaviness can reach the morning.
- The label advises caution with driving until you know how it affects you, and alcohol and other sedatives add to it.
Trazodone can make you tired the next day. In the label's outpatient trials for depression, with 157 people on trazodone and 158 on placebo, drowsiness affected 41% against 20%, and fatigue 6% against 3%. The label doesn't say at what time of day or at what doses people took it in those trials, so they show how sedating it is rather than how many people wake up groggy after a bedtime dose for sleep.
How tiredness on trazodone went for people on Reddit
These threads were chosen because they were about tiredness, and they came mostly from r/insomnia, so they show people taking trazodone as a sleep aid, usually at low doses, and what tiredness looks like when it happens, not how often. We read 100 recent threads, comments included, and 71 people described their own experience. Of them, 70 said whether they felt tired: 62 felt tired, groggy or sedated on trazodone, and 8 did not. One person on r/insomnia wrote:
And the next day I'd be a zombie.
Another felt the opposite:
Aside from dry mouth i feel fine, and honestly very rested.
Why does trazodone cause next-day grogginess?
Medically reviewed by Dr. Jason Tan on October 27, 2026, this section only.
Partly timing and partly how the body handles it. Trazodone acts on serotonin, including by blocking 5-HT2A receptors, and blocks several other receptors too; the label doesn't say which of these causes the sleepiness, and it links its alpha-1 blocking to dizziness on standing. Its levels peak about 1 to 2 hours after a dose, later if taken with food, and the label notes it may build up in the blood in some people; it gives no simple half-life. That may be why a dose taken late or a larger dose can leave some people heavy in the morning, though the label doesn't spell this out.
Prescribers also use trazodone for sleep off-label. The American Academy of Sleep Medicine's 2017 guideline makes a weak recommendation against it for chronic insomnia, because there are few studies, not because it was shown not to work. More in trazodone for sleep. When drowsiness is a problem, the label allows giving most of the daily dose at bedtime or lowering the dose. The clinical view:
When it lasts, it can come from the medication, from depression itself or from poor sleep.
What can help:
- taking the dose in the evening, if your medication allows it - regular sleep, daylight and light activity, rather than extra caffeine - not driving or using machinery if you feel drowsy ## What should you tell your prescriber about tiredness on trazodone?
Tell your prescriber how tired you are the next day and how long it lasts. It helps to tell them:
- Your dose and what time you take it.
- How many hours you sleep.
- How long the grogginess lasts in the morning.
- Other medicines that make you sleepy, and alcohol.
- Whether driving or work has been affected.
Driving is where morning grogginess matters most. The label warns that trazodone can impair thinking and coordination and asks for caution with driving or machinery until you know how it affects you; alcohol and other sedatives add to it. Don't drive until you are sure it doesn't affect you that way. Some signs need a call to your prescriber the same day rather than waiting: falling asleep during the day against your will, nodding off at the wheel, or being unable to wake properly in the morning.
Download on the App Store Next-day grogginess on trazodone can shift over the first weeks. The withClaro app lets you log sleep, energy and mood each day, linked to your dose, and turns it into a report for your prescriber.
Frequently asked questions
How long does trazodone grogginess last?
It varies by person and dose, and too few people on Reddit said how long it lasted to give a typical time. Note how many hours it lasts after waking and tell your prescriber.
Does a lower trazodone dose cause less grogginess?
The label lists lowering the dose as an option when drowsiness is a problem. Bring your prescriber your dose, the time you take it and how long the grogginess lasts.
Can I drive the morning after taking trazodone?
Only once you know how it affects you and you feel fully alert. The label warns it can impair driving, and alcohol or other sedatives make that worse.
Related articles
More about Trazodone
Same topic, other medications
Sources
- TRAZODONE HYDROCHLORIDE tablets prescribing information, US Food and Drug Administration via DailyMed
- Sateia MJ, et al. Clinical Practice Guideline for the Pharmacologic Treatment of Chronic Insomnia in Adults. Journal of Clinical Sleep Medicine, 2017
Claro articles are for self-monitoring and educational purposes only. They are not a medical device, therapist, or diagnostic tool, and do not replace care from your prescribing clinician. If you are in crisis, contact your care team, emergency services, the Samaritans (UK: 116 123), or the Crisis Text Line (US: text HOME to 741741).