Can gabapentin make you sleepy

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Can Gabapentin Make You Sleepy?

Gabapentin and Sleep Quality Improvement

Gabapentin, a medication commonly used for neuropathic pain and epilepsy, has been shown to significantly improve sleep quality in various populations. Studies have demonstrated that gabapentin can increase total sleep time (TST) and enhance sleep depth, particularly by increasing slow-wave sleep (SWS) and reducing wake after sleep onset (WASO) 134. In a study involving participants with transient insomnia induced by sleep phase advance, gabapentin significantly increased TST and SWS while reducing stage 1 sleep, which is the lightest sleep stage . Another study confirmed these findings, showing that gabapentin improved both polysomnographic and participant-reported sleep measures without causing next-day residual effects .

Gabapentin and Daytime Sleepiness

While gabapentin is effective in improving sleep quality, it is also associated with somnolence, or daytime sleepiness, as a common side effect. This has been observed in multiple studies, including those involving patients with sensory nervous system diseases and those with moderate-to-severe primary restless legs syndrome (RLS) 56. In a meta-analysis evaluating the efficacy and safety of gabapentin in improving sleep quality, somnolence was frequently reported as an adverse effect . Similarly, in trials involving patients with RLS, somnolence was one of the most common treatment-emergent adverse events .

Gabapentin in Alcohol-Related Sleep Disturbances

Gabapentin has also been studied for its effects on sleep disturbances related to alcohol consumption. In a study evaluating gabapentin's ability to improve sleep disrupted by alcohol, it was found that gabapentin significantly decreased stage 1 sleep and the number of awakenings, thereby increasing sleep efficiency . However, the study did not find significant differences in subjective measures of drowsiness and performance, suggesting that while gabapentin improves objective sleep parameters, its impact on perceived sleepiness may vary .

Gabapentin and Sleep Disorders in Medical Illness

Gabapentin's efficacy in treating sleep disturbances extends to patients with various medical illnesses. A systematic review and meta-analysis of randomized controlled trials found that gabapentin consistently improved sleep outcomes across different types of sleep disturbances in patients with medical conditions . However, the review also noted that patients on gabapentin had worse tolerance compared to those on placebo, with somnolence being a notable side effect .

Conclusion

In summary, gabapentin can indeed make you sleepy. It is effective in improving sleep quality by increasing total sleep time and enhancing sleep depth, but it is also associated with somnolence as a common side effect. This dual effect makes gabapentin a useful medication for treating sleep disturbances, although its potential to cause daytime sleepiness should be carefully considered in clinical practice.

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Most relevant research papers on this topic

A randomized, double-blind, single-dose, placebo-controlled, multicenter, polysomnographic study of gabapentin in transient insomnia induced by sleep phase advance.

Gabapentin significantly increases sleep duration and depth in individuals with occasional disturbed sleep, compared to placebo.

RCTLarge Human Trial

2014·

30citations

·R. Rosenberg et al.

Efficacy and Tolerability of Gabapentin in Adults with Sleep Disturbance in Medical Illness: A Systematic Review and Meta-analysis

Gabapentin is effective for treating sleep disturbance in patients with medical illness, but its high risk of discontinuation or drug withdrawal may limit its use.

Meta-Analysis

2017·

13citations

·G. Liu et al.

A randomized, double-blind, placebo-controlled, multicenter, 28-day, polysomnographic study of gabapentin in transient insomnia induced by sleep phase advance.

Gabapentin 250 mg effectively increases sleep duration and reduces wake-up time in patients with transient insomnia, without causing next-day impairment.

RCT

2014·

36citations

·S. Furey et al.

Gabapentin Increases Slow‐wave Sleep in Normal Adults

Gabapentin increases slow-wave sleep in normal adults, while reducing rapid-eye-movement sleep and sleep latency.

Highly Cited

2002·

174citations

·N. Foldvary-Schaefer et al.

Efficacy and Safety of Gabapentin in Improving Sleep Quality of Patients with Sensory Nervous System Diseases: A Meta-Analysis.

Gabapentin is safe and effective in improving sleep quality in patients with sensory nervous-system diseases, reducing sleep interference and night awakenings without significant adverse reactions.

Meta-Analysis

2023·

1citation

·Yenan Shen et al.

Treatment response to sleep, pain, and mood disturbance and their correlation with sleep disturbance in adult patients with moderate-to-severe primary restless legs syndrome: Pooled analyses from 3 trials of gabapentin enacarbil

Gabapentin enacarbil (600 mg and 1200 mg) effectively and well-tolerated improves sleep, mood, and pain in adults with moderate-to-severe primary restless legs syndrome, regardless of baseline sleep disturbance level.

Meta-Analysis

2015·

18citations

·R. Bogan et al.

A randomized double-blind pilot trial of gabapentin versus placebo to treat alcohol dependence and comorbid insomnia.

Gabapentin may prevent relapse to heavy drinking in alcohol-dependent patients by a physiological mechanism not measured in this study.

RCTHighly Cited

2008·

171citations

·K. Brower et al.

Gabapentin improves sleep in the presence of alcohol.

A single dose of gabapentin at bedtime can improve sleep quality and reduce awakenings in individuals with frequent awakenings and decreased sleep efficiency.

RCT

2005·

18citations

·C. Bazil et al.

Gabapentin acutely increases the apnea–hypopnea index in older men: data from a randomized, double‐blind, placebo‐controlled study

Gabapentin acutely worsens sleep breathing in older men without sleep apnea, but long-term safety and effectiveness of GABAergic agents remain unclear.

RCTRigorous Journal

2017·

33citations

·R. Piovezan et al.

Effect of melatonin on the daytime sleepiness side-effect of gabapentin in adults patients with neuropathic pain

Melatonin supplementation significantly improved the daytime sleepiness side-effect of gabapentin in patients with neuropathic pain, but sleep quality was similar between groups.

RCT

2018·

7citations

·B. Altıparmak et al.

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