Skip to main content

Tramadol is it hard to go to sleep the first time you take it ?

10 Answers

Reeee 11 May 2020

I find it extremely hard to sleep on tramadol depending on the dose taken, I took 200mg at 6pm and could not sleep all night despite using valiums to try and counter act it

Votes: +0
Colleen S 5 Jan 2019

I was awake all night the 1st. time I took Ultram, then years later I went to a CE, for Pharmacy, & talked to a pharmacist, I use to work with, & he said they came to the E.R., because, it had side effestest, like Prozac did.

Votes: +0
Rocklobster2402 23 Oct 2018

I have been on it for 3 days now.
It helps with the neuropathy in my feet and legs.
I also helps for pluracy, pain in the chest from coughing so much.
That is really what he prescribed it for.
I can't sleep for hours after taking this.
Does it get easier over time?
I also take Neurontin for neuropathy.
I have noticed that if I take deep breaths, and concentrate on the top of the inhale, and the bottom of the exhale.
I meditate quite a bit.
I know that breathing deep breaths will relax you.
I have used this breathing technique with the tramadol.
It did not help.
I thought it would make me drowsy.
It hasn't so far.
Thanks

Votes: +0
CarolVanMK 5 Nov 2018

My doctor switched me to Tramadol HCL 50mg after shoulder surgery because I did not want to be on OxyContin. I read all symptoms and insomnia was not common. After reading all these comments, I believe I must be 1 in 1000. I sleep well for about 4-5 hours, then I am up and wide awake. After getting up and sitting on the recliner, sometimes I go back to sleep, sometimes I do not. I will most likely end up eventually falling back to sleep a couple of hours later,. I end up super tired and find it troublesome to be alert for a while in the morning.

Dee171252 24 Nov 2017

I had depression of which I was not aware but my sleep was disorderly and once I was prescribed tramadol 50mg. for back pain I slept for 12 hours without interruptions and woke up feeling refreshed. I use Sleep monitoring Gadget EMFIT-QS. Which recorded my physiology and gave me 100% recovery for sleep after first time taking tramadol. to see if the result was not a fluke. I stopped taking tramadol and checked my sleep score & quality... it was poor again. So now I take 50mg of tramadol every other day and monitor my sleep it has proved right every time I sleep after taking a tramadol I recover fully with 100% marks on HRV. As I Study BSc health science, I am going to investigate this further. It is a factual statement based on self experimentations.

Votes: +0
beats84 31 Oct 2017

I'm currently taking tramadol before bed instead of codein, and i am finding it very difficult to sleep. It's like my head is buzzing, my mind being over active bonus is my pain isn't present during the night.

Votes: +1
Rip Van Winkle 31 Oct 2017

There may be other ways to alleviate the pain, osteopathy worked for me on some chronic posture defects.
Also Ibuprofen etc.
I haven't taken Tramadol again and sleep very well apart from waking at 6am and going back to sleep 30 mins later most mornings.
Tramadol made my life hell, and the insomnia seems to be a little-reported side effect.
My doctor seemed unconcerned about my news of the effects despite my years of suffering ...
I hope he is more alert to the problem now and deals with other reports more effectively.

EstebanElGuapo 26 Oct 2017

Yes, absolutely. I had terrible insomnia for days after I first started taking Tramadol, and it happened again after I started it again after a long break. The best solution for me was to take it as far from bedtime as possible - in my case, just after supper. Avoiding caffeine seemed to help, too, as the effect of caffeine seemed to be even worse with Tramadol.

Votes: +0
Rip Van Winkle 31 Oct 2017

I always took Tramadol in the evening, which I guess didn't help.
I too wondered about the caffeine being a factor.
I find coffee makes little difference now I am off the Tramadol and I easily fall off to sleep.
I guess one has to weigh up the pros and cons.
My occasional pain is less of a problem than the inconvenience and distress of not sleeping.
It is no exaggeration to say it was a living Hell.
My main frustration now is the failure of my doctor to spot the link.

Rip Van Winkle 20 April 2017

I took Tramadol for years and suffered with sleeplessness for years.
Most nights it would take between 3-6 hours to get to sleep even after a strenuous day. Some nights no sleep at all.
My doctor had no answers and indicated this was a part of aging, (I am 67 now).
On re-reading the advice slip in the packet, I noticed the '1 in a 1000' side effect of sleep disorders on Tramadol.
Desperate, I tried stopping the medication.
It had an immediate effect that same evening.
I I am now sleeping well for the first time in years and no longer lie awake for hours.
In fact I get straight off to sleep - it's amazing!
I feel I have got my life back.
The most suffering I have ever endured was the past decade on Tramadol.

Votes: +0
Prospero 17 May 2013

The first time I took it (about 7 years ago), I took a 50mg dose before going to bed, and had insomnia so bad that I didn't use it again for months. Since then, I have usually taken it only during the morning. This doesn't seem to be a typical effect, so it may just be my individual reaction.

Votes: +1
Delila 18 May 2013

Hi, i was the same to start with. Didn't sleep well, but then my doctor added Amitriptyline, which helps. I continued with the Tramadol as it really helped with my back pain, after some time i wasn't affected with the insomnia & Tramadol worked great from me, even to some point kept me more alert during the day. I have to warn you about dependency with Tramadol though, it is a risk. Sorry, but i feel i have to share this

Emmajik 12 April 2015

I get insomnia even if I take it at noon... so sad because it was helping with my fibromyalgia pain...

Jooneybuggy 1 Nov 2017

I see this is a very old comment from 2013 It is 2017 now , if I need to take tramadol I try to take it long before bedtime, unless it's a must--if I take it at bedtime I get no sleep-- I suppose taking II during the day when you are active negates the wakefulness. Still there are times it is needed near bedtime. Heart problems with stent placement keep me from taking other pain meds. Quandurim for sure.

Delila 21 April 2013

Hi, i agree, it is unusual for Tramadol to cause insomnia when first starting it. It is much more common to experience lethargy and generally sleeping more than usual. It is known that Tramadol can cause insomnia when someone has been taking it for a long time & at high doses.

Votes: +0
mhelcl 21 April 2013

It is not a usual problem. The most typical side effects with taking Tramadol are nausea, vomiting, sweating, itching and constipation sometimes drowsiness. Unless you could not sleep because of one of the listed, it is not typical to not be able to sleep after taking Tramadol.

Votes: +2
Jooneybuggy 1 Nov 2017

If I tak tramadol within 2 hous of trying to fall asleep, I toss and turn and cannot sleep. I try to take it, if needed 2-3 hrs before bedtime, unless it's dire.

Jooneybuggy 1 Nov 2017

My experience is that I caNot sleep if I take tramadol- even 3 hrs before bedtime. My mind just will not shut down. Even if I take a sleep aid.

Drugs.com free discount card

Related topics

insomnia, sleep disorders, tramadol, sleep

Further information

Similar questions

Search for questions

Still looking for answers? Try searching for what you seek or ask your own question.