Can taking levothroxine at night cause insomnia? - Thyroid UK

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Can taking levothroxine at night cause insomnia?

LISAG profile image
16 Replies

I have an under active thyroid and after reading comments on here I started taking my medication at night. I am feeling much better and my recent blood test revealed that my tsh has reduced to 0.8 from 1.8, which I am pleased about. The problem is I have developed insomnia over the last week and I am hot and restless all night resulting in lack of sleep. Could it be the levothyroxine or is it just a coincidence? I'm thinking I may have to go back to taking my medication on a morning. I take 50mg.

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LISAG profile image
LISAG
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16 Replies

Not sure if it does affect sleeping, but I take mine at night and have very restless nights. I have kind of got used to it now and prefer to take it at night so as not to interfere with other medication. Maybe worth thinking of changing back to mornings and see if you sleep better. good luck x

jaxnbreeze profile image
jaxnbreeze

Like you I take 50 levo. which apparently is a low dose so presumably we don't need much. I can feel the effects within a couple of hours so taking it at night def. keeps me awake. I take mine when I first wake-up around 7am.

Jackie profile image
Jackie

Hi I would make sure your vit D, hormonal is OK as often gives these symptoms. If low you need a corrected calcium test before a script, best way through Endo or GP.

Best wishes,

Jackie

morena profile image
morena

hi. Im on 100mg levo - i started taking it at night shortly after i began taking it. Previous to that i suffered from insomnia. It has made no difference to my insomnia at all but it is so much easier to take at night.

You might consider getting your adrenals checked; I did and apparently have high night time cortisol.....the only advice they could give me was to get better sleep .... /-:

rubysjules profile image
rubysjules

I tried nightime and it was a dreadful week of no sleep so i went back to early morning. sleep is not great but much better than when i took it at night.

I agree, night time didn't suit me either, I changed back after about a week too.

Duchy82 profile image
Duchy82

It is a trial and error situation for each and every one, i sleep a lot better taking mine at night and i take 200mcg but it doesn't suit everyone. I find it much easier too it means i can take my supplements in the morning without worrying about wether i can take them with my levo and i no longer have to check every cereal i might want to buy for added vitamins and minerals

coetzeegisela profile image
coetzeegisela

Levothyroxine generally advised mornings.

Cazarn profile image
Cazarn

I was advised by endo to take mine at night too as I'm sensitive to any slight change and she thought I would absorb it better! I felt terrible, restless and had palpitations.....felt hyper as opposed to hypo and I have hashimotos so know the difference between the two extremes. Couldn't sleep so I changed back to mornings on the same dose and was better.

LISAG profile image
LISAG

Thanks guys, sorry for late reply, I've been away over the weekend. I started taking levo on a night while away and now I'm sleeping like a baby again. I preferred taking it on a night as it was a lot more convenient as mentioned but it obviously it did not agree with me. Thank you again for your replies they are much appreciated.

LISAG profile image
LISAG in reply to LISAG

Taking it on a morning again, dam brain fog!!!

onecanhope profile image
onecanhope

hi there

I have been having trouble sleeping too and hot,restless only thing that changed was amount 75 to 100 and taking it at night so i too may try going back to morns

SophieBella profile image
SophieBella

I take mine in the mornings and now find I've gone from having very dreamful, deep sleeps to not be able to doze off at all and. Waking up lots in the night, and feel 'wired' awake but tired all the time in the day. Its dreadful.

Trill profile image
Trill

Did any of you posters get any relief from your experiments? I have been on 50 for 2 months, upped to 75 last 4 days, and have terrible nights. Either can't get to sleep, or do so but it's very fractured, insufficient sleep. Will it settle down I wonder (unlike me).

Runa31 profile image
Runa31

Same here i take it at bight feel better in the morning but feel hot etc and csnt sleep. But wen i take it early hours of the morning i sleep im take 50 mgc

madinwales profile image
madinwales

Very interesting blogs, my first day of finding out I have hypothyroid Graves' disease, I was under the understanding Graves' disease is usually hyper and hashimoto is normally hypo but doctor say it depends how the immune system is attacking the thyroid, any way I'm glad to get some answers like why I can sleep all day, I can't remember names and I'm sad inside but try to pretend I'm not. I was going to take it at night as I love coffee in the morning but after reading all your blogs I guess morning is better as the thought of not sleeping would drive me mad and I'll just hold off on the coffee, you all sound like you follow the direction carefully even down to cereal having vitamins etc. I never follow any directions carefully, what will happen if I have a sip of coffee??

Thanks again for all the insight.

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