Sertraline is a drug that usually activates various neural components in the central nervous system. In general terms, this represents an impediment to falling asleep and getting an adequate rest. This medicine is used for the treatment of depressive disorders in order to combat the main symptoms that interfere with a person's life. In turn, there is a belief based on the fact that the intake of psychotropic drugs allows establishing lasting sleep patterns in the face of specific problems such as insomnia. In this sense, confusion can cause people to make poor decisions and suffer negative consequences.
Does sertraline help you sleep? In this Psychology-Online article we will solve all your doubts about it.
Index
- Can I take sertraline to sleep?
- What happens if I take sertraline and fall asleep
- Is it good to take sertraline at night and in the morning if I have insomnia?
Can I take sertraline to sleep?
Although sertraline acts on the central nervous system by reuptake of serotonin and may improve the state of mood after a considerable period of consumption, it is possible that there are some complications to achieve a rest repairman.
In this sense, various investigations carried out with patients with mental illnesses determined that sertraline does not help decrease ability to sleep. First of all, you must take into account, although the medicine has a sedative effect, there is no direct relationship between the relaxation of the central nervous system and the production of high levels of melatonin.
Similarly, sertraline increases serotonin levels, which leads to obtaining higher ranges of physical energy. This is counterproductive with adapting to regular sleep patterns. For all these reasons, this antidepressant has low effectiveness in treating insomnia. However, it has been shown to be highly effective in patients with depressive symptoms to promote relaxing effects on the body.
What happens if I take sertraline and fall asleep.
Although the intake of sertraline is contraindicated in the moments before rest, it may happen that a dose is implemented in such situations. However, there are some tips that can be put into practice to avoid further inconvenience:
- Contact a mental health professional: It is essential that the supply of this antidepressant be regulated by a specialist in the subject. In some cases it will be necessary to make an adjustment in the dose implemented to avoid side effects.
- Establish sleep hygiene: carry out certain habits to achieve adequate rest. In other words, sleep hygiene consists of getting up and going to bed at the same time, using a dim light, leaving any electronic device that inhibits the production of melatonin, among others.
- Avoid handling dangerous objects: get away from any element that carries a risk to one's own person or to third parties decreases the chances of suffering an accident due to an alteration produced by the sertraline.
- Avoid activities that require mental effort: Since sertraline produces a greater activity of the neurons, it becomes necessary to stop those activities that imply great loads of stress, anxiety, nervousness, among others. The clearest examples that reflect this situation are reading books, solving logical problems, thinking about difficulties that they present in the development of daily life, etc.
- Avoid stimulating drinks: Caffeine prevents the decrease in brain activity that leads to a proper rest. Likewise, certain alcoholic beverages can produce an unfavorable effect on the body after a close to night time. For this reason, the avoidance of stimulating drinks is another factor that must be taken into account.
In this article we explain in depth the Side effects of taking sertraline.
Is it good to take sertraline at night and in the morning if I have insomnia?
Sertraline consumption usually alters the activity of neural circuits in the cerebral cortex due to the increase in the production of hormones linked to states of happiness. This can cause the person's rest to be seriously affected, as well as present difficulties in achieving states of physical and mental relaxation during night periods.
On the other hand, taking sertraline at night and in the morning if you have insomnia can also make it difficult to activate the parasympathetic nervous system, responsible for the control of breathing and the relaxation of blood vessels. At the other extreme, the sympathetic nervous system fulfills the opposite function since it generates activation of various organs in the human body.
Therefore, it is not good to take sertraline at night and in the morning if you suffer from insomnia, as it can hinder rest hours. However, the indication regarding the frequency of intake of this medication should always be made by a health professional who evaluates the particularity of each case.
This article is merely informative, at Psychology-Online we do not have the power to make a diagnosis or recommend a treatment. We invite you to go to a psychologist to treat your particular case.
If you want to read more articles similar to Does sertraline help you sleep?, we recommend that you enter our category of Psychoactive drugs.
Bibliography
- Rodrigo, M., Guillén, J., Perena, M., Aspiroz, A., Olagorta, S. (2004). Sertraline. Efficacy and tolerability as an adjuvant antidepressant treatment in patients with chronic pain. Magazine of the Spanish Pain Society, 11 (2), 87-93.
