Key takeaways:
Research doesn’t suggest that Wegovy causes insomnia. But it may have some side effects that can make it harder to sleep.
Side effects of Wegovy — like heartburn or vivid dreams — can make it harder to get to sleep or stay asleep all night. Weight loss itself may also affect sleep.
If you take Wegovy, there are changes you can make to your diet and routine that can help to improve your sleep.
Save on related medications
If you’ve started taking Wegovy (semaglutide), you’ve likely noticed a lot of different changes in your body. And one of those changes might be your sleep pattern. Medications like Wegovy affect the mind and body in many ways. And researchers are still gathering information about the side effects. According to current data, experts don’t believe that Wegovy causes insomnia. So, why do people who take it sometimes report having a harder time sleeping? Here, we dive into the research.
Does Wegovy cause insomnia?
The FDA doesn’t list insomnia as an expected or reported side effect of Wegovy. But this doesn’t necessarily reflect peoples’ reported experiences.
One study looked at the self-reported side effects of people taking Wegovy and other GLP-1 agonists. Researchers found that people taking these medications reported insomnia more often than expected. Another study analyzed side effects shared on social media. It found that sleep improved for some people taking Wegovy, but got worse for others.
Search and compare options
These studies were based on observation and anecdotal reports, so they don’t prove a direct link. A higher-quality review study looked at 81 studies on Wegovy and its effect on a variety of mental health symptoms. This review study didn’t find a link between Wegovy and insomnia.
Experts are still studying this question. In one experiment with rats, medications like Wegovy actually increased both sleep quality and sleep time. Some sleep researchers even suggest that GLP‑1 agonists could one day help treat certain sleep disorders. But more research is needed to fully understand how Wegovy affects sleep.
How Wegovy might lead to sleep problems
Even though Wegovy doesn’t cause insomnia, it can lead to side effects that interfere with sleep. This might be why some people report sleep disturbances on Wegovy. In most cases, the issue isn’t the medication itself but the side effects that come with it, such as:
Heartburn: In clinical trials, about 2% of people taking Wegovy experienced heartburn. Heartburn is caused by reflux, when stomach acid backs up into the esophagus, or food pipe. It often gets worse when you’re lying down, so it may flare up at night right when you’re trying to fall asleep.
Problems with digestion: Wegovy can slow down your digestion, leading to diarrhea, constipation, and nausea. All of these symptoms can lead to discomfort that makes it harder to fall asleep.
Headaches: New headaches or worsening headaches are a possible side effect that can lead to sleeplessness.
Low blood sugar: Wegovy decreases blood sugar, which can help people with diabetes manage their blood sugar. In some cases it can lead to low blood sugar, or hypoglycemia. This is more common in people with diabetes who take medications to lower their blood sugar, but hypoglycemia can still occur on Wegovy alone. Low blood sugar can cause nighttime awakenings and lead to daytime sleepiness.
Mental health side effects: Some research suggests that Wegovy may raise the risk of depression or anxiety for some people. Anxiety can make it hard to “turn off” your mind at night, while depression can disrupt your sleep routine and make it harder to fall asleep and stay asleep.
Vivid dreams: Some people taking Wegovy have reported vivid dreams. These dreams can wake people up and make it harder to get back to sleep.
How does weight loss contribute to sleep disturbance?
Weight loss — no matter what’s causing it — leads to major changes in mental and physical health. And it’s possible that some of these changes may interfere with sleep.
Researchers are still trying to understand how caloric restriction and weight loss affect sleep. There’s some evidence to show that eating fewer calories can actually improve sleep for some people. But, a recent review of multiple studies on this issue found that sleep doesn’t improve with weight loss alone.
Other studies have shown that restrictive dieting — especially when it leads to weight cycling — can make sleep worse.
How can you sleep better after starting Wegovy?
Lifestyle changes can improve your ability to fall asleep, stay asleep, and awake refreshed. These changes are often referred to as sleep hygiene. If you’re having a hard time sleeping while on Wegovy, specific changes you can make include:
Make dinner your smallest meal of the day and stop eating several hours before your bedtime. Eat a bigger meal at lunch, when your body still has hours to digest your food.
Avoid caffeinated foods in the evening. Coffee, caffeinated soda, and even chocolate can keep you awake.
Avoid fatty meats, aged cheeses, and starchy or processed foods, especially at night.
If you’re taking other medications, talk with your healthcare team to make sure your evening medications aren’t keeping you awake.
If you have heartburn, there are medications and home remedies that can help.
Train your body to expect sleep. You can do this by following the same routine each night. This might include a shower, a relaxing activity, and even changing into pajamas around the same time each night.
Do your best to decrease screen time before bed, especially during your bedtime routine.
How long does Wegovy fatigue last?
Fatigue is a common side effect from Wegovy — in some trials about 11% of people using Wegovy report feeling unusually tired. There isn’t much research showing exactly how long this fatigue lasts. The clinical trials don’t give a clear timeline, but many early side effects — like nausea or headaches — usually show up during the first few weeks or when the dose is increased. These symptoms often improve as your body adjusts. Fatigue may follow a similar pattern, but it can vary from person to person, depending on factors like other side effects or overall health.
Wegovy side effects: Sleep isn’t the only thing that can be affected by Wegovy. Other side effects — like stomach pain, vivid dreams, and hair loss — can also occur.
Wegovy and digestion: Wegovy can affect your bowel movements, leading to either constipation or diarrhea. We’ll share tips on how to manage digestive issues from Wegovy.
Tips for better sleep: Lower your room temperature, create a bedtime routine, and ditch electronics before bed. Learn about more proven strategies to help you get better sleep.
If fatigue lasts longer than a few weeks, gets worse over time, or starts to affect your daily activities, it’s a good idea to talk with a healthcare professional you trust.
Frequently asked questions
No. Wegovy and Ozempic both contain semaglutide, but they’re approved for different uses and different groups of people:
Wegovy is approved for adults and children ages 12 years and up, to support weight loss in people with obesity. It’s also approved to lower the risk of heart disease in certain adults and to treat fatty liver disease in adults who already have liver scarring.
Ozempic is approved for adults to manage Type 2 diabetes. It also helps lower the risk of heart disease in some people, and it can reduce the risk of major kidney disease in people with Type 2 diabetes or existing kidney disease.
Serious side effects of Wegovy can include gallbladder problems, pancreatitis, stomach paralysis, and intestinal blockages. Other possible serious effects include hair loss, kidney problems, and certain eye conditions. Wegovy may also raise the risk of thyroid cancer or depression in some people.
What counts as the “worst” side effect can vary — it often depends on your overall health and which symptoms feel most significant or disruptive to you.
Wegovy side effects — like nausea, vomiting, and diarrhea — often last for a few days or a few weeks. Many of these side effects get better as your body adjusts to the medication. Other side effects — like constipation — may last for months. If your side effects don’t get better within a couple of weeks, reach out to a healthcare professional you trust.
No. Wegovy and Ozempic both contain semaglutide, but they’re approved for different uses and different groups of people:
Wegovy is approved for adults and children ages 12 years and up, to support weight loss in people with obesity. It’s also approved to lower the risk of heart disease in certain adults and to treat fatty liver disease in adults who already have liver scarring.
Ozempic is approved for adults to manage Type 2 diabetes. It also helps lower the risk of heart disease in some people, and it can reduce the risk of major kidney disease in people with Type 2 diabetes or existing kidney disease.
Serious side effects of Wegovy can include gallbladder problems, pancreatitis, stomach paralysis, and intestinal blockages. Other possible serious effects include hair loss, kidney problems, and certain eye conditions. Wegovy may also raise the risk of thyroid cancer or depression in some people.
What counts as the “worst” side effect can vary — it often depends on your overall health and which symptoms feel most significant or disruptive to you.
Wegovy side effects — like nausea, vomiting, and diarrhea — often last for a few days or a few weeks. Many of these side effects get better as your body adjusts to the medication. Other side effects — like constipation — may last for months. If your side effects don’t get better within a couple of weeks, reach out to a healthcare professional you trust.
The bottom line
Each person is unique and will have a different experience with Wegovy. There’s no way to predict how your body will react, what side effects you’ll have, and how they’ll affect your sleep. If you’re concerned that your difficulty with sleeping is related to taking Wegovy, don’t be afraid to discuss it with a healthcare professional.
Why trust our experts?
References
Arillotta, D., et al. (2023). GLP-1 receptor agonists and related mental health issues: Insights from a range of social media platforms using a mixed-methods approach. Brain Sciences.
Cao, V., et al. (2021). History of weight cycling is prospectively associated with shorter and poorer-quality sleep and higher sleep apnea risk in diverse U.S. women. Journal of Cardiovascular Nursing.
Cao, V., et al. (2022). Dieting behavior characterized by caloric restriction and relation to sleep: A brief contemporary review. International Journal of Environmental Research and Public Health.
Chen, W., et al. (2024). Psychiatric adverse events associated with GLP-1 receptor agonists: A real-world pharmacovigilance study based on the FDA Adverse Event Reporting System database. Frontiers in Endocrinology.
Diabetes UK. (2023). Sleep and diabetes.
Fang, J., et al. (2023). Sleep is increased by liraglutide, a glucagon-like peptide-1 receptor agonist, in rats. Brain Research Bulletin.
Grunstein, R. R., et al. (2023). Giving weight to incretin-based pharmacotherapy for obesity-related sleep apnea: A revolution or a pipe dream? Sleep.
Knowlden, A. P., et al. (2023). The relationship between sleep quantity, sleep quality, and weight loss in adults: A scoping review. Clinical Obesity.
Lovegrove, M. C., et al. (2025). U.S. emergency department visits attributed by clinicians to semaglutide adverse events, 2022–2023. Annals of Internal Medicine.
Middleton, A. (2023). Ozempic users are having bizarre dreams about A-listers — including one featuring Oprah on a go-kart at a baseball game. Business Insider.
Novo Nordisk. (2023). Wegovy (semaglutide) injection, for subcutaneous use [package insert].
Novo Nordisk. (2025). Ozempic (semaglutide) injection, for subcutaneous use [package insert]
Valenta, S. T., et al. (2024). The impact of GLP-1 receptor agonists (GLP-1 RAs) on mental health: A systematic review. Current Treatment Options in Psychiatry.
Wharton, S., et al. (2021). Gastrointestinal tolerability of once‐weekly semaglutide 2.4 mg in adults with overweight or obesity, and the relationship between gastrointestinal adverse events and weight loss. Diabetes, Obesity & Metabolism.
