AASM Sleep Technologist Practice Test

Antidepressants commonly affect sleep by altering wakefulness and dream sleep. The two sleep-related effects most often seen are insomnia and daytime drowsiness. Some medications can be activating, making it harder to fall or stay asleep, especially early on or with certain drugs, while others are sedating and can cause sleepiness. These patterns are common enough that sleep disturbances are a frequent consideration when starting or adjusting antidepressant therapy.

Improved sleep efficiency isn’t universal—while some drugs may help sleep in some patients, it isn’t as consistently observed as insomnia and drowsiness. Decreased REM latency and REM sleep don’t align with the typical REM changes seen with many antidepressants, which often delay REM onset and reduce REM density. No effect on sleep is unlikely given the well-documented sleep effects of these medications.