Isn’t the sudden burst of anxiety not enough to ruin your day that now you have to worry over your medication intake?
If you’re wondering when to take Lexapro? You’re not alone. Most patients are confused about what to do regarding the timing of their daily dose of this antidepressant medication. So let’s answer that question: should I take Lexapro in the morning or at night?
Some people take Lexapro in the morning, while others prefer taking it at night. If you have chronic insomnia, you should take it during the day as Lexapro can trigger the condition more. Otherwise, taking it at any time of the day won’t impact your treatment plan either.
Keep reading to decide if you should take Lexapro in the morning or at night.
Table of Content
Should I Take Lexapro in the Morning or at Night?
Lexapro is an antidepressant medication that is taken to suppress anxiety disorders. Lexapro comes in tablet form and is designed to be taken once daily, preferably in the morning or evening/ night.
There is no hard and fast rule to take Lexapro at the day or night.
Taking Lexapro at night has time to absorb into your bloodstream while you sleep, but when you take it in the morning, it also has time to work during the day.
Depending on your preference, let’s look at the benefits of both worlds to help you decide whether you should take Lexapro in the morning or at night.
Benefits of Taking Lexapro in the Morning
Let’s look at the significant advantages of taking Lexapro in the morning.
Improve Your Mood
Starting your day off on the right foot can make a big difference in how you feel throughout the day.
Taking Lexapro in the morning can help improve your mood and give you the energy you need to get through your day. You will get less to no anxiety attacks throughout the day and make your day worthwhile.
Help Maintaining a Regular Sleep Schedule
One of the benefits of taking Lexapro in the morning is that it can help you maintain a regular sleep schedule. This is because the medication can help regulate your body’s natural sleep-wake cycle.
You may also find it easier to fall asleep at night when you take your medication in the morning, so this is something to consider if insomnia is an issue for you.
Also, dosing on Lexapro may lead to side effects like nausea and headaches some people, which can disrupt your sleep schedule. To avoid these side effects and sleep peacefully at night, you can take medicine in the morning.
Stop Anxiety Attacks Before They Start
Taking Lexapro in the morning can help stop anxiety attacks before they start. For people who suffer from anxiety frequently, this can be a lifesaver.
They don’t have to worry about having an attack at work or out with friends because their medication helps prevent these situations.
Increase Positive Energy Levels
Moving on to the following benefits of taking Lexapro in the morning: it can help increase your energy levels throughout the day.
This can be helpful if you have the reluctance to get out of bed in the morning due to feeling anxious/ negative thoughts or if you feel tired during the day.
Boost Concentration Levels
One of the benefits of taking Lexapro in the morning is that it can help boost your concentration levels. This is especially helpful if you have trouble focusing or feel more scattered during the day.
Improve Focus and Productivity
Would you be able to focus on your work or study if your mind isn’t at peace? Getting anxiety attacks in between work can easily hamper your productivity.
If you tend to get social anxiety around people or regular attacks more during the day, taking Lexapro in the morning can help improve your focus and productivity throughout the day.
For some people, this may mean getting more work done during the day.
Benefits of Taking Lexapro at Night
Here are a few reasons why you can take Lexapro at night
Getting a Good, Restful Sleep
One of the most important benefits of taking Lexapro at night is that it can help you get a good night’s sleep.
With less stress and anxiety, your body will release less cortisol, and your sleep cycle will be more normalized, which means you’ll wake up refreshed in the morning.
People with frequent anxiety attacks consider taking Lexapro at night when you’re more likely to sleep soundly without interruption.
Taking Lexapro during the day will wear off during the evening, meaning you may need to retake it.
Staying on Track During the Day
It can be challenging to keep up with work, school, and life in general when dealing with anxiety or depression.
To make things easier for yourself, it’s best to take your medication before bedtime so that it has time to build up in your system and do its job.
Save Time in The Morning
Taking Lexapro at night saves time in the morning. You won’t have to worry about taking your medication first thing in the morning, which can be a huge time-saver when you rush.
Avoid Interactions With Other Medications
The benefit of taking Lexapro at night is that you avoid potential interactions with other medications.
If you take it in the morning, there’s a chance that it could interact with other medications you take throughout the day.
Side Effects of Lexapro
Although Lexapro is generally well-tolerated, there are a few potential side effects to be aware of. These include
- Headache
- Insomnia
- Restlessness
- Nausea
- Drowsiness
- and dry mouth.
For most people, these symptoms will only occur for the first week or two after they start taking the medication.
After this time, they usually go away. If you find that these symptoms persist or worsen while you’re on Lexapro, talk to your doctor about changing your dosage schedule or lowering the power.
Foods to Avoid with Lexapro (Escitalopram)
Most food does not have chemicals or any kind of interaction with Escitalopram.
There are a few foods that you should avoid while taking Lexapro, as they can interact with the Escitalopram in the medication.
Grapefruit
One of the essential foods to avoid with Lexapro is grapefruit.
Grapefruit has increased the bioavailability of escitalopram, so the medication stays in your system longer than needed. Thus, it increases the possibilities of side effects even more.
Alcohol
You must also avoid consuming alcohol soon before or after taking Lexapro. Alcohol doubles the side effects related to the medication, resulting in increased headache, nausea, or restlessness.
To maintain an effective level of escitalopram, it is recommended that you wait at least 4 hours after eating or drinking anything containing grapefruit before consuming Lexapro.
FAQs
What does Lexapro treat best?
Lexapro (escitalopram) is a prescription drug used to treat depression, generalized anxiety disorder, and social anxiety disorder. It belongs to the class of drugs known as selective serotonin. As a result, it helps the brain restore serotonin, a natural substance found in the brain for maintaining emotional stability.
What is the best time to take Lexapro for anxiety?
The use of Lexapro may change your sleeping habits, so you should be aware of when it’s best to take the medication. If you’re taking Lexapro at night and facing trouble sleeping, you may switch to taking it in the morning so that the side effect subsides by evening.
However, if you see no side effects, you can take the medication at night.
Does Lexapro make you calm?
One of the benefits of taking Lexapro is that it can help you feel calmer. In addition to feeling more relaxed, you may also find that you sleep better and have less anxiety. With this in mind, taking your daily dose of Lexapro before bedtime is a good idea.
Can I stay on Lexapro forever?
While it is technically possible to stay on Lexapro forever, it is not recommended. Lexapro should be used as a short-term treatment for anxiety and depression to say bye-bye to the medication eventually. Your doctor will provide the time duration.
Final Thought
Whether you take Lexapro in the morning or night, you should maintain consistency daily. There are many benefits to taking your medication simultaneously every day.
For one, it can help to establish a routine. This can be especially helpful if you have trouble remembering to take your medication or if you have trouble sleeping.
Do some experiments for a while to see which time of the day benefits you more while taking medicine.
