Does Abilify make you sleepy? 

Yes, Abilify does make you feel sleepy. In fact, it is one of the most commonly reported side effects of this atypical antipsychotic medication. However, it may also cause insomnia or the inability to fall asleep in some people. 

If the drug is making you sleepy or if the drug is making it difficult for you to stay alert mentally, talk to your healthcare provider. You might be taking more than your body can tolerate at one time. 

Why does Abilify make you sleepy? 

Abilify can affect the chemical composition of your brain and the functions of these chemicals. It basically acts on serotonin and dopamine receptors, which are one of the most important excitatory neurotransmitters in your brain. 

When the drug acts on these chemicals, it can cause a number of sleep-related problems in people. It may dull down your senses and make you feel relaxed or calm. This relaxation can trigger the sleep regulating hormones in your body and may induce sleep. 

What should you do if Abilify makes you sleepy? 

The first and the most basic thing to do is to talk to your prescribing practitioner. Your doctor can determine if you’re taking a higher dose. If that’s the case, your doctor will most likely reduce your dose and that should be the solution for you. 

Low doses may help you prevent this side effect. If that’s not the case, then your doctor may change the timing or frequency of your dose administration. 

If your doctor tries every possible way of reducing the incidence of sleepiness in you as a side effect and nothing works, then your doctor may switch you to another antipsychotic medication as there are plenty of others that work much better for you as compared to Abilify. 

What is the significance of taking Abilify at nighttime when it causes sedation as a side effect? 

If Abilify makes you sleepy, the best way to overcome this problem is to take your medication at nighttime or right before you go to bed. This way Abilify can help you sleep better by decreasing the time taken you to fall asleep. 

It can also help reduce the frequency of your nighttime wakefulness. When you wake up in the morning after a sound sleep, you will not only feel good but also feel energized. This is the smartest way of managing your sedation caused by Abilify as a side effect. 

What activities should you avoid if Abilify makes you sleepy? 

There are a few activities that you should avoid if Abilify makes you feel sleepy or decreases your mental alertness. These include:

Driving 

Do not drive right after taking Abilify, especially when you know that this medication makes you sleepy. If you’re a new user and you don’t know how the drug makes you feel, do not engage in any activity that needs your full mental alertness after taking this medication. 

Once you know how it makes you feel, that’s when you can easily perform your activities according to your schedule. 

Operating heavy machinery 

Another thing that you should avoid after taking Abilify is operating heavy machinery. If you are a factory worker who is responsible for machine work, you should not take this medication in the morning or right before you go to work. Working under the influence of Abilify can cause an unfortunate accident. Be careful. 

Drinking Alcohol

Another important thing that you need to know is to never mix alcohol with Abilify, especially if the drug makes you sleepy. Alcohol can also dull down your senses and mental alertness. 

Too much mental depressing effects can cause suicidal behaviour in some individuals. This is why you should cut back on alcohol as much as you can and ask your healthcare provider if it is okay for you to drink occasionally. 

References

• Abilify – Pharmacological activity (Research article, NCBI) 
• Abilify induced sleepiness (Pubmed, 2018) 
• Aripiprazole (National Library of Medicine, NIH)