Zyrtec-D and Insomnia: An Introduction
Like all medications,
Zyrtec-D® (
cetirizine and pseudoephedrine) can cause side effects.
Insomnia is the most common
Zyrtec-D side effect. In clinical studies, up to 4 percent of people taking the drug experienced insomnia, compared to less than 1 percent of people taking a placebo (a "sugar pill" with no active ingredient).
People with insomnia have one or more of the following symptoms:
- Trouble falling asleep
- Frequently waking up during the night and having trouble going back to sleep
- Waking up too early in the morning
- Experiencing non-refreshing sleep.
Zyrtec-D and Insomnia: Suggestions
Often, insomnia (no matter what the cause) can be improved by better sleep habits.
Tips for better sleep include the following:
- Keep a regular sleep-wake cycle. Try to go to bed and wake up at the same time every day.
- Avoid caffeine, alcohol, and nicotine in the four to six hours before bedtime.
- Sleep in a dark, quiet room with a comfortable temperature.
- Don't exercise within two hours of bedtime. Exercising five or six hours before bedtime, however, may help you sleep more soundly.
- Don't eat large meals within two hours of bedtime.
- Don't nap later than 3 p.m.
- If you can't fall asleep within 20 minutes, do a quiet activity somewhere else and return to bed when you're sleepy.
- Wind down in the 30 minutes before bedtime with a relaxing pre-sleep ritual, such as a warm bath, soft music, or reading.
Almost all cases of insomnia with Zyrtec-D are due to the
pseudoephedrine component of the drug. Many people have difficulty sleeping while taking pseudoephedrine. You may want to consider taking plain Zyrtec
® instead, which does not contain pseudoephedrine. Also, taking the evening dose of Zyrtec-D earlier in the day may help, although this means taking the morning dose earlier as well. For instance, if you usually take Zyrtec-D at 9 a.m. and 9 p.m., try taking it at 6 a.m. and 6 p.m. instead.
