{"id":50657,"date":"2022-04-19T09:30:29","date_gmt":"2022-04-19T13:30:29","guid":{"rendered":"https:\/\/www.singlecare.com\/blog\/?p=50657"},"modified":"2023-05-10T17:05:40","modified_gmt":"2023-05-10T21:05:40","slug":"quetiapine-for-sleep","status":"publish","type":"post","link":"https:\/\/www.singlecare.com\/blog\/quetiapine-for-sleep\/","title":{"rendered":"Does quetiapine help you sleep?"},"content":{"rendered":"

What is quetiapine?<\/a> | How quetiapine works for sleep<\/a> | Efficacy<\/a> | Dosage<\/a> | Side effects<\/a> | Costs<\/a> | Alternatives<\/a><\/span><\/p>\n

Getting the proper amount of sleep at night is important for your physical and mental health. <\/span>The Centers for Disease Control and Prevention (CDC)<\/span><\/a> recommend that the average adult sleep for seven to nine hours per day. The <\/span>average person<\/span><\/a> gets less. In the U.S., there are 50 to 70 million adults that are affected by a sleep disorder.<\/span><\/p>\n

If you\u2019re consistently lying awake at night, it\u2019s likely you\u2019ll try just about anything to get some shut-eye\u2014even prescription drugs. You may have heard about the drug <\/span>Seroquel (quetiapine)<\/span><\/a> and wondered if it is a safe option to help you sleep. Here\u2019s what you need to know.<\/span><\/p>\n

What is Seroquel (quetiapine)?<\/h2>\n

Seroquel (quetiapine)<\/span><\/a> is not a sleep aid, but rather a mental health medication. It\u2019s approved by the U.S. Food and Drug Administration (FDA) to treat psychiatric conditions, including <\/span>schizophrenia<\/span><\/a>, <\/span>bipolar disorder<\/span><\/a>, and <\/span>major depressive disorder.<\/span><\/a><\/p>\n

This medication is classified as an <\/span>atypical antipsychotic<\/span><\/a>, or second-generation, antipsychotic. That means this type of drug is less likely to cause akathisia, or involuntary movements, compared to typical, or first-generation, antipsychotic drugs. In other words, quetiapine can even out mood disorder symptoms with less severe adverse effects than earlier treatments. However, one of its side effects is drowsiness, which is why it\u2019s sometimes prescribed off-label for sleeping problems.<\/span><\/p>\n

RELATED: <\/b>List of atypical antipsychotics<\/b><\/a><\/p>\n

Does quetiapine work for insomnia?<\/h2>\n

\u201cQuetiapine in low doses blocks histamine, serotonin, and dopamine receptors in the brain, causing drowsiness. Its sleep-inducing properties are high,\u201d <\/span>says <\/span>Sean Ormond<\/span><\/a>, MD, an anesthesiologist and pain management specialist at Atlas Pain Specialists in Phoenix, Arizona. This sedating effect is why low doses of quetiapine are sometimes used to help with sleep.<\/span><\/p>\n

A <\/span>Cleveland Clinic Journal of Medicine<\/span><\/a><\/em> study found that use of quetiapine to treat insomnia has increased. It\u2019s used as a replacement for more addictive sleep aids. For example, \u201cbenzodiazepines were prescribed for insomnia but caused dependence when used regularly so quetiapine came into the picture,\u201d Dr. Ormond says.\u00a0<\/span><\/p>\n

However, many providers recommend against using Seroquel for sleep issues. \u201cThe drug quetiapine is not FDA approved for sleep, and sleep organizations have advocated for the drug to not be prescribed for insomnia,\u201d says <\/span>Christopher Winter,<\/span><\/a> MD, neurologist and sleep specialist \u200bat Charlottesville Neurology and Sleep Medicine, author of <\/span>The Rested Child. <\/span><\/i>\u201cQuetiapine does not \u2018help sleep,\u2019 rather, the medication sedates you. Sedation and sleep are two different things.\u201d<\/span><\/p>\n

How effective is quetiapine for sleep?<\/h2>\n

The available research shows that quetiapine may be effective for secondary insomnia (sleep problems that occur along with another condition), especially when that condition is related to mental health. However, there are not high quality clinical trials showing it works well enough for primary insomnia (when sleep problems occur on their own) to counterbalance the potential side effects.<\/span><\/p>\n

The <\/span>American Journal of Health-System Pharmacy<\/span><\/i><\/a> published a systematic review of the literature about using quetiapine to treat insomnia. The findings indicate that, \u201cquetiapine’s benefit in the treatment of insomnia has not been proven to outweigh potential risks, even in patients with a comorbid labeled indication for quetiapine.\u201d Most of the studies on the use of quetiapine treatment of insomnia were conducted on people who also experienced psychotic symptoms and therefore needed medication to treat their psychosis.\u00a0<\/span><\/p>\n

The journal <\/span>Psychopharmacology<\/span><\/i> published a small <\/span>placebo-controlled trial<\/span><\/a> on the use of quetiapine to promote sleep in fourteen healthy male subjects who did not use the medication to treat psychosis. The study found that quetiapine did improve sleep, but because it is a small sample size, this data is not statistically significant. In 2016, <\/span>researchers <\/span><\/a>reviewed studies about quetiapine use for insomnia and found that there is not any scientific evidence that supports using quetiapine off-label to treat sleep issues.<\/span><\/p>\n

Quetiapine dosage for sleep<\/h2>\n

FDA prescribing guidelines<\/span><\/a> for <\/span>quetiapine dosages<\/span><\/a> are dependent on the reason for the use and the age of the person taking the medication. The dose can range from 25 mg to 800 mg per day, based on the indication for use. When used to treat insomnia, it\u2019s usually low-dose quetiapine, between 25 mg and 100 mg taken at bedtime. Quetiapine causes sedation quickly after taking it, so it\u2019s recommended to take it close to bedtime.<\/span><\/p>\n

If you miss a dose of quetiapine, then you should take it as soon as you realize it. But if it is close to the next time you are scheduled to take the medication, then you should skip the missed dose. Never double up on a dose. <\/span>Research<\/span><\/a> shows that it\u2019s possible to take too much quetiapine.<\/span> \u201cOverdose is possible when taking quetiapine,\u201d Dr. Ormond explains. \u201cThere are many side effects such as cardiac problems, coma, or death.\u201d<\/span><\/p>\n

Quetiapine side effects and interactions<\/h2>\n

\u201cQuetiapine is not well-supported by any science for use in sleep and it has significant side effects,\u201d says<\/span> Lulu Guo<\/span><\/a>, MD, a family medicine physician at Valley Sleep Center in Arizona. It makes you drowsy, but there are many known adverse effects of quetiapine, including:<\/span><\/p>\n