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How does Aniracetam affect sleep, dreaming and wakefulness? This nootropic drug has been studied for its effects on sleep patterns and the stage of REM (Rapid Eye Movement) sleep.
It has also been researched as a combined therapy for insomnia in patients with forms of cognitive dysfunction and it has been studied in rats for its effects on sleep deprivation.
It appears to increase REM sleep activity and promote more vivid dreams. Some people also take this nootropic to include lucid dreaming.
Can you use Aniracetam to improve sleep quality? It is unclear how effective it is as a sleep aid. Some people do report that it has a sedating or tranquilizing effect and can help them fall asleep more readily.
However, this effect appears to be inconsistent. One of the most frequently reported side effects of Aniracetam use is insomnia and sleep disturbances, especially if it is taken late at night.
In this article, we will review the research available on the effects of Aniracetam on sleep quality, insomnia symptoms and cognitive deficits linked to sleep deprivation. We will also discuss comments posted by users about how it has affected their sleep quality and latency. Buy Aniracetam online at this link.
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Aniracetam and Sleep
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Use of the smart drug Aniracetam late in the day is reported to cause insomnia or difficulty falling asleep in some people, but not all.
Based on anecdotal user reviews, taking your dosage of this nootropic in the evening can make it difficult to shut off your mind and achieve a restful state to prepare for falling asleep.
Some users report that this nootropic increases mental chatter such that they cannot shut their minds off when they are in bed.
It also has a mild stimulating effect and can increase arousal and attention. While this can be beneficial during the day when you want to enhance your focus and wakefulness, it can result in delayed time for sleep onset or low-quality sleep at night.
Some say that taking it before bedtime causes them to wake up frequently in the night and makes them feel not well rested the following day. It is prone to causing a “hangover” effect if you use it to stay focused during a late-night study session.
As such, it is generally recommended to avoid taking this nootropic late in the evening. If you are particularly sensitive to the effects of Aniracetam, it may be best to avoid using it after 2 PM in the afternoon.
Taking this nootropic before bedtime can also result in changes to dreaming patterns, including more vivid or disturbing dreams and nightmares.
Not everyone experiences impaired sleep quality and function on Aniracetam. Because it exhibits an anxiolytic effect, some people find it to promote relaxation and mental calm. It has been described as promoting a tranquilizing effect in some users.
Aniracetam has been studied for its effects on anxiety and depression. It has shown benefits in decreasing anxiety and may work by affecting the neurotransmitters serotonin, dopamine and GABA.
Some individuals also report experiencing fatigue after taking their dosage and say that it helps them fall asleep more easily. In nootropic forums, some reviews describe this nootropic as producing more robust, restful sleep and helping them wake up feeling more rested the following day.
Others report no discernable changes to sleep behavior with use. It does not seem to improve or worsen sleep quality in these people.
It is unclear why in some individuals this nootropic agent induces sleepiness while in others it makes them feel more awake and unable to sleep.
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Effects on REM Sleep
One study examined the effects of Aniracetam on sleep disturbance patterns in stroke-prone spontaneously hypertensive rats (SHRSP). [1]
These are rats that are genetically selected to have a propensity for cerebral ischemia (stroke). Most rats do not develop hypertension, but this model does which can lead to impairments in cognitive function and damage to brain structures.
Compared to normal rats who did not exhibit hypertension (high blood pressure), SHRSP rats have been found to experience impaired sleep patterns. In particular, they experience a higher rate of non-REM sleep than control rats.
REM (Rapid Eye Movement) is the period of sleep in which we dream, associated with brain wave activity that is similar to the waking state. While our muscles are paralyzed, our eyes move within their sockets and our breathing activity and oxygen consumption of the brain resembles that of someone who is awake.
This stage of sleep is believed to be important for memory consolidation, which is the process by which we organize our memories and convert short-term memory into long-term storage. The stage of REM sleep is initiated by increased secretion of acetylcholine, which is one of the main neurotransmitters affected by aniracetam.
Researchers found that rats given a 30 mg/kg dosage of Aniracetam orally experienced an increase in REM sleep time for five consecutive days of treatment. The repeated administration of this nootropic substance also restored suppressed REM activity in the SHRSP rats.
This may be related to the increased activation of acetylcholine receptors that is observed in subjects given Aniracetam. The researchers concluded that, ” Aniracetam could be useful in improving REM sleep impairment associated with vascular dementia.” [1]
Treatment of Insomnia with Zopiclone
Zopiclone is an oral medication used to treat insomnia. It is a nonbenzodiazepine hypnotic agent that has been shown to increase gamma-aminobutyric acid receptor activity in the brain.
This prescription drug is reported to help patients who have difficulty falling asleep or waking up too early in the morning. It can help individuals stay asleep during the night with less frequent wake-ups.
One study looked at the effects of treating insomnia in patients with cognitive disorders using a combination of Zopiclone and Aniracetam. Patients included in this study had been diagnosed with cerebral infarction, cerebroatrophy, Alzheimer’s disease or Parkinson’s disease.
The researchers found that this drug combination was effective for alleviating insomnia in seven out of the nine patients studied. However, this is a small study and it is not possible to make determinations from the results of this trial about how effective Aniracetam is on its own. [2]
Because it was administered in conjunction with another therapeutic agent, it is not possible to know whether the results were due to the other drug used, Aniracetam or attributed specifically to their combined use.
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Effects on Sleep Deprivation
How does Aniracetam affect cognitive function in individuals who experience sleep deprivation? It is well-established that sleep deprivation can impair brain functions related to learning, short-term memory and long-term memory formation.
Researchers have looked at the effects of Aniracetam on sleep deprived animals and their performance on memory retention tests. They used this nootropic as a model to assess the effects of drugs that influence AMPA receptor activity. [3]
AMPA receptors respond to the neurotransmitter glutamate and are involved in memory formation and synaptic plasticity. Aniracetam is an AMPAkine nootropic that works by modulating these receptors to decrease the rate at which they become desensitized.
Male Wistar rats were used in this study and subjected to either 96 hours or 24 hours of sleep deprivation. Their memory function was then assessed on passive avoidance testing.
The researchers showed that a 100 mg/kg dosage of Aniracetam reduced the cognitive deficits caused by sleep deprivation in the rats. They performed better in retention tests at two hours and 24 hours following the initial training on the task.
This suggests that increased activation of AMPA receptors via Aniracetam administration can improve cognitive function in sleep-deprived rats by counteracting learning impairments. [3]
Does this mean that Aniracetam can act as a cognitive enhancer and improve learning and memory in humans that have been sleep deprived? More research is needed to establish this.
While rat studies are useful as preliminary results to direct further research efforts, the results may not necessarily translate in humans.
Lucid Dreaming
Lucid Dreaming refers to the state of being aware that you are dream as you are dreaming. Inducing lucidity during dreams has benefits for visualization practices, wish fulfillment and in the treatment of mood disorders linked to traumatic events.
Many people enjoy lucid dreaming for recreational purposes and may simply enjoy having better ability to recall their dreams when they wake. Others actively try to control their dreams to have certain experiences or to avoid nightmares
A number of techniques and supplements have been used to increase the likelihood of “going lucid” and the ability to remember the dream after waking up. Supplements may also cause dreams to become more vivid and more detailed by affecting neurotransmitters that are involved in dreamtime simulations.
In addition to its nootropic effects, Aniracetam and other racetams have been used to promote lucid dream states.
Aniracetam increases cholinergic neurotransmission, which is involved in initiating dreams as well as vividness and ability to remember dreams. Users commonly report having more intricate and interesting dreams when they take racetam nootropic drugs.
Sometimes, these dreams are more disturbing and may not always be pleasant. This is true of other supplements or techniques used to induce a lucid dreaming state.
According to people who regularly practice lucid dreaming techniques, it is possible to learn to control the content of your dreams as you develop more experience with this phenomenon. However, it is not possible to have complete control over the content of your dreams and not everyone experiences benefits from this practice.
As a lucid dreaming aid, Aniracetam may be used with a Wake-Back-To-Bed method (WBTB) which involves sleeping for several hours, setting a timer to wake yourself up after 4 to 5 hours and then falling asleep again.
Individuals will commonly use supplements like choline or acetylcholinesterase inhibitors like Huperzine A and Galantamine as part of this protocol as well.
Nootropic supplements like CDP Choline and Alpha GPC can also be used to promote ability to remember dreams by increasing acetylcholine levels.
Note that when taking Aniracetam to promote dreaming and dream recall, it may cause impairments to sleep quality. Generally, it is recommended to experiment with lucid dreaming when you do not have to wake up early the next morning and can sleep in.
Usage
There are no standard guidelines for taking Aniracetam powder or capsules to address sleep difficulties. It has been used clinically for the treatment of Alzheimer’s disease and Senile Dementia at a dosage of between 750 mg to 1500 mg per day.
Aniracetam is fat-soluble and should always be combined with a source of fatty acids such as olive oil, fish oil or a meal with healthy fats.
Some of the side effects of this nootropic agent include headaches, insomnia, anxiety, irritability, restlessness, excessive fatigue or tiredness, brain fog or inability to focus, feelings of euphoria, excessive perspiration, skin rash or changes in body temperature.
It is generally well tolerated, but some people seem to be more affected by the reported side effects.
If you experience disturbed sleep after using Aniracetam, it may be recommended to stop taking this nootropic or to use it earlier in the day. Individuals who have experienced insomnia in the past may have a greater risk of experiencing this side effect.
Note that the benefits of Aniracetam in reducing non-REM sleep were observed to be more significant in rats that had suffered cerebral ischemia or brain trauma. It may be that its effects on sleep patterns are more profound in humans who have been diagnosed with cognitive disorders as opposed to healthy adults.
Before using Aniracetam in conjunction with any other prescription sleep medications you are taking, make sure to consult with a doctor first.
Some examples of prescription sleeping aids used include Temazepam (Restoril), Triazolam (Halcion), Zaleplon (Sonata) and Zolpidem (Ambien).
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- Kimura M, Okano S, Inoué S. Effects of aniracetam on impaired sleep patterns in stroke-prone spontaneously hypertensive rats. Psychiatry Clin Neurosci. 2000 Jun;54(3):314-6.
- Katsunuma H1, Shimizu T, Ogawa K, Kubo H, Ishida H, Yoshihama A. Treatment of insomnia by concomitant therapy with Zopiclone and Aniracetam in patients with cerebral infarction, cerebroatrophy, Alzheimer's disease and Parkinson's disease. Psychiatry Clin Neurosci. 1998 Apr;52(2):198-200.
- Dubiela FP1, Queiroz CM, Moreira KD, Nobrega JN, Sita LV, Tufik S, Hipolide DC. AMPA receptors mediate passive avoidance deficits induced by sleep deprivation. Behav Brain Res. 2013 Nov 15;257:189-96. doi: 10.1016/j.bbr.2013.09.037. Epub 2013 Sep 28.
- Vadim S. Rotenberg* Lucid dreams: their advantage and disadvantage in the frame of search activity concept Front Psychol. 2015; 6: 1472.
- Stumbrys T1, Erlacher D, Schädlich M, Schredl M Induction of lucid dreams: a systematic review of evidence. Conscious Cogn. 2012 Sep;21(3):1456-75. doi: 10.1016/j.concog.2012.07.003. Epub 2012 Jul 28.
Article last updated on: July 17th, 2018 by Nootriment