Antidepressant sleep findings differed between reported experience and laboratory measures
A review found better subjective sleep with agomelatine, mirtazapine, and trazodone, but objective findings varied and side effects differed.
Based on the published abstract. The full paper may contain additional methods, results and limitations.
The 30-second takeaway
The review reported improved subjective sleep and depressive symptoms with each medication. Mirtazapine and trazodone showed improvements on several laboratory measures, while agomelatine's objective effects remained uncertain. These results concern people with depression and insomnia symptoms; the abstract does not establish which medication works best or how large the improvements were.
The abstract omits treatment durations, comparator details, and effect sizes. Mixed study designs and the authors' call for larger, methodologically consistent trials limit confidence in the conclusions.
Laboratory sleep findings
Mirtazapine increased total sleep time, deep-sleep percentage, and sleep efficiency, while reducing the percentage of wakefulness after sleep onset. Trazodone improved sleep time and efficiency. Agomelatine showed no significant change in selected sleep-stage measures.
Reported adverse effects
Mirtazapine commonly caused weight gain and sedation. Reported trazodone effects included dizziness, sedation, headache, nausea, and sleepiness. Agomelatine was described as well tolerated, but the abstract provides no numerical adverse-event comparison.
The original publication
Management of insomnia symptoms in depressed patients treated with agomelatine, mirtazapine and trazodone: A systematic review and meta-analysis.
Zhang X, Chen Y, Deng R et al.
J Affect Disord · 2026
- PubMed ID
- 41679391
- Record checked
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