Effects of Trazodone on Sleep: A Systematic Review and Meta-analysis
Worth asking your prescriber what dose is planned and how side effects like next-day drowsiness will be monitored, since trial benefits for sleep came with clearly higher dropout from adverse effects.
Well-supported by good-quality research. how we score evidence
Caveat on this rating: Sleep-related adverse effects were about four times more frequent than with placebo (RR 4.31); funding and conflict-of-interest statements were behind the journal paywall and could not be read.
In 44 randomized trials with 3,935 participants, trazodone (mean dose about 179 mg/day) improved rated sleep quality and added roughly 28 minutes of sleep-lab-measured sleep versus placebo, but did not change how long people felt they slept, and more than twice as many people stopped treatment because of side effects (RR 2.30).
Worth asking
Worth asking your prescriber what dose is planned and how side effects like next-day drowsiness will be monitored, since trial benefits for sleep came with clearly higher dropout from adverse effects.
What it is FDA approved for
Read off the label. Trial duration and approval year are shown only where they were recorded — never inferred.
- Major depressive disorder
Source
Effects of Trazodone on Sleep: A Systematic Review and Meta-analysis — Kokkali M, et al. (2024)
Reputable peer-reviewed journal
Read the source: https://doi.org/10.1007/s40263-024-01110-2
DOI: 10.1007/s40263-024-01110-2
How this was scored
- Study design
- Meta-analysis of randomised trials
- Funding
- Funding not disclosed
- Published in
- Reputable peer-reviewed journal
- Sample size
- 3,935
- Preregistered
- Yes
- Conflicts disclosed
- No
- Independent of proponent
- not recorded
- Retracted
- No
Read the full scoring rubric, including what it can't tell you.
Published August 19, 2026.
Where we put this study in context
Questions
How strong is the evidence behind this?
Resolv rates this source "strong evidence". Well-supported by good-quality research. It scores 74 out of 100 on our published rubric. One caveat travels with that badge: Sleep-related adverse effects were about four times more frequent than with placebo (RR 4.31); funding and conflict-of-interest statements were behind the journal paywall and could not be read. The score is calculated from recorded facts about the source — study design, funding, publication venue, sample size, preregistration — not typed in by an editor.
What is the source for this?
Effects of Trazodone on Sleep: A Systematic Review and Meta-analysis — Kokkali M, et al. (2024). Published in: Reputable peer-reviewed journal. DOI: 10.1007/s40263-024-01110-2. The full source is linked on this page so you can read it yourself.
Who paid for this research, and does that matter?
Study design: Meta-analysis of randomised trials. Funding: Funding not disclosed. Independence from the proponent is not recorded. Industry sponsorship is one of the most reliably measured biases in medicine, which is why funding carries real weight in the score rather than sitting in a footnote.
Is trazodone (Desyrel, Oleptro), desyrel, oleptro FDA approved?
Yes — FDA approved for Major depressive disorder. Approval is for a specific indication, not for everything the drug is prescribed for.
Is this medical advice?
This is information to bring to your prescriber, not medical advice and not a reason to change anything on your own. Nothing here is an instruction to stop or reduce a medication. If you are in crisis, call or text 988.
This is information to bring to your prescriber, not medical advice and not a reason to change anything on your own. Nothing here is an instruction to stop or reduce a medication. If you are in crisis, call or text 988.