Modafinil, for example, has been approved by the FDA to treat chronic fatigue, excessive daytime sleepiness (narcolepsy), obstructive sleep apnea, and shift-work sleep disorder.
Modafinil's Medical Uses
1. Narcolepsy -
Modafinil is not only FDA-approved for the treatment of narcolepsy; it is also the primary medication — or “first-line treatment” — used to treat narcolepsy.
2. Excessive Daytime Sleepiness / Shift-Work Sleep Disorder -
Modafinil is also used to treat Sleep-Work Shift Disorder (SWSD).
A sleep disorder is a disruption in a person's circadian rhythm that happens when they are required to work at a time when they would normally be sleeping. Excessive drowsiness during working hours and sleeplessness during sleeping hours are the most common symptoms.
Modafinil allegedly improved a variety of sleep- and quality-of-life-related indicators in shift workers, according to one double-blind randomized controlled research including 278 participants.
Modafinil was also found to assist shift workers fall asleep and perhaps increase their attention span during night shifts in a double-blind randomized controlled trial (DB-RCT) study of 209 participants. It had no influence on the number of sleep episodes at work, the number of workplace accidents, or the overall quantity of caffeine consumed.
According to three double-blind randomized controlled studies involving 68 participants, modafinil helped decrease drowsiness caused by a genetic disease that causes progressive muscle loss and weakness (myotonic dystrophy).
Modafinil allegedly decreased drowsiness without altering sleep patterns in 11 patients using opioid medicines, according to an observational research. Similarly, psychiatric patients who were already using antipsychotic medicines reported a reduction in general drowsiness and tiredness after receiving modafinil treatment.
However, no changes in drowsiness were identified between modafinil and placebo in two double-blind randomized controlled trials including 61 individuals.
3. Obstructive Sleep Apnea -
The main symptom of obstructive sleep apnea seems to be the stopping of breathing caused by a blockage of the upper respiratory airways while sleeping.
This leads to a variety of issues, including frequent awakening during the night, which is linked to poor sleep quality, excessive daytime drowsiness, raised blood pressure (hypertension), and even an increased long-term risk of cardiovascular illnesses and strokes.
Modafinil apparently improves daytime wakefulness in two double-blind randomized controlled studies including 416 patients with obstructive sleep breathing cessation.
Another 32-person double-blind randomized controlled study (DB-RCT) found that modafinil increased alertness but not drowsiness, quality of life, or cognitive function.
