Modafinil: Benefits, Side Effects, Best Time to Take It & More

Modafinil

(Provigil)

Evidence: Very High
Possible Benefits: Very High
Safety: Reasonable

What is Modafinil?

Modafinil, also known as Provigil, is a pharmaceutical often prescribed for narcolepsy. It can also be used as a nootropic for increasing energy and wakefulness and improving various cognitive functions. This article is about the main benefits of Modafinil, its potential side effects, the best time to take it, and more.

Possible benefits

All of the potential benefits mentioned below are dose-dependent. As with other nootropics, there is a sweet-spot dose that allows you to get most of the benefits without causing meaningful side effects or tolerance buildup in the body. We will discuss the best dosing protocol later in this article.

Major benefits

Reduced excessive sleepiness – Modafinil can reduce excessive sleepiness related to narcolepsy, obstructive sleep apnea, shift-work sleep disorder, and other conditions.
Reduced sedation and fatigue – Because of its wakefulness-promoting effects, Modafinil can reduce fatigue related to sleep deprivation, multiple sclerosis, Parkinson’s disease, cancer, and more.
Improved cognition – This nootropic can improve various aspects of cognition, especially in sleep-deprived individuals. It can positively affect areas of the brain related to alertness, focus, memory recall, working memory, and the formation of memories.
Reduced ADHD in children – Even very low doses can be highly effective in this regard. Modafinil is also much safer for reducing the negative symptoms of ADHD than most other ADHD medications, such as Adderal.

Minor benefits

Improved mood and well-being – While the substance doesn’t cause much euphoria if any, it can greatly increase one’s well-being during cognitive tasks.
Reduced addictions – Modafinil was shown in human studies to reduce impulsivity. One study also found a reduction in addiction to alcohol. This benefit likely applies to other addictive substances and behaviors. It can be even more beneficial for reducing the dependence on other, more potentially harmful stimulants.
Increased alertness – This nootropic can act as a stimulant, making you more alert and energetic.
Slower cognitive decline – Modafinil can be helpful for older people experiencing cognitive decline. The supplement can help reverse or slow down some aspects of it.
Neuroprotective effects – The supplement may have mild neuroprotective effects, but more research is needed to determine whether or not this is the case.

Possible side effects

The side effects below are dose-dependent. The risk for them increases (often linearly but sometimes exponentially) as you increase the dose. Some of the side effects only apply to very high doses.

Addiction – This nootropic can be somewhat psychologically addictive. However, this is uncommon as the substance isn’t euphoric in most cases.
Overstimulation – As a stimulant, Modafinil can cause overstimulation and anxiety when taken at high doses or combined with other stimulants.
Reduced appetite – This can be considered both a positive and a negative, depending on your values and goals.
Increased blood pressure – The supplement can slightly increase systolic blood pressure, which can be problematic for some people.
Difficulty sleeping – The nootropic can increase energy levels and make you more alert. When taken later in the day, it can make it harder to fall asleep and worsen your sleep quality.
Allergic reaction – An allergy to this nootropic is rare but possible.
Nausea – This side effect is most common when people take the supplement on an empty stomach.
Diarrhea – You can usually prevent diarrhea or stomach discomfort by taking this supplement with a meal.
Toxicity – While acute toxicity is extremely rare, taking high amounts of this nootropic could lead to chronic toxicity and cause health problems over time. Regularly taking high doses can also cause the body to develop a tolerance to the supplement. To prevent chronic toxicity or the buildup of tolerance, staying below 150 mg in a day is best unless you have a great reason to take more.
Contamination – Contaminated supplements are uncommon in the USA and other well-regulated countries. However, if you wish to buy products from China, India, or other countries without strict regulations, beware that the supplements may be contaminated. Either way, you need to choose the brand you order from wisely. Always read through some reviews for the specific product before you buy it. The FDA (Food and Drug Administration) has the power to regulate dietary supplements but can only do so after they have been on the market for a while. That’s because supplement companies are not obligated to announce to the FDA when releasing a new product. The FDA has to discover the product and test it for potential impurities, which can take a lot of time. During that time, the supplement can be sold on the market even if it’s impure. Also, supplement companies can change their manufacturers without announcing it to the FDA.

Who should not take Modafinil?

You should probably avoid taking Modafinil if you:

is illegal in your country
are an athlete who gets checked for drugs (this nootropic is banned by most anti-doping agencies)
already have lots of energy
take other stimulants
experience a severe adverse reaction after taking the supplement
don’t notice any effect on energy levels or brain function even after a long period of taking the supplement
are allergic to this nootropic
are pregnant or breastfeeding (while it can be safe to take this supplement during pregnancy or breastfeeding, it can put some unnecessary risk to the child)

Who will benefit the most?

You should consider taking the supplement if you:

are often sleep-deprived
experience lots of fatigue due to sleep deprivation, multiple sclerosis, Parkinson’s disease, or cancer
are working on an important project
are older and experience cognitive decline
are willing to experiment with a variety of cognitive enhancers (assuming you don’t fall into any of the categories that should avoid this supplement, Modafinil appears relatively safe and is unlikely to do more harm than good for most people)

How much Modafinil should you take?

The sweet spot typically ranges between 50-100 mg daily for most people. This amount should provide most of the benefits without meaningful side effects.

The higher end of this range usually provides slightly more benefits in the short term. If you plan to take this nootropic for a longer time (multiple months or years), the lower end is probably a better way to go since it is safer and you would develop tolerance faster if you were to take higher doses.

Doses higher than 100 mg can be helpful for the treatment of narcolepsy, reducing the negative effects of sleep deprivation, and a few other reasons. In this case, doses of up to 200 mg can be used safely. If you do not have any of these problems, it’s best to avoid such high doses.

The upper safety limit for this nootropic is not well-established. To stay on the safe side, don’t take more than the recommended dose unless you have a great reason to do so. Higher amounts may cause problems if you take the supplement for a prolonged period.

Like most other nootropics, it is best to cycle Modafinil and take about two days off weekly to reset your tolerance. That will allow you to keep getting the benefits in the long term.

Best time to take Modafinil

The best time to take Modafinil is about 90 minutes after you wake up.

In the early morning, a natural increase in cortisol is responsible for waking you up and getting you ready for the day. By taking any stimulant that has the potential to increase cortisol levels right after you wake up, you would interrupt this natural increase in cortisol, and your body would not be producing as much of it in the following days. That would lead to increased production of cortisol at the wrong times of the day, such as in the evening.

After the morning cortisol increase that typically lasts 90 minutes, you want to take Modafinil as soon as possible so that most of it leaves your system before it’s time to go to bed.

Do not take this nootropic later in the day unless you have a great reason to. It could worsen your sleep quality.

The best way to determine whether or not Modafinil is damaging your sleep is to listen to your body and specifically look at how easily you fall asleep and how refreshed you wake up.

Modafinil is fat-soluble, so you should take it with a meal or a dietary source of fat to absorb it well. Taking the supplement with food is also better if it causes stomach upset when you take it on an empty stomach.

If you take this nootropic on an empty stomach, the short-term effects will kick in faster and be more pronounced.

Interactions

Stimulants
Combining the nootropic with other stimulants, including caffeine, can lead to overstimulation, anxiety, jitteriness, high blood pressure, and other problems. Since Modafinil isn’t the most potent stimulant, combining it with other stimulants should not be physically dangerous.

Where to buy Modafinil?

In most countries, Modafinil can only be obtained legally as a prescription medication for narcolepsy and possibly a few other conditions.

In these countries, it is better to choose an alternative like Adrafinil or Armodafinil, which have similar effects and safety profiles and you should be able to buy them on the Internet.

Modafinil vs. Armodafinil vs. Adrafinil

Adrafinil is a precursor to modafinil, which means it converts to modafinil in the body. It is no longer used as a treatment for narcolepsy because modafinil is generally safer and has a greater specificity in its action. Adrafinil may also lead to unique side effects, such as liver damage.

Armodafinil is very similar to modafinil. The main practical difference is that it has a slightly longer half-life in the body. Armodafinil is also about 25% stronger per milligram.

Overall, modafinil and armodafinil are generally better than adrafinil. The effects of modafinil and armodafinil are almost identical but armodafinil is easier to obtain in most countries, which is why it’s usually the best choice.

FAQ

As with most other nootropic supplements, it is best to cycle Modafinil and take a break from it for about two days per week to reset your tolerance back to baseline. That will keep your body sensitive to the supplement and allow you to keep getting the benefits in the long term.

All of these options are fine. The two most important things to consider are the price and dosing. Powders are almost always the cheapest form. However, you may need a highly accurate scale to dose them correctly (preferably 0.001g). You can get one for as little as $20 from Amazon. Dosing the powders also takes time which can add up over months or years. The disadvantage of capsules is that they are often made of bovine gelatine, which rarely comes from ethical sources.

Taking the supplement before you go to bed is generally not recommended. The best time to take this nootropic is in the morning because it can increase your energy levels and make you more alert.

This nootropic should not become harmful once it exceeds the expiration date. However, it can lose potency over time. Keep this supplement in a cold, dark, and dry place so it remains as potent for many months or even years.

While acute toxicity is rare, taking very high amounts of this supplement could lead to various problems over time. High doses can also make you develop tolerance much faster than lower doses.

While you could safely take higher doses, there is usually no point in taking more than 150 mg of this nootropic daily. This amount should give you most of the benefits without meaningful side effects.

The effects of this nootropic last for about 8-15 hours. Most of the effects are greatly diminished after 8-10 hours.

Many cognitive benefits will become notable right after you start taking the nootropic. As for the long-term benefits, you must take the supplement for about 2-4 weeks to begin noticing most of them.

Most Modafinil on the market is vegan-friendly, but always check the label to make sure. If you buy the supplement in a capsulated form, beware that the capsules often contain animal-based gelatin. Instead, find a brand that puts its products into cellulose capsules.

No, it does not. The supplement should not interfere with fasting in any significant way.

References

Most of the information in this guide is based on scientific research that can be found and verified in the PubMed medical library. We highly encourage you to use the library to verify anything you read in this article. We excluded from consideration studies that are either confounded or have a high conflict of interest.

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