Trazodone for the treatment of insomnia: a meta-analysis of randomized placebo-controlled trials
Worth asking your prescriber which specific sleep problem trazodone is meant to address, since trials showed better perceived sleep quality and fewer early awakenings rather than more efficient sleep overall.
Reasonable evidence with real limitations. how we score evidence
Caveat on this rating: Small evidence base (7 trials) limited to short-term use; using trazodone for insomnia is off-label.
Across 7 placebo-controlled trials with 429 participants, trazodone reduced early-morning awakenings and improved how people rated their sleep quality (SMD -0.41), but did not significantly improve sleep efficiency or most objective sleep measures, with good short-term tolerability.
Worth asking
Worth asking your prescriber which specific sleep problem trazodone is meant to address, since trials showed better perceived sleep quality and fewer early awakenings rather than more efficient sleep overall.
What it is FDA approved for
Read off the label. Trial duration and approval year are shown only where they were recorded — never inferred.
- Major depressive disorder
Source
Trazodone for the treatment of insomnia: a meta-analysis of randomized placebo-controlled trials — Yi XY, et al. (2018)
Reputable peer-reviewed journal
Read the source: https://doi.org/10.1016/j.sleep.2018.01.010
DOI: 10.1016/j.sleep.2018.01.010
How this was scored
- Study design
- Meta-analysis of randomised trials
- Funding
- Funding not disclosed
- Published in
- Reputable peer-reviewed journal
- Sample size
- 429
- Preregistered
- No
- Conflicts disclosed
- No
- Independent of proponent
- not recorded
- Retracted
- No
Read the full scoring rubric, including what it can't tell you.
Published August 19, 2026.
Questions
How strong is the evidence behind this?
Resolv rates this source "moderate evidence". Reasonable evidence with real limitations. It scores 66 out of 100 on our published rubric. One caveat travels with that badge: Small evidence base (7 trials) limited to short-term use; using trazodone for insomnia is off-label. The score is calculated from recorded facts about the source — study design, funding, publication venue, sample size, preregistration — not typed in by an editor.
What is the source for this?
Trazodone for the treatment of insomnia: a meta-analysis of randomized placebo-controlled trials — Yi XY, et al. (2018). Published in: Reputable peer-reviewed journal. DOI: 10.1016/j.sleep.2018.01.010. The full source is linked on this page so you can read it yourself.
Who paid for this research, and does that matter?
Study design: Meta-analysis of randomised trials. Funding: Funding not disclosed. Independence from the proponent is not recorded. Industry sponsorship is one of the most reliably measured biases in medicine, which is why funding carries real weight in the score rather than sitting in a footnote.
Is trazodone (Desyrel, Oleptro), desyrel, oleptro FDA approved?
Yes — FDA approved for Major depressive disorder. Approval is for a specific indication, not for everything the drug is prescribed for.
Is this medical advice?
This is information to bring to your prescriber, not medical advice and not a reason to change anything on your own. Nothing here is an instruction to stop or reduce a medication. If you are in crisis, call or text 988.
This is information to bring to your prescriber, not medical advice and not a reason to change anything on your own. Nothing here is an instruction to stop or reduce a medication. If you are in crisis, call or text 988.