Trouble Sleeping? 5 Types of Medication That Can Affect Your Sleep

Difficulty falling asleep, waking during the night or feeling sleepy during the day can have several causes. Medication can also affect your sleep. This applies to both prescription medicines and some over-the-counter products.

Did your sleep problems begin after starting a medicine or increasing the dose? If so, a medication review may help. At HAP.GENT, our GP practice in Ghent, you can discuss whether your treatment could be contributing and what adjustments might be appropriate.

These five groups of medicines can disrupt sleep.

1. ADHD medication: Rilatine, Concerta and Elvanse

Stimulant medicines for ADHD help improve attention and concentration. They affect chemicals in the brain, including dopamine and noradrenaline, and can make you feel more alert.

Examples available in Belgium include:

Methylphenidate: Rilatine®, Concerta®, Equasym® and Medikinet®.

Lisdexamfetamine: Elvanse®.

In some people, the stimulating effect lasts into the evening, making it harder to fall asleep. This may be particularly noticeable with long-acting formulations, although not everyone experiences sleep problems.

What can help?
Ask your prescribing doctor whether the timing, dose or duration of action of your medication could be adjusted. These medicines are often taken early in the day. Do not change your prescribed schedule yourself.

2. Cold and congestion medicines containing pseudoephedrine

Some medicines for a blocked nose contain pseudoephedrine. It narrows blood vessels in the lining of the nose, reducing swelling. However, it can also cause restlessness, palpitations, raised blood pressure and insomnia.

Belgian examples include:

Cirrus®: pseudoephedrine with cetirizine.

Clarinase®: pseudoephedrine with loratadine.

Aerinaze®: pseudoephedrine with desloratadine.

Sinutab®: pseudoephedrine with paracetamol.

Medicines containing pseudoephedrine have been prescription-only in Belgium since 1 November 2024. Always check the active ingredients on the packaging of combination products.

What can help?
Ask your GP or pharmacist whether you need the medicine and whether an alternative would suit your symptoms. A saline nasal spray or rinse may help relieve a blocked nose, for example. The most suitable treatment depends on the cause.

3. Nicotine replacement products: Nicorette, NiQuitin and Nicotinell

Quitting smoking can temporarily disrupt sleep because of nicotine withdrawal. However, nicotine replacement products can also affect your sleep: nicotine has a stimulating effect.

Brands available in Belgium include Nicorette®, NiQuitin® and Nicotinell®. Depending on the brand, products include patches, chewing gum, lozenges or a mouth spray.

Some people find it harder to fall asleep. Nicotine patches can also cause vivid dreams or waking during the night.

What can help?
Discuss your symptoms with your GP, pharmacist or smoking cessation counsellor. Adjusting the dose, timing or type of nicotine replacement may help. If a patch causes night-time symptoms, a different wearing schedule may be considered, taking morning nicotine cravings into account.

4. Antidepressants: including Serlain, Efexor and Wellbutrin

Antidepressants do not affect everyone’s sleep in the same way. Some people feel sleepy, while others feel more alert or restless.

Examples include:

SSRIs, such as fluoxetine and sertraline. Sertraline is available as Serlain® and as generic medicines.

SNRIs, such as duloxetine, available for example as Duloxetine EG®, and venlafaxine, available as Efexor® and generics.

Bupropion, available as Wellbutrin® and generics, which has an activating effect.

The depression or anxiety being treated can also disrupt sleep. It is therefore not always clear whether symptoms are caused by the medication, the condition or both.

What can help?
Your doctor can assess whether a different dosing time, a dose adjustment or another medicine would be appropriate. Do not stop antidepressants suddenly without medical advice: this can cause withdrawal symptoms and allow the original symptoms to return.

5. Water tablets: Lasix, Burinex and Fludex

Water tablets, also called diuretics, are prescribed for conditions including high blood pressure and fluid retention caused by heart failure or certain kidney and liver conditions.

Belgian examples include:

Furosemide: Lasix® and generics.

Bumetanide: Burinex®.

Indapamide: Fludex® and generics.

These medicines help your body remove salt and water through urine, so you may need to urinate more often. If this happens at night, your sleep may be repeatedly interrupted. The effect depends on the medicine, dose and timing.

What can help?
Ask whether you could take your medication earlier in the day. If you take several daily doses, your doctor can also review the timing of a later dose. Do not adjust your dose or fluid intake yourself, particularly if you have heart failure or kidney disease.

What can you do about sleep problems?

Note when your sleep problems began and whether your medication changed shortly beforehand. Bring a list of all the medicines you take to your appointment, including over-the-counter products and supplements.

Healthy sleep habits may also help:

Limit caffeine from the afternoon onwards, or earlier if you are sensitive to it.

Do not use alcohol as a sleep aid.

Keep your bedroom dark, quiet and comfortably cool.

Try to maintain a regular sleep schedule.

Still sleeping poorly? Talk to your GP

Difficulty falling asleep or waking frequently does not automatically mean your medication is responsible. Stress, pain and other health problems may also play a part.

At HAP.GENT, we assess your sleep concerns alongside your overall health and medication use. Sometimes a targeted adjustment may help; in other cases, further assessment for another cause is needed. Book an appointment if your symptoms persist or affect your daytime functioning.

Brand names are included to help readers recognise medicines and do not indicate a preference for a particular product. Generic medicines containing the same active ingredient can cause the same side effects.

Source: Adapted from “5 Common Medications That Can Mess With Your Sleep” by Caroline Hopkins Legaspi, The New York Times, published on 20 October 2026 and updated on 21 October 2026, based on the supplied text. Adapted for the Belgian context using medicine information from the Belgian Centre for Pharmacotherapeutic Information (BCFI).

Back