# Ibuprofen as a sleep aid? WTF! **URL:** \ **Category:** Factual Questions\ **Created:** [October 2, 2003, 4:41am UTC](https://boards.straightdope.com/t/ibuprofen-as-a-sleep-aid-wtf/205063 "2003-10-02T04:41:22Z")\ **Posts on this page:** 20\ **Page:** 1
**Author:** ![pkbites](https://sea3.discourse-cdn.com/straightdope/user_avatar/boards.straightdope.com/pkbites/32/204_2.png) [@pkbites](https://boards.straightdope.com/u/pkbites)\ **Post date:** [October 2, 2003, 4:41am UTC](https://boards.straightdope.com/t/ibuprofen-as-a-sleep-aid-wtf/205063/1 "2003-10-02T04:41:22Z")
I’ve been married to this beautiful, but crazy [ethnicity deleted] woman for over 23 years. So inferring that she’s out of her mind will only be met with agreement. When my wife can’t get to sleep she takes an Ibuprofen tablet. She **insists** that it makes her drowsy. She insists that regular Nuprin tablets [REGULAR Nuprin, WITHOUT a sleep aid] makes her very, very drowsy. Sure as shit, when she takes 1 regular, over the counter Ibuprofen tablet, she zonks right off. This isn’t included in the “side effects” list. why does this happen to her? Is this an unlisted side effect, or (as I suspect) her belief that it does this having a placebo effect? ---
**Author:** ![Q.E.D](https://avatars.discourse-cdn.com/v4/letter/q/51bf81/32.png) [@Q.E.D](https://boards.straightdope.com/u/Q.E.D)\ **Post date:** [October 2, 2003, 4:49am UTC](https://boards.straightdope.com/t/ibuprofen-as-a-sleep-aid-wtf/205063/2 "2003-10-02T04:49:11Z")
I’d guess a placebo effect, since plain ibuprofen is strictly an anagesic. I’ve taken plenty of Advil with not drowsiness whatsoever. It’s all in her head. ---
**Author:** ![Duck\_Duck\_Goose](https://avatars.discourse-cdn.com/v4/letter/d/50afbb/32.png) [@Duck\_Duck\_Goose](https://boards.straightdope.com/u/Duck_Duck_Goose)\ **Post date:** [October 2, 2003, 4:50am UTC](https://boards.straightdope.com/t/ibuprofen-as-a-sleep-aid-wtf/205063/3 "2003-10-02T04:50:25Z")
Well, which side effects list are you looking at? [http://www.greatpills.com/order-ibuprofen](http://www.greatpills.com/order-ibuprofen) > [@](#): > > Possible side effects > SIDE EFFECTS, that may go away during treatment, include nausea, vomiting, diarrhea, gas, constipation, indigestion, dizziness, lightheadedness, drowsiness, or headache. If they continue or are bothersome, check with your doctor. [http://www.chm.bris.ac.uk/motm/ibuprofen/uses\_and\_side\_effectsc.htm](http://www.chm.bris.ac.uk/motm/ibuprofen/uses_and_side_effectsc.htm) > [@](#): > > Rare Side Effects > skin irritations, drowsiness, gastrointestinal bleeding > **[EHR, RCM, Enrollment Company | Practice Management Software](https://emds.com)** > > Give your most valuable time to your patient's medication and leave the rest to us. Our company will help you deliver the best care with our electronic health record, practice management software, credentialing systems, enrollment and RCM solutions.... > [@](#): > > Common Side Effects: > May occur during the first few days after beginning therapy, but usually resolve: > > Upset stomach symptoms, abdominal pain, nausea, indigestion, bloating, constipation, dizziness, drowsiness, or photosensitivity [shakes finger reprovingly at PK] See? You should _listen_ to the Missus… 😃 ---
**Author:** ![elfbabe](https://avatars.discourse-cdn.com/v4/letter/e/b782af/32.png) [@elfbabe](https://boards.straightdope.com/u/elfbabe)\ **Post date:** [October 2, 2003, 6:03am UTC](https://boards.straightdope.com/t/ibuprofen-as-a-sleep-aid-wtf/205063/4 "2003-10-02T06:03:13Z")
My boyfriend gets drowsy on non-narcotic painkillers, including ibuprofen. But he’s just all kinds of messed up. I think if he has onions, tylenol, and MSG together he explodes or something 😉 ---
**Author:** ![pkbites](https://sea3.discourse-cdn.com/straightdope/user_avatar/boards.straightdope.com/pkbites/32/204_2.png) [@pkbites](https://boards.straightdope.com/u/pkbites)\ **Post date:** [October 2, 2003, 6:29am UTC](https://boards.straightdope.com/t/ibuprofen-as-a-sleep-aid-wtf/205063/5 "2003-10-02T06:29:43Z")
> [@](#): > > \*Originally posted by Duck Duck Goose \* > \*\*[shakes finger reprovingly at PK] > See? You should _listen_ to the Missus… 😃 \*\* Yeah, but this stuff knocks her out like it’s a barb… I’ve taken it for headaches and shit for the last decade and never got sleepy off it. 30 minutes after taking it with a cup of leaded coffee and she’s out like a light. I mean OUT! I can’t wake her up for anything. She only takes 1 for crying out loud. And we’re not talking about the “P.M.” version. I mean the regular stuff. One 200mg tablet. it can’t be hitting her that hard, can it? You know, once she gets something into her thick blonde head she believes it forever, so I’m thinking she thinks it’s suppose to make her sleepy, which is why it does. Placebo effect. ---
**Author:** ![Markxxx](https://avatars.discourse-cdn.com/v4/letter/m/5daacb/32.png) [@Markxxx](https://boards.straightdope.com/u/Markxxx)\ **Post date:** [October 2, 2003, 7:03am UTC](https://boards.straightdope.com/t/ibuprofen-as-a-sleep-aid-wtf/205063/6 "2003-10-02T07:03:02Z")
Some people are VERY sensitive. Mainly they can have an underlying pain issue and when they take it the pain goes away and they relax. It is similar to a reverse Valium effect. For example I used to be a VERY, VERY, VERY nervous flyer. If I took one 2.5mg of Valium during a flight it knocks me out. But if I am not nervous at all 2.5mg of Valium has minimal effect on me. Now that I am no longer a nervous flyer 2.5mg has minimal effect. The more nervous you are the more it relaxes you. This isn’t an uncommon thing. I know of two other people (both women) that relax like they’ve taken a tranquilizer when they take ibuprofen. ---
**Author:** ![Badtz\_Maru](https://avatars.discourse-cdn.com/v4/letter/b/e36b37/32.png) [@Badtz\_Maru](https://boards.straightdope.com/u/Badtz_Maru)\ **Post date:** [October 2, 2003, 7:59am UTC](https://boards.straightdope.com/t/ibuprofen-as-a-sleep-aid-wtf/205063/7 "2003-10-02T07:59:15Z")
I get a little sleepy if I take a lot of Ibuprofen, like 3 or more extra-strength pills. Considering how drugs effect people differently, it’s not unusual at all that someone might find just one to be a sleep aid. ---
**Author:** ![scm1001](https://avatars.discourse-cdn.com/v4/letter/s/c4cdca/32.png) [@scm1001](https://boards.straightdope.com/u/scm1001)\ **Post date:** [October 2, 2003, 9:16am UTC](https://boards.straightdope.com/t/ibuprofen-as-a-sleep-aid-wtf/205063/8 "2003-10-02T09:16:34Z")
some people are more sensitive than others. Small children for instance can get knocked out by paracetamol, useful on long flights (along with fennigan) ---
**Author:** ![leighsha](https://avatars.discourse-cdn.com/v4/letter/l/e5b9ba/32.png) [@leighsha](https://boards.straightdope.com/u/leighsha)\ **Post date:** [February 18, 2018, 2:05am UTC](https://boards.straightdope.com/t/ibuprofen-as-a-sleep-aid-wtf/205063/9 "2018-02-18T02:05:52Z")
im 52 and have manic depression and various anxieties. I have noticed that while advil does not make me sleepy it DOES make my sleep deep and uninterrupted. I have had insomnia since I was a child (about 4) I have tried all forms of meditation, relaxation, sleep resetting, no blue light, no light, light theropy, etc etc etc. sleeping pills no longer work. most relaxation meds have little to no effect on me but for some reason advil puts me in a deep sleep every time. I don’t use it every night as I don’t want to become dependant on them. my doc says it cant work but it does every time. I was hoping someone could explain to me why it works lol. I guess not. ---
**Author:** ![TimeWinder](https://avatars.discourse-cdn.com/v4/letter/t/bcef8e/32.png) [@TimeWinder](https://boards.straightdope.com/u/TimeWinder)\ **Post date:** [February 18, 2018, 2:11am UTC](https://boards.straightdope.com/t/ibuprofen-as-a-sleep-aid-wtf/205063/10 "2018-02-18T02:11:11Z")
> [@pkbites](#): > > Placebo effect. We actually know surprisingly little about the mechanisms of the placebo effect, but one of the things we do know is that it’s the brain producing an effect it expects. I find it unlikely that would continue past the point at which she’s no longer conscious – the fact that you have difficulty waking her would imply a mechanism more than mere placebo. ---
**Author:** ![pulykamell](https://sea3.discourse-cdn.com/straightdope/user_avatar/boards.straightdope.com/pulykamell/32/3166_2.png) [@pulykamell](https://boards.straightdope.com/u/pulykamell)\ **Post date:** [February 18, 2018, 2:41am UTC](https://boards.straightdope.com/t/ibuprofen-as-a-sleep-aid-wtf/205063/11 "2018-02-18T02:41:35Z")
Did we ever figure this out (this thread is from 2003)? ---
**Author:** ![DSYoungEsq](https://avatars.discourse-cdn.com/v4/letter/d/c6cbf5/32.png) [@DSYoungEsq](https://boards.straightdope.com/u/DSYoungEsq)\ **Post date:** [February 18, 2018, 4:15am UTC](https://boards.straightdope.com/t/ibuprofen-as-a-sleep-aid-wtf/205063/12 "2018-02-18T04:15:40Z")
What is the affect of ibuprofen on zombies which need to sleep? ---
**Author:** ![TimeWinder](https://avatars.discourse-cdn.com/v4/letter/t/bcef8e/32.png) [@TimeWinder](https://boards.straightdope.com/u/TimeWinder)\ **Post date:** [February 18, 2018, 4:57am UTC](https://boards.straightdope.com/t/ibuprofen-as-a-sleep-aid-wtf/205063/13 "2018-02-18T04:57:20Z")
Brainzzzzzzzzzzzzzzzzzzzzz ---
**Author:** ![pkbites](https://sea3.discourse-cdn.com/straightdope/user_avatar/boards.straightdope.com/pkbites/32/204_2.png) [@pkbites](https://boards.straightdope.com/u/pkbites)\ **Post date:** [February 18, 2018, 3:08pm UTC](https://boards.straightdope.com/t/ibuprofen-as-a-sleep-aid-wtf/205063/14 "2018-02-18T15:08:27Z")
Almost 15 years later but it has the same effect on her. She’ll take 2 of them prior to a long plane flight and sleep the entire trip. ---
**Author:** ![pulykamell](https://sea3.discourse-cdn.com/straightdope/user_avatar/boards.straightdope.com/pulykamell/32/3166_2.png) [@pulykamell](https://boards.straightdope.com/u/pulykamell)\ **Post date:** [February 18, 2018, 4:29pm UTC](https://boards.straightdope.com/t/ibuprofen-as-a-sleep-aid-wtf/205063/15 "2018-02-18T16:29:39Z")
> [@pkbites](#): > > Almost 15 years later but it has the same effect on her. She’ll take 2 of them prior to a long plane flight and sleep the entire trip. Placebo or not, that sounds wonderful. ---
**Author:** ![pkbites](https://sea3.discourse-cdn.com/straightdope/user_avatar/boards.straightdope.com/pkbites/32/204_2.png) [@pkbites](https://boards.straightdope.com/u/pkbites)\ **Post date:** [February 18, 2018, 6:09pm UTC](https://boards.straightdope.com/t/ibuprofen-as-a-sleep-aid-wtf/205063/16 "2018-02-18T18:09:05Z")
> [@pulykamell](#): > > Placebo or not, that sounds wonderful. Except if she wants to take it for a headache or other pains she ends up having to take a nap and half her day is shot. ---
**Author:** ![pulykamell](https://sea3.discourse-cdn.com/straightdope/user_avatar/boards.straightdope.com/pulykamell/32/3166_2.png) [@pulykamell](https://boards.straightdope.com/u/pulykamell)\ **Post date:** [February 18, 2018, 6:29pm UTC](https://boards.straightdope.com/t/ibuprofen-as-a-sleep-aid-wtf/205063/17 "2018-02-18T18:29:24Z")
> [@pkbites](#): > > Except if she wants to take it for a headache or other pains she ends up having to take a nap and half her day is shot. I just assumed she would take a different pain killer for that. But if ibuprofen is all she responds to, then, yes, I could see the disadvantage of that. ---
**Author:** ![Mama\_Zappa](https://avatars.discourse-cdn.com/v4/letter/m/71e660/32.png) [@Mama\_Zappa](https://boards.straightdope.com/u/Mama_Zappa)\ **Post date:** [February 19, 2018, 8:14pm UTC](https://boards.straightdope.com/t/ibuprofen-as-a-sleep-aid-wtf/205063/18 "2018-02-19T20:14:13Z")
> [@pkbites](#): > > Except if she wants to take it for a headache or other pains she ends up having to take a nap and half her day is shot. Give her an Advil for the headache instead of Nuprin! (just don’t tell her they’re the same thing!). Re taking one before a flight: I wonder if that mightn’t be a good idea anyway, what with DVT (deep vein thromboses) being a known issue with long flights. Anyone know if aspirin is recommended for such a use? How does your spouse react to Tylenol, or any of the NSAIDs other than ibuprofen? Does sleep occur? ---
**Author:** ![Eclipse\_Chaser](https://avatars.discourse-cdn.com/v4/letter/e/5daacb/32.png) [@Eclipse\_Chaser](https://boards.straightdope.com/u/Eclipse_Chaser)\ **Post date:** [February 21, 2018, 7:45pm UTC](https://boards.straightdope.com/t/ibuprofen-as-a-sleep-aid-wtf/205063/19 "2018-02-21T19:45:41Z")
Ibuprofen doesn’t knock me out particularly, but after a few days of taking one a night I start to have the most incredible vivid dreams! ---
**Author:** ![stillAlive](https://avatars.discourse-cdn.com/v4/letter/s/e95f7d/32.png) [@stillAlive](https://boards.straightdope.com/u/stillAlive)\ **Post date:** [October 24, 2019, 5:03pm UTC](https://boards.straightdope.com/t/ibuprofen-as-a-sleep-aid-wtf/205063/20 "2019-10-24T17:03:30Z")
It’s probably not a placebo. I just had this experience. I took Ibuprofen at night and I had the most efficient sleep in years which I was not expecting. I wish it didn’t have long term side effects. [Next page](https://boards.straightdope.com/t/ibuprofen-as-a-sleep-aid-wtf/205063.md?page=2)