Skip to main content

Mirtazapine for Insomnia User Reviews

Brand names: Remeron, Remeron SolTab

Mirtazapine has an average rating of 7.1 out of 10 from a total of 472 reviews for the off-label treatment of Insomnia. 60% of reviewers reported a positive experience, while 19% reported a negative experience.

Mirtazapine rating summary

7.1/10 average rating

472 ratings from 502 user reviews.

Compare all 85 medications used in the treatment of Insomnia.

10
32%
9
19%
8
9%
7
7%
6
5%
5
6%
4
3%
3
3%
2
4%
1
13%

Reviews for Mirtazapine

  • First...
  • January 29, 2021

"This is my honest review after being on it for roughly 8 months now for my Anxiety/Insomnia.. Its a life changer for the better. I was a big skeptic as probably you are who is reading it. For almost a month I would just be reading different reviews on different anti depressants as I would just avoid taking it due to online reviews etc. As a person who was probably in the same boat as you, I finally decided to take it after my breakdown over lack of sleep due to anxiety. I got the best night sleep I had in years and even helped with my anxiety heaps. I have continued to take it (while slowly increasing my dose) and I honestly never want to go back. It far outweighs the positive it has been on my personal life and to you who is reading it, it helped bring clarity over everything and been able to be the person version of myself. Please give it a shot if you are going through anxiety or insomnia as it was and still the best thing to it. Period."

10 / 10
Was this helpful?YesNo
847 Report
  • Georgia
  • March 22, 2021

"I was suffering from chronic insomnia. No problem falling asleep around 9:30-10:00 pm but by 2 am I was wide awake & up for the day. I tried Trazadone 50mg once & it wiped me out. Then I tried a Valium 5mg tab & not very helpful either. I tried Melatonin 3mg & that was useless for me as well. I talked to my Dr & she prescribed Mirtazipine 7.5 mg. That dose totally wiped me out, so I skipped a day & took 1/2 of the 7.5 mg tablet. Once again it wiped me out & I tried a 1/4 tablet and that was just the right dose for me. I sleep well throughout the night but it does take some coffee in the am to get going. FYI it's the only pill I take other than occasional Tylenol or Motrin. Hope this helps someone out there."

9 / 10
Was this helpful?YesNo
567 Report
  • eoacav
  • Taken for 1 to 6 months
  • May 31, 2021

"My happy successful 29 year old son is dead because of Mirtazapine. He became suicidal after taking this medicine and committed suicide. How many others have died because of this medicine so that big pharma can continue to profit?"

1 / 10
Was this helpful?YesNo
490 Report

Frequently asked questions

  • Marie
  • December 2, 2020

"I went through a really difficult time due to having severe insomnia, I was sleeping between 0 - 2 hours every night for 3 months, no matter how hard I tried I just couldn't sleep. I've never felt exhaustion like it, I felt mentally and physically unwell. I was not myself at all, and I became incredibly anxious. I actually believe having had this experience that insomnia itself can be due to a chemical imbalance as it felt like my body was constantly in awake mode. I took a course of sleeping pills but they didn't work, I was then prescribed 15mg Mirtazapine, and they have helped me so much, I've been taking it for 7 months now. I began to feel calm and relaxed within a week on taking them. I was terrified of the side effects, but they were very short lived, I had a couple of nightmares to begin with... but at least I slept, a true nightmare is not sleeping. It really helps me to sleep, I sleep well every night now, and I feel great. I am truly thankful I took this medicine."

9 / 10
Was this helpful?YesNo
469 Report
  • Annth
  • October 1, 2020

"Hey guys , I’ve been taking Remeron for around 3 years. Best thing I’ve ever done . From day one I was peacefully falling asleep without anxiety! I love it. It helps me feel happy, calm and ready for bed. In the beginning I felt kinda fatigued the next day. I certainly slept a lot at first but I needed it , I would sleep 10 hours! but with any drug it takes time to adjust to it! It’s been amazing ! I have not put on weight , at the start I was on a dose of 15 milligrams , I was getting the munchies very bad cut down to 7.5mg and the munchies stopped, but after while and some stress in my life I started not sleeping again. Been on 30mg now for around two years and it’s my perfect dose, yes I get the munchies , but I workout most days and just try hard not to go overboard with food but enjoy feeling good and a few treats. I have energy to burn now I get good sleep every night. It’s a dream come true . Thank you it’s chae ."

10 / 10
Was this helpful?YesNo
342 Report

Are you taking this medicine?

  • Meano
  • Taken for 1 to 2 years
  • January 24, 2021

"I was able to fall asleep in 15 minutes but I couldn't sleep through the night. If I woke up at 2am to use bathroom, that was it, I was awake and ready to go go go. I usually worked 8am - 8pm but after sleepless nights I was exhausted by noon. I tried Trazadone, Melatonin, Valium, & Benadryl, but nothing worked well for me. My doctor suggested mirtazapine so the first dose I took was 7.5mg and it knocked me out. A couple days later I cut the 15 mg pill in quarters and it was still too much for me. Now I cut a 7.5mg tab in 1/4 . So I'm basically taking a little under 2mg. I take it at 8pm, go to bed at 10pm and I sleep through the night without a groggy hangover. Works for me."

10 / 10
Was this helpful?YesNo
267 Report
  • Just...
  • April 26, 2012

Remeron (mirtazapine) "I am writing to say DO NOT judge by the experience of others - try it yourself. In my case, after twenty years of stumbling daily through a heavy fog, unable to concentrate, loss of memory, no motivation. Remeron gave me 8 hours of sleep a night, week after week, until I became a new person simply because my body was getting rest. I made sure only healthy, healthy food was available in my house and did not have any weight gain at all. For some people this will provide a miraculous turn around - try it like I did - two weeks will give you a good test, no need for six weeks like other drugs. Start on low dose, don't take it until bedtime, no matter what the doctor says. Good luck, hope it helps you too."

10 / 10
Was this helpful?YesNo
616 Report
  • Stefb
  • Taken for less than 1 month
  • August 7, 2020

"Wow this med Remeron is a life saver for me. The sleep is deep and restorative. My dr had me take 7.5 and then I a week up it to 15 mg. Even 7.5 was a bit too much. So I’m cutting a 15 mg in quarters. Finally something that works for my insomnia. Make sure you take it early enough so you can get at least 8 hours. First night I slept 11.5 hours and could have slept longer. That’s why I’m cutting the 7.5 in half and see how that works for me."

10 / 10
Was this helpful?YesNo
241 Report
  • Bette...
  • Taken for 5 to 10 years
  • March 5, 2022

"I have been on 15mg at bedtime for 10 years. I take this with 10 MG of Lexapro. I tried countless medications to help with crippling GAD. I was not able to sleep, lost a lot of weight, cried all the time. It was a horrible year and half. I am 60 and have been this for 10 years. It is true all meds work different on everyone. Just don't give up hope finding a combination that works. You will find it! It also helps to find a support group if you can so you know you are not alone. Never think for a moment God had abandoned you. You will be able to help someone and bring hope to someone else. It is sooo hard but keep trying to find what works for you."

10 / 10
Was this helpful?YesNo
132 Report
  • Carty
  • February 28, 2020

"I've had very severe insomnia for over 35yrs. I have tried many, many prescription and over the counter pills, as well as CBT, a wide range of alternative treatments eg hypnotherapy and homeopathy. I was prescribed Mirtazapine 2yrs ago (no idea why it wasn't prescribed before), and it's actually working. It's not perfect, I still have lots of nights of poor sleep but often I feel normal and capable of facing the day and that's amazing for me. I am not dep3, not over weight and have an otherwise happy life. Mirtazapine I love you."

9 / 10
Was this helpful?YesNo
192 Report
  • Linda
  • Taken for 1 to 2 years
  • September 2, 2023

"Mirtazapine saved my life! I don't have any side effects. I tried a lot of meds for insomnia, but nothing helped. I didn't sleep for years and years and nobody believed me. I was thinking about taking my life. Thank you mirtazapine! I am not thinking about stopping taking it."

9 / 10
Was this helpful?YesNo
49 Report
  • Sproey
  • Taken for 2 to 5 years
  • June 9, 2020

"Yeah, I take mirtazapine for depression, it knocks me out every night (my dose is 45mg) but all night my brain is racing with weird dreams, I wake, it feels like I haven't slept at all. I can sleep for 12 hours + easily and feel like rubbish when I get out of bed. I don't know if its done anything for my depression/anxiety because I've been on them for a while. I take them with 30mg of diazepam a day. Yeah, I'm a total zombie. I always used to be slim, now, I'm really bloated, I think they make you crave sugar. I regret starting taking them, definitely. Stay away if you can."

2 / 10
Was this helpful?YesNo
179 Report
  • Vix
  • Taken for less than 1 month
  • February 18, 2020

"IWANTOSHARE on 2 Feb 2020 said it all. I have also been on Escilotopram for Depression, for a few years now. But my biggest issue became insomnia, firstly after working night duty as a nurse, then I was diagnosed with a brain tumour last year. Had it out Jan 13 2020 all good, but awake all night then fell asleep 9 or 10 am, slept all day and so awake again all night. This week my doctor gave me Mirtazapine 15 mg (but taking half tablet) then up to 1 as from next week. She told me that it seems to work better for sleep on lower doses of it, rather than taking higher doses. Took my first dose last night, after 20 min felt dozy, then fell asleep, woke once for about 15 min then fell asleep again for the rest of the night. A little groggy today but then again I am still recovering from my brain surgery, so a big foggy most days, overall feeling fine. Hope it continues, and good luck to everyone else."

8 / 10
Was this helpful?YesNo
175 Report
  • The...
  • Taken for 5 to 10 years
  • August 7, 2019

"This drug has been a life saver for me, I tried Ambien, Sonata, Trazadone etc. for 15 years but came across Mirtazapine prescribed by my PCP. He gave me the 30mg tablets and not knowing any better I took a whole tablet my first night at Walt Disney World, I missed the next day asleep!!! I've used Mirtazapine for 10 years now using only 3.75mg at night and it still works for me!!! I take the 15mg tablets and cut them into 1/4 to get my dosage. The greatest thing about Mirtazapine for me at this small dose is it will still allow me to go back to sleep even after I get up 3-4 times at night to urinate. In the past once I was awake it was 2-3 hours before I went back to sleep and was miserable the next day and as I said this has seriously been a miracle sleep drug for me at the low dosage."

10 / 10
Was this helpful?YesNo
191 Report
  • Jones
  • Taken for less than 1 month
  • March 3, 2020

"This medication is very dangerous, stayed in my system for two days! Wasn't functional at all. Couldn’t stay awake and clumsy when I was awake! I was totally out of my head! Friends were very worried to say the least! I was running into walls, closed the garage door on my car! Dropping and breaking things! I gave up and just stayed in bed until it worn off the third day! Yes the 3rd day! If you are taking prescription allergy medication, omg!!!! Double trouble!!! This medication need to be taken off the market before someone gets hurt!"

1 / 10
Was this helpful?YesNo
173 Report
  • 25yoi...
  • March 3, 2020

"I've been taking mirtazapine for almost a year. I've had insomnia since high school, and it's gotten worse the older I've gotten (I'm 25). I tried 4 different sleeping pills before this one, and started with 15mg dose of mirtazapine. It didn't seem to help at all, and I was still up all night and day. So I decided to take 2 at a time, and it actually worked great. I called my doctor and got switched to 30mg. I've seen a lot of reviews on here saying lower doses work best, but 30mg has worked best for me. I sleep through the night, and wake up feeling find. No grogginess, or dizziness. Just remember everyone reacts different. I've tried many different sleeping pills, and this one by far works the best, and it's super affordable. $12 for 3 month's supply? Done. (My doctor is one of those sticklers who wont prescribe anything that can be addictive like ambien.)"

9 / 10
Was this helpful?YesNo
173 Report
  • Leo
  • February 8, 2021

"I’ve had bad insomnia for about a week only getting 1-2 hours of sleep here and there. I first took mirtazapine was about 3 days ago. A quarter 30mg tablet. So approximately 7.5mg. About 30 minutes later I went to bed and slept through about 9 hours. Falling asleep was peaceful. I had a type of quietude in my mind. It really just felt peaceful I’ve been having deep sleep as well. But just that the idea of sleep is really appealing to me. They don’t make you feel tired. They just make you feel at peace with everything. I’ve had these tablets for about 3 months but I’m very wary of taking any sleeping tablets. These are not sleeping tablets. But they quite that part of your mind that stops you from falling asleep naturally."

10 / 10
Was this helpful?YesNo
129 Report
  • Iwant...
  • February 2, 2020

"I had an anxiety and started taking Escitalopram 2 months ago. I knew it would take about 4 weeks for it to work. I also knew that my anxiety could first get worse before getting better. But I started experiencing severe insomnia. I used Lorazepam for a week, Ambien for 2 weeks. But those medications would help me sleep only for a couple of hours. My doctor prescribed Mirtazapine 7.5mg, but I decided to trya lower dose 3.75mg. That was the first night in about a month that I slept through the night. I took Mirtazapine for 3 weeks. I enjoyed my sleep and I loved my dreams. I did not have an increased appetite, but my appetite did improve with my overall condition. I did not put on any weight as I was watching it after reading multiple reviews here. I stopped taking Mirtazapine a few days ago without any problems at all. And I still sleep very well at nights because the Escitalopram started working and I am not having anxiety any more. Mirtazapine is a miracle drug for insomnia. Saved me."

10 / 10
Was this helpful?YesNo
149 Report
  • Marmy
  • Taken for 10 years or more
  • November 20, 2023

"I'm in my 80s and have taken 15mg of Mirtazapine just before bed for 20 years. Following cancer and years of insomnia and anxiety... it changed my life! It began working within a few days of starting it. Highly recommend (and bless the doc who suggested it!)"

10 / 10
Was this helpful?YesNo
26 Report
  • Atrut...
  • June 27, 2023

"I am a senior and expected to be calmed by this drug. It did the opposite. The 7.5mg dose made me more alert, gave me severe dry mouth, made it harder to urinate, and never gave me a really relaxing and calm moment. Even after 12 after taking the drug, I was unsteady on my feet. The problem with these sleeping medications is that they have such varied effects on people. The doctors have no idea if these medications are going to help or going to hurt the patient. Too often it is trial and error. It's like going to a witch doctor. Maybe the sleep medicine will work or maybe not. Of course, the doctors want to help, but the reality is that they actually don't any more than the collective intelligence of the posters on this thread."

1 / 10
Was this helpful?YesNo
41 Report
  • Sheikh...
  • January 25, 2015

"Was only sleeping 2-3 hours a night, some nights none at all. This on top of house, kids and a stressfull job, I was a walking mess. Started taking mirtazapine on my doctor's advice and it has changed my life completely. No stress and I sleep like a baby."

9 / 10
Was this helpful?YesNo
240 Report
  • Billy...
  • November 5, 2014

"What it's supposed to do, it does very well. I was put on it for sleep and weight loss due to anxiety and depression after a stressful event in my life. I have struggled with insomnia for most of my adult life. What can I say? It was a literal life saver for me at the time. Gave me sleep and appetite back immediately and I turned around. I still take 7.5mg at night for sleep, appetite and mood and it works very well. For the first time in my life I am at a healthy weight. That being said it does not induce the crazy sweets cravings anymore. I just take it and go to bed. I sleep enough but do sometimes wake up feeling a bit groggy, but that usually goes away during the course of the day. All in all a great medication that helped me immensely"

10 / 10
Was this helpful?YesNo
243 Report
  • SCANDI
  • Taken for 2 to 5 years
  • May 22, 2020

"Been on Mirtazapine 30mg for 5 years. It works really great for my insomnia. I have not experienced any side effect as weight gain. It helps me stay focused in the day too. I will say tho, that I feel addicted to this medicine. Tried to stop taking it for 1 day (cold turkey) and I was doing really bad. So withdrawal after a long use have to be planned, while lowering the dose from 30mg, to 15mg to 7.5mg."

6 / 10
Was this helpful?YesNo
124 Report
  • John...
  • April 22, 2014

"Most people should consider exercise and a better diet to help with sleep and also despression. Exercise can help. Also get away from the TV and computer before sleep. Mirtazapine is probably the best sleep aid I have ever used. The more expensive sleep drugs are less effective especially if you are worried and mind is racing. You can wake up groggy but it sure beats not getting any sleep. I try to not rely on it that much but it can be a Godsend. It is also very inexpensive. I usually take the 15 mg tabs and cut them into quarters. The only reason I am posting this is hopefully it will help someone with insomnia. It is highly effective."

10 / 10
Was this helpful?YesNo
246 Report
  • Amazed
  • Taken for 1 to 6 months
  • February 16, 2014

"I was prescribed 15mg tablets to take one at night for sleep (or Doctor said 7.5mg was fine). I suffered from Anxiety (No Severe Phobias; more Obsessive Compulsive Disorder type personality), and Depression. This medicine affects your sleep feeling natural, not zombied. I sleep longer, it works better than heavy sedation medicines without being groggy, and I get through all the proper stages of sleep (I'd assume), as it has helped my depression MAJORLY & anxiety sufficient enough. I use to take Seroquel (for bedtime sleep 100mg), it zombies you and is long term very bad for your health. I tried about every SSRI & SNRI, and none seemed to help & only cause problems. I haven't felt this good in 8 years. Felt better immediately & GREAT after 2 weeks! Hope it helps you."

9 / 10
Was this helpful?YesNo
242 Report

Reviews may be edited to correct grammar/spelling or to remove inappropriate language and content. Reviews that appear to be created by parties with a vested interest are not published. This information is not intended to endorse any particular medication. While these reviews may be helpful, they are not a substitute for the expertise, knowledge, and judgement of healthcare professionals.