metoprolol and sleep

[Delphiniumsblue]

Hi there,

I have been prescribed 25 mg of metoprolol but when I take it I have sleep problems.

I find it hard to fall asleep, then I wake up in the middle of the night for no reason, sometimes with hallucinations , and then always wake up on the dot of 05.30 feeling unrested.

My cardiologist has no suggestions as to how to help this , and I find I need the 25 mg for my heart symptoms.

Does anyone have any suggestions as to how to sleep better on this medicine ??

Thanks !

[Tos92]

Hi Delphiniumsblue

I’m sorry to hear you’re struggling with sleeping as a result of the Metoprolol.

Have you discussed an alternative with your doctor? Could they perhaps prescribe something else that doesn’t affect your sleep.

I hope others will be by to share their experiences of Metoprolol.

All the best.

Tos

[Smitty1956]

Hi, Delphiniumsblue,

I can’t say that I have a definitive answer for you—I don’t. I do take 75 mg of metoprolol daily. I used to take 50 mg daily, but my dosage was increased after my HA in 2022.

I also have some issues with sleep, but I’m not sure that these are related to the metropolol. Even before my HA, I had some sleep issues. I would not go to sleep before 2-3 am, and then I might sleep a couple of hours and get up again. At one point, I was going through a divorce, trying to find a new job, and I had been diagnosed with anxiety disorder.

For the last couple of years, I have taken a low dose of Tizanidine, 4 mg. before bed. It is a muscle relaxer and allows me to get a solid 3-4 hours of sleep at a time. Plus, I can usually fall back asleep after waking up at 3-4 am. In the last 3 months, I have also been using my Apple Watch sleep app to set reminders of my desired bed/sleep time and to monitor my sleep amount and respiration rate. I think that that is helping me some.

You might want to discuss your sleep concerns with your doctor. Also, you might want to consider:

1) Did you have any sleep issues prior to taking metropolol? Or did sleep issues start only after taking that medication?

2) Are you taking it in the morning or at night? My doctor has said to take mine each morning.

3) Do you have any other issues such as depression or anxiety that might cause sleep disturbances? For example, I know that my anxiety causes issues with my sleep.

4) Can you discuss other possible beta blockers with your doctor? Perhaps a different medication might work better for you.

5). Could you try a sleep app to help you set a consistent sleep time and to monitor your hours of sleep and respiration rate. I also use a sound app that has thunderstorms and rain sounds to relax me and help me to sleep.

I wish you the best in sorting all of this out. I know that sleep is vital to heart health. Best wishes! 😊

[Saimin]

I had the same experience with hallucinations. I would be in an almost dream state and images would appear on my walls moving. I told my doctor about it and I don’t think she believed me. I researched and found that it is a side effect. My doctor took me off it. I had been on it for awhile and I guess it wasn’t necessary anymore. She said I was a rarity for having that side effect. I feel like I always have to research everything to get answers at times. Hopefully there is an alternative medication you can take.

[Georgekatongole]

hi Delphiniumsblue,

i think the starting point is accept the medicine as part of your lifestyle because some of the symptoms could be generated by your subconscious mind. also in my case i take the medicine just before sleep maybe this helps with the sleep disorders since the medicine has a delayed release. i wish you all the best on this journey.