I started Zoloft on 8/19 for panic attacks and anxiety. I started on 25mg and upped it to 50mg after 1 week. The first 3 days I was on it I slept 12 hours each night. Since then I am lucky if I get 4 hours of sleep each night. I feel way too amped up to sleep. At 2 a.m. I shouldn't have the desire to get up and start cleaning. It's almost like a manic energy. I called and left a message for my Dr. last Thursday, he had his assistant call back and tell me to stick with it that the sleeplessness will go away. Does anyone have any experience with this?
When I was on Zoloft, I had to take sleeping pills. After a month, my doctor wouldn't give me any more sleeping pills. I eventually went off Zoloft cold turkey because I was so upset about not sleeping. By the way, NEVER go cold turkey off an anti-depressant..it's pure hell.
Thank you for replying! I was reading other posts and am wondering what are 'benzos' ? I have clonazapam (?), I have tried taking 1 mg of that to try and knock myself out at night but that really hasn't worked either. Other then the sleeplessness the zoloft is working fine. How long should I give it before I give up on it?
Clonazapam is a benzo or benzodiazepine. It is used to calm anxiety and it can make you sleepy, but there are better medicines for insomnia. My sister takes Ambien and loves it, but it is a sleeping pill and some doctors don't like to prescribe sleeping pills, especially if they think their patients are depressed. I would take the Zoloft as long as it works for you. Usually after 4-6 weeks you should know what to expect. When/if the insomnia gets to be too much, I would talk to your doctor about either stopping the Zoloft or adding a sleep med. It is very important to get your rest, no sleep will worsen your illness. Like I said before, don't just quit, let your doctor help you quit if you decide you don't want to take it anymore. I can't stress that enough.
This is probably just a temporary side effect. (Some ant-depressants can actually cause anxiety at first then it goes away after a couple weeks.) This is my 2nd time on 50mg of zoloft for Postpartum anxiety and I sleep like the dead on zoloft.
I too had this problem. I have been on Zoloft for about four months now. My doctor gives me ambien. I try only to take it when I have class the next day (mon-thurs), or occasionally take benadryl. I have sever anxiety and my panic attacks were getting so bad I would wake up in my sleep. It has worked wonders for me. I have xanax, but I dont take it before bed or unless really needed because it made me have nightmares. I hate being on all these meds at the age of 27, but hey it is better than having panic attacks.
When I was on Zoloft, I became dependent on Ambien because of sleeplessness caused by Zoloft. I am a type 1 diabetic, so not getting sleep actually makes me feel sick, which wasn't good for my diabetes. I eventually got off Zoloft, but am still on Ambien to this day. 3 years every night. Thanks Zoloft!
I am currently on Zoloft and i have to take Ambien to sleep too. I also have extreme fatigue and daytime sleppiness; cant even drive a car without falling asleep==but i cant sleep at night. Did you experience this?
Also did you have trouble getting off of Zoloft? I went thru getting off Effexor-the brain shivers pratically drove in insane !
Zoloft and Sleeplessness 
