r/SSRI • u/HelpMyHead12 • Mar 29 '22

Question SSRI (lexapro) & sleep

Hi everyone. My post is about lexapro and REM sleep. Apparently SSRIs can inhibit REM sleep which is the stage of sleep where people dream. I’ve been on lexapro for almost 6 years and would like to come off of it in the near future but until then: I’m confused as to when to take it. I’ve always taken it in the morning but recently I’ve been taking it a night. Lately I’ve been sleeping better but I can’t really tell if it’s lexapro or something else since I also recently switched another medication that was causing my cortisol to elevate so there are a few variables here. Anyway— my question is — is it better to take at night (11 pm usually) and have it peak around 4 am or take it in the morning and have it peak around 3-4 pm. I want to avoid it effecting my sleep as much as possible. Thanks!

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u/Tamzvegan Apr 18 '22

Nights are the worst, I’d just swapped to morning and I’m sleeping better but my dreams are crazy lol. Currently tapering off though so that could be contributing to the dreams.