Study: Modafinil Is Effective In Treating Excessive Sleepiness

Modafinil is a drug that improves wakefulness in people with excessive sleepiness. It promotes wakefulness in people who have excessive sleepiness related to narcolepsy, shift work sleep disorder, obstructive sleep apnea and hypopnea syndrome.

Narcolepsy is a sleep disorder of the brain and spinal cord characterized by recurrent and uncontrollable desire to sleep. Shift work sleep disorder occurs when the normal rhythm of the sleep gets disturbed due to night shifts.

Modafinil for narcolepsy:

Modafinil is the non-addicting drug for narcolepsy sufferers, which offers safe and efficient relief from excessive sleepiness. Patients with narcolepsy stay awake longer after taking this drug. Patients also reported that they felt less sleepy during normal daily activities.

People had no symptoms of withdrawal when they stopped taking this drug and returned to previous sleepiness levels. People receiving modafinil treatment informed slight headache and nausea, but when compared to people taking placebo, the increase is not higher considerably.

While modafinil is used for improving alertness and has benefits over other treatments, there is no treatment for narcolepsy that can completely solve the problem.

Modafinil for shift work sleep disorder:

Modafinil reduces excessive daytime sleepiness in people with shift work sleep disorder. Patients who took modafinil showed treatment effect with sleep latency increased and increased alertness. There were no adverse side effects other than headache and nausea.

How modafinil can be used?

Modafinil can be taken with or without food. If you are taking modafinil for narcolepsy or sleep apnea/hypopnea syndrome, you have to take it in the morning. If you are taking the drug for shift work sleep disorder, take it one hour before the beginning of your shift work.

Do not change the timings of the drug without consulting the doctor. Take the dosage as directed by the physician. Do not take more or less than prescribed by the doctor.

Before using this drug, tell to your doctor if you drink alcohol, have chest pain, irregular heartbeat, high blood pressure, heart attack, kidney disease, or mental illness. If you are pregnant or are breastfeeding, talk to your doctor about the effects of the drug on you and unborn baby.

Any drug has some side effects and modafinil is no exception. Side effects of this drug include dizziness, headache, heartburn, sweating, dry mouth, constipation, mood swings, loss of appetite, drowsiness, depression, and upset stomach.

Sleep medications are effective when taken under supervision of a sleep physician.