Disclaimer: None of the information in this article constitutes medical advice, and is just the opinion of the writer(s). We recommend that patients follow their doctor’s guidance in regard to insomnia and sleep medication.
Quviviq is a prescription sleep medication that was approved by the FDA in January of 2022. The manufacturer claims that this drug can “help you fall asleep faster and stay asleep longer,” and that using it may cause less fatigue throughout the day.
The generic version of this medication is called daridorexant, and we’ll use these terms interchangeably because they refer to the same active drug ingredient.
But is Quviviq actually shown in clinical trials to improve sleep quality and duration? And if so, by how much? Does the drug cause side effects? And how do real patients rate and describe the effects of Quviviq?
In this article we’ll answer all of these questions and more, as we review clinical studies on Quviviq to determine if the medication is proven to resolve insomnia.
We’ll document side effects of the drug, compare its efficacy to Ambien (another leading insomnia medication), and feature patient reviews and ratings.
Does Quviviq Improve Sleep?
Quviviq has been studied in various clinical trials for its ability to treat insomnia.
A medical review published in the European Journal of Clinical Pharmacology analyzed data from clinical trials on Quviviq, and found that the drug significantly reduced nighttime waking after sleep, significantly reduced time-to-sleep, and significantly improved overall sleep duration.
A 2022 clinical trial evaluated the effectiveness of Quviviq in patients with diagnosed insomnia.
The medication was shown to be effective, with patients on Quviviq taking 11.7 fewer minutes to fall asleep than patients taking placebo pills. Total sleep time was increased by around 10 minutes.
Another clinical trial compared the effects of Quviviq in older and younger adults with insomnia. The drug was found to be slightly more effective in older adults, with older patients waking less frequently.
The study authors suggested, based on this data, that older adults may require the higher dose of 50 milligrams (mg) to improve daytime functioning, while younger adults may see improvements in daytime functioning with the lower 25 mg dose.
Overall, we will conclude that Quviviq is effective for treating insomnia in both older and younger adults, which is unsurprising given that the medication is approved by the FDA for that indication.
Quviviq vs. Ambien
Ambien is one of the most commonly-prescribed sleep medications, so patients are often curious about which drug is more effective for improving sleep.
There have been comparative studies on the two drugs.
A clinical trial published in the Annals of Neurology journal compared Quviviq and Ambien in patients with insomnia.
Ambien was more effective than all doses of Quviviq for reducing time-to-sleep. Ambien was similarly effective to Quviviq in terms of daytime sleepiness and functioning.
Ambien caused more patients to experience side effects (40%) than Quviviq (36.25%).
A 2022 clinical trial compared the abuse potential of Quviviq and Ambien, and reported that lower doses of Quviviq had lower addiction potential (due to lower scores of “drug-liking” by patients) than Ambien.
Based on the available data, we will conclude that Ambien seems to be slightly more effective than Quviviq for insomnia, but more research is needed to say so conclusively.
Quviviq appears to have a slightly more favorable side effect profile than Ambien.
In light of this information, patients with mild-to-moderate insomnia may benefit from speaking to their doctor about Quviviq, while patients with more severe insomnia may benefit from speaking to their doctor about Ambien.
Does Quviviq Cause Side Effects?
As referenced in the previous section, Quviviq does cause side effects in some patients.
A meta-study on Quviviq reported the most common side effects are cold symptoms and headache.
A clinical trial published in the Neurology journal reported fatigue and walking disturbances as other common side effects.
Compared to the side effect profile of some pharmaceutical drugs, these potential side effects are relatively mild.
The manufacturer's official website lists "decreased awareness" that may affect "your ability to drive safely."
It’s also notable that Quviviq’s FDA label is free of a “black box” warning, which is required for drugs with life-threatening side effects.
Are Sleeping Pills Unsafe?
A YouTube video published by a doctor named Christy Risinger discusses whether sleeping pills are dangerous, and shares some interesting information about negative health outcomes associated with sleeping pill use.
The video has been viewed over 100,000 times at the time of updating this article:
How Much Does Quviviq Cost?
The price of Quviviq for US patients will depend on health insurance coverage.
The retail price of Quviviq is currently around $520 according to Drugs.com.
We recommend that patients with health insurance contact their insurance provider to get a price estimate for Quviviq.
Quviviq’s website also has a Savings page where patients can apply for a “QSavings Card” that can reduce the price to $0 for the first fill and $25 for subsequent fills.
However, the website does not specify who qualifies for the reduced prices or for how long.
We typically recommend that patients speak with their doctor about the generic alternative to brand-name drugs, because generics are equally effective, on average, and can be significantly cheaper.
However, in the case of Quviviq, no generic version is currently available because the drug was approved by the FDA so recently.
Patients Rate Quviviq
Drugs.com is a website that allows prescription medication patients to rate and review the drugs they're taking.
We cannot verify the accuracy or authenticity of any reviews on this site.
At the time of updating this article, Quviviq has been reviewed over 100 times on Drugs.com, with an average review rating of 4.3 out of 10.
A top positive review comes from a user named “EBS” who gave the drug an 8/10 rating, and claims it has been more effective than a different prescription insomnia medication:
“After spending the past two and a half years sleeping in hell on Belsomra 10-20mg/night, I have finally found a caring physician willing to Rx me Quviviq 25-50mg/night. There are still some negative side effects, especially next-day anxiety…At least there is much less anxiety and next day sleepiness with this than with Belsomra; it has a shorter half life.”
A top negative review is written by a user named “Deb72” who gave the drug a 1/10 rating, and claims it caused side effects:
“This was horrible, if I slept it was short periods with vivid nightmares waking me up, body hurts legs restless. Sleepy all the next day worse than if I'm awake all night with no meds, this drug was overly advertised. I just spent 7 days with no sleep as I was told it would get better which it never did nightmare”.
Our Clean Sleep Picks
There are sleep products with ingredients and materials clinically shown to improve sleep quality.
Sleep Mode from Bulletproof is our top sleep supplement pick.
It contains melatonin which is arguably the most well-studied sleep inducer, along with l-ornithine which is an amino acid that's clinically shown to reduce cortisol and improve sleep quality at the same dose as in Sleep Mode.
Nolah Weighted Bamboo Blanket is a great option for consumers who prefer non-supplement solutions for sleep. Weighted blankets are clinically shown to improve sleep quality in both older adults and in children, and early research suggests they may also reduce anxiety.
Manta Sleep Mask is the most cost-effective sleep solution, because it’s only $35 and will last for years. A 2021 clinical trial found that eye mask and ear plug use improved sleep quality in ICU patients. Manta’s mask comes with ear plugs.
We can't locate any medical studies on sleep mask use in healthy patients, but it seems logical that the same effects would hold given that light exposure during sleep negatively impacts sleep quality.
We're not suggesting that any of these products are as effective as Quviviq or any other FDA-approved sleep medication; just sharing non-prescription alternatives that patients may wish to discuss with their doctor.
