Suvorexant and Vivid Dreams: What Users Say

• Ano...
• September 25, 2019

For Insomnia "Belsomra legitimately is the only thing that works for me. I've tried every OTC sleeping pill and vast majority of on and off-label medications for sleep. It starts working in 15 minutes for me. Makes me feel like I'm melting into my bed (in a good way). I just feel fuzzy, calm, and relaxed. One caveat is I have to remain completely still or it doesn't work for me. Anytime I move, the effect stops until I stop moving. I've had severe insomnia since elementary school, and I am finally getting consistent sleep for the first time in 17 years. The only side effect is weight loss. I no longer remember any of my dreams (I used to have very vivid dreams). It doesn't need to be pulled from the market, it just didn't work for you. No matter how much benzos or Ambien I took, I could never sleep. If you can pass out on melatonin or Benadryl, then why are you even taking this? People sleep-drive on Ambien. It also can cause vivid nightmares. It's not the med, it's how your body reacts to it. Be realistic, people."

• Dud...
• Taken for 2 to 5 years
• November 20, 2019

For Insomnia "Being a long-term insomniac, I was anxious to try Belsomra. My first attempt with this drug was horrible. Absolutely no help. Subsequently, I have found what I believe is the formula for success with Belsomra. It does not put you to sleep like the Z drugs & Benzos, you must 'wash out' from these hypnotics for it to work. In other words, your brain must have titrated off of the other drugs to the point where they have no influence over your sleep. For me, Belsomra became my drug for sleep. No Benzos or Z drugs in 36 months & Belsomra helps me every night get 7+ hours of sleep. I must admit the sleep is not deep, and I do have vivid dreams every night, but at least I wake up somewhat refreshed. I found adding 25mg of Unisom really helps me fall asleep and stay asleep. If I do awake, I am able to fall back asleep, which I was never able to do with the Z drugs. I hope tolerance does not develop with Belsomra like the hypnotics. After 2+ years, it still works for me."

• mid...
• December 18, 2019

For Insomnia "I was prescribed this drug with confidence it would help me sleep. I have had insomnia for over 40 years and was only ever able to sleep consistently using Trazodone for seven years at a high dose, until it eventually quit working. Belsomra caused all my muscles to become very hard, tense, and tight. I dropped off to sleep and became awake suddenly without that gradual dozing off or gradual awakening that is the normal part of sleeping. When asleep, I could barely move my body and I was only slightly in a state of light sleep as I heard things happening in the house that I did not used to hear and was not really resting. It increased my pain levels. Also, I was in a state of being unable to wake up out of the bad dreams I had, as I was sort of paralyzed. I was encouraged to keep trying this medication until my body could adjust to it. I tried it for 45 days and things only got worse and worse. I had horrible dreams and daytime anxiety which is unusual for me."

• Jbk...
• Taken for 1 to 6 months
• November 15, 2020

For Insomnia "I have chronic insomnia. I see a sleep specialist and have tried many, many different medications. Belsomra would put me to sleep, but I experienced some of the worst side effects. It gave me vivid nightmares that I would sometimes act out in my sleep and scream in my sleep. I had sleep hallucinations and sleep paralysis. If you have never experienced sleep paralysis, I hope you never have to. It is such an awful, scary thing. I do not recommend this medication."

• GoM...
• Taken for 1 to 6 months
• March 16, 2021

For Insomnia "After seeing the bad reviews here, I almost decided to not try Belsomra. Also made it seem important to write this review about my experience. I've been a chronic insomniac for as long as I can remember, with trouble both falling and staying asleep - I can wake up at a pin drop. Belsomra helps me feel like a 'normal' person - one who gets sleepy - like my husband. Still may take a while to fall asleep, but I don't care. Sleep 7 to 8 hours. I wake up like a 'normal' person, ready to face the day, instead of my usual finally falling asleep after 4 a.m. and being unable to get out of bed until noon (which has been way too easy to do as an entrepreneur during the pandemic). Some vivid dreams and a couple of horrible nightmares, but that isn't unusual with changes. Some residual tiredness the next day for the first week or so, but that seems to have gotten better."

• sup...
• March 1, 2016

For Insomnia "5'8", 130 lbs male, 20 mg works very well for me. DO NOT expect this drug to work the first night you try it! This is especially true if you just quit a hypnotic like Zolpidem and just started taking it. The initial 'paradoxical effect' and unusual dreams subsided after a few days, once my brain 'adjusted' to it. (I had a similar effect when I first began using Zolpidem, which just made me feel drugged but kept me awake.) Also, this drug is specifically made for a neurological hyperarousal condition - that is, for people who are predisposed towards insomnia in either their brain structure or neurochemical composition. If your insomnia is due to a sedentary lifestyle, poor diet, bad sleep hygiene, late-shift work, etc., it won't work as designed."

• Oll...
• August 6, 2015

For Insomnia "This drug is working. I have tried absolutely every drug in the past and have had insomnia and severe DSPS for my entire life. Everything else severely impacted restorative sleep. This drug works differently and seems to induce pretty natural restorative sleep, which is a first for me. You have to get the timing right for it to work. If you take a lower dose too early before your natural sleep time, you will not feel much, and a higher dose can cause lucid dreams and nightmares. Also, it wears off quickly, causing me to wake up too early. I'm willing to put up with the downsides because it actually is helping. I don't think people realize that this drug is not a knockout pill, but unlike everything else, it can induce real sleep."

• eco...
• June 24, 2017

For Insomnia "I just had my doctor give me samples of Belsomra. He recommended I take 10 mg, but basically told me it wouldn't work unless I took 20. But after reading all the paperwork that came with the samples, I decided to just take the 10 mg. I took it without food, 30 minutes before bed as recommended, and still, 2 hours later, I wasn't tired. Today, I woke up after having really weird dreams, and all day I've been unusually depressed and anxious. I never, ever had these symptoms or this much trouble falling asleep on Zolpidem. It was pretty clear from how hard my doctor was pushing them that the pharma reps are really trying to get this on the market. I would strongly recommend AGAINST taking this medication, especially if you have depression!"

• Ama...
• March 27, 2015

For Insomnia "I haven't slept normally since adolescence. Tried Ambien and lots of sedatives. I had horrible problems with doing things while asleep and not remembering on Ambien, but it was the only way to get anything resembling sleep. Belsomra is amazing. I actually feel sleepy. I had only felt that as a child, or if sick. Some side effects seem to be happening, I got bronchitis and have had awful dreams some nights, but I'm going to stick with it for a few weeks."

• jgr...
• Taken for 1 to 6 months
• September 5, 2015

For Insomnia "I have been on 10 mg of brand Ambien for 12 years. It works, but only the BRAND name - none of the generics worked. My insurance would not cover brand Ambien, and I was stuck paying $435 a month! I tried many medications, including several benzos, Seroquel (hallucinated on that one!), etc. My osteopath had samples of Belsomra and suggested I give it a try. At first, I wasn't quite convinced it was working. I gave it a good week. I can tell you now I LOVE this medication! It definitely mimics a more natural sleep cycle. I do have some weird dreams, but that usually happens right before waking after 8 hours of sleep. I would highly encourage trying this but give it a full week. It stops the alerted mind and stress thinking."

• Des...
• Taken for less than 1 month
• November 4, 2015

For Insomnia "I've been taking Ambien for years now. It began losing its effectiveness some time ago. I can usually fall asleep after taking it, but now only sleep a few hours and can't get back to sleep. I started with 10 mg of Belsomra at midnight, and it did not allow me to fall asleep. At 2:30, I took another 10 mg. I did wake a few times. With Ambien, that would have been it for me. I would have been up the rest of the night. With 20 mg of Belsomra, I easily fell back asleep. I did not experience any bad dreams. In fact, quite the opposite. The sleep was heavenly, and I didn't want to wake up. It was the best sleep I've had in years. Because I didn't get to sleep until 3 am, I slept until noon. I hope I can regulate this in the future. Cost is worrisome."

• Anonymous
• January 7, 2020

For Insomnia "This medication, Belsomra, did absolutely nothing for me. I have vivid, crazy dreams, and the medication doesn't make me tired at all. It is a very expensive medication if your insurance won't cover it."

• Anonymous
• January 7, 2020

For Insomnia "This medication, Belsomra, did absolutely nothing for me. I have vivid, crazy dreams, and the medication doesn't make me tired at all. It is a very expensive medication if your insurance won't cover it."

• Cas...
• Taken for less than 1 month
• September 3, 2015

For Insomnia "I had great hopes for this relatively new sleep med. 10 mg is useless, and when you finally do fall asleep, the dreams are borderline hallucinogenic. Incredibly real-life, nonstop dreaming that makes you awaken because they are so strange! I adjusted to 20 mg, as previously read, and then I slept better, and the dreams weren't as crazy but still present. In my opinion, Ambien 12.5 CR is still king. I will be going back to it when this Rx runs its course. My main disappointment with this new med is frequent awakenings, longer time to fall asleep, and crazy dreams!"

• Rsx...
• Taken for less than 1 month
• June 18, 2015

For Insomnia "Was really disappointed. I started at 10 mg (have taken Ambien IR 10 mg for 2 yrs). It actually worked great - maybe the first sleep aid that made me feel genuinely, naturally sleepy, not drugged and sedated. But after I went to sleep, I had 3 hrs of horrible, vivid nightmares that woke me up every 5 minutes, panting and sweating. I also experienced sleep paralysis for the first time in my life. It was absolutely terrifying. I tried to keep at it for a few nights as several people have said the side effects go away quickly, and even tried only taking 5 mg, but it was intolerable. Too bad. It is maybe worth noting that I take a handful of other meds including Seroquel, Klonopin, Lamictal, etc."

• Anonymous
• Taken for less than 1 month
• September 4, 2017

For Insomnia "I have had severe side effects taking Belsomra and refuse to take any more. I had very abnormal dreams where I was fully awake and paralyzed in bed. I tried to yell out for my husband and couldn't. I tried moving my arms to get out of bed and felt I was being held back. One of the worst nights of my life. It had such a demonic tone about it. I wrote my doctor and informed her that I will not be taking this medication any longer."

• No...
• Taken for less than 1 month
• May 13, 2015

For Insomnia "I have also tried just about everything, both Lunesta and Ambien did nothing at a low dose, and at the higher dose caused me to sleep eat. When my physician offered me Belsomra, I gave it a shot. This medication did nothing. I didn't feel sleepy, so I could have operated heavy machinery. We upped the dose, and it still didn't make me sleepy, but it made me mean! Angry for no reason. I never felt sedated, just mad at the world. After 2 weeks, I stopped taking it. Totally disappointed, this drug has worked for some, but not for me. I also had funny dreams, which was strange."

• Ez1...
• May 3, 2017

For Insomnia "I had a very negative experience with this drug. I suffer from initial and maintenance insomnia, and nothing has worked, but this drug did something others didn't - it made the insomnia worse, and I couldn't sleep at all. I was in and out of sleep the first couple of hours. I took it at 9 pm, and then couldn't go back to sleep after waking up at 1:30 am. It got me wired. Also, the little time I did sleep, I had VERY weird dreams, and it made my feet (mostly toes) hurt a lot. Very bizarre experience and a huge setback for me :( I took a 15 mg dose, sample from doctor."

• Can...
• Taken for 1 to 6 months
• October 29, 2015

For Insomnia "I have trouble falling asleep and staying asleep. I have tried Ambien, many over-the-counter meds, acupuncture, homeopathic herbs and vitamins, and several other things for my sleep issues, and they have not helped. I started taking Belsomra six months ago, and it is the only thing that helps me sleep. I get 6-8 hours of sleep depending on my stress level. I found that the 15 or 20 mg works the best for me. I had some crazy dreams at first, but those died down after a while. I'm very grateful to have this med because I would be sleeping 2-3 hours a night and feel miserable without it."

• Tdd...
• Taken for less than 1 month
• August 28, 2015

For Insomnia "I have suffered from insomnia for about 15 years. Thyroid cancer only made it worse. Ambien stopped working, and I tried every drug and over-the-counter med. I was given a three-day trial of Belsomra and was pleasantly surprised at how well it worked. This is not a knock-out drug. It just makes you feel sleepy all night. I did have vivid dreams, but they weren't unpleasant. None of the craziness of some of the other sleep meds, just a good night's sleep. The only downside was I have a mild headache when I first wake up, but it goes away quickly. It is expensive, but they offer some really good coupons on their website. I recommend getting a free sample from your doc before you buy a month's supply. Sweet dreams."

• Sav...
• Taken for 1 to 6 months
• August 11, 2018

For Insomnia "This is the only medicine that has worked for me without bad side effects. It makes me so tired and relaxed about an hour after I take it. I do have some weird dreams, but nothing bad. I am never groggy the next day, and I always feel like I got a good night's sleep. I love it."

• Kim...
• Taken for less than 1 month
• June 22, 2019

For Insomnia "I’ve tried so many sleeping pills and have had insomnia for many years, sometimes 3 nights in a row with no sleep. Last night was the first night taking Belsomra, and it was the first time in probably a year that I slept 7 hours. I hope this continues to work for me. I had minimal side effects, weird dreams but nothing scary. Woke up 2-3 times but was able to go back to sleep, which doesn’t happen much for me."

• Joh...
• Taken for less than 1 month
• November 27, 2021

For Insomnia "Totally useless. No help to go to sleep. Bad dreams and no longer sleep times. Reps are pushing this drug on doctors. And the price is outrageous. I think the doctor is getting a kickback from the drug company."

• Big...
• Taken for less than 1 month
• April 23, 2021

For Insomnia "I was recently prescribed this sleep medicine because I was lucky to get 3 hours of sleep at night. My pain in my back was the main reason, and since doctors are hesitant to give pain meds anymore, I have nothing for my three herniated discs and bad hips. I have to live with that, so since I've started the 5 mg dose, I've had no issues except three nights of weird dreams. Nothing terrible, just strange, which I can deal with if I get some sleep. I get at least 4 more hours of sleep than before and have had no other physical, mental issues. I'm 53 years old and disabled."

• jac...
• Taken for less than 1 month
• August 20, 2015

For Insomnia "I've had insomnia for 32 years. I've tried every sleeping pill there is and all pills used off-label for sleep. My latest cocktail of 10 mg Ambien and 0.1 mg of clonidine no longer works. I started Belsomra 1 week ago. 10 mg didn't work, but 20 mg does. I take it an hour before bed. I sleep 5 or 6 hours a night. I don't feel tired when I wake up, but not exactly well-rested either. I have a lot of dreams, but not nightmares, and this is why I don't feel as well-rested as I'd like to be. I will continue to take it because 5 or 6 hours of sleep is better than my 2 hours on Ambien. I took advantage of the coupon for a free trial. My copay is $125.00."