Half-life of modafinil | How long does the “euphoria” last?

Curious about him Half-life of modafinil And how long does the nootropic last?

Research and user experiences tell us that there is no point in taking Modafinil to boost your focus and increase your productivity unless you know what benefits to expect and WHEN to expect them.

The half-life of modafinil lasts quite a long time, which can help you stay up all night. But modafinil, taken at the wrong time, is known to prevent the user from sleeping well at night.

We'll detail how to avoid that and more below.

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What is modafinil?

Before we can talk about the half-life of modafinil, let's discuss how this smart drug works and why it has achieved popularity around the world in a variety of competitive industries.

Modafinil is a wakefulness-promoting drug commonly used by patients with narcolepsy to treat excessive daytime sleepiness and help them function properly during normal work hours.1].

While it is approved by the FDA for other medical conditions, such as shift work sleep disorder and obstructive sleep apnea, researchers are currently testing modafinil for other purposes.1]:

“Modafinil has also been tested in disease-related fatigue, attention deficit disorder, Alzheimer's disease, age-related memory decline, depression, idiopathic hypersomnia, cognitive impairment in schizophrenia, myotonic dystrophy, post-anesthetic daze, daily naps and treatment of jet lag”

Since Modafinil has been shown to reduce fatigue and improve alertness in military soldiers, many people have begun using Modafinil as a lifestyle medication for off-label purposes. Some of these include:

• Greater focus
• Lasting alertness for 10 to 12 hours.
• Improved memory
• Improved mood

While its mechanism of action is still not definitive to this day, scientists have discovered some fundamental properties of modafinil that explain why it works the way it does.2]:

“[Modafinil] also acts at the hypothalamic level, probably by stimulating the tuberomammillary nucleus and hypocretin (orexin)-producing neurons, and reduces GABA release in the cortex and posterior hypothalamus.

Therefore, it can activate brain regions that promote wakefulness and inhibit nuclei that promote sleep.”

It is no wonder that students, CEOs, pilots, entrepreneurs and surgeons have started using Modafinil to perform complex and difficult tasks.

Modafinil helps you maintain your attention for long periods of time that would not otherwise be possible under normal circumstances (such as staying up all night).

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Modafinil and Half-Life | The basics

We know how modafinil works, but that's not enough to move on to a discussion about modafinil's half-life.

First, we need to get a brief but complete understanding of what the term "half-life" means.

When nootropic users talk about the half-life of Modafinil they are referring to its “biological half-life” [3]:

“…the period of time necessary to reduce the amount of a drug in an organ or body to exactly half its original value due to biological elimination alone”

Alternatively, medical researchers will refer to this term as “elimination half-life” [4]:

“…Time it takes for the plasma concentration or the amount of drug in the body to be reduced by 50%.”

So, after one half-life, the concentration of the drug in the body will be half of the consumed dose (50%). Once another half-life has passed, the concentration of the drug will be 25% of the original dose, and so on.

Just to make sure you understand the calculations, News Medical provides a great explanation of how a drug's elimination half-life works over a longer period of time [5]:

“With each additional half-life, proportionally less drug is eliminated. However, the time required for the drug to reach half the original concentration remains constant.

In general, it is considered that the effect of the drug has a negligible therapeutic effect after 4 half-lives, that is, when only 6.25% of the original dose remains in the body.

So whenever the half-life of modafinil is discussed from this point on, it can be assumed that we are talking about the biological half-life of modafinil (also known as elimination half-life).

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What is the half-life of modafinil?

So what is the half-life of modafinil that we should know? And with that information, how long does modafinil last in regards to its cognition-enhancing effects?

Different studies have proposed various ranges to take into account the fact that Modafinil may have a longer or shorter therapeutic duration depending on each user:

• The official product monograph states: "The effective elimination half-life of modafinil after multiple doses is approximately 15 hours" [6].
• A published study on therapeutic advances in narcolepsy said that the half-life of modafinil was 9 to 14 hours [7], while a systematic review of the multiple uses of Modafinil stated that it was 12 to 15 hours [8].
• A previous study evaluating the tolerability of modafinil in healthy male volunteers reported a fixed modafinil half-life of 15 hours [9].

Instead of sifting through hundreds of scientific studies yourself, we'll give you a "rule of thumb" to follow...

For a standard Modafinil dose of 100 to 200 mg, the half-life can range from 12 to 15 hours.

Which leads us to wonder about the effects of Modafinil and how long they last.

How long does modafinil last?

Please note that although Modafinil may remain in your body for a few days, its effects do not last the same period of time.

If you look at a graph of the blood concentration of modafinil in the body over time, you will notice that it usually peaks around 1-2 hours [10].

This coincides with an official medical recommendation for shift workers to take Modafinil approximately 1 hour before their shift begins [11].

However, many of our research participants have reported that they began to feel Modafinil “kick in” as soon as 30 minutes after taking the smart drug.

They also reported that the “modafinil high” (i.e., increased concentration and alertness) lasts for 10 to 12 hours before gradually tapering off.

By combining the half-life of Modafinil with this information, we can create our own rules of thumb when timing your Modafinil dose...

• We take our Modafinil before 10am. m. If we want to fall asleep between 11 p.m. m. and 2 a.m. m.
• We take our Modafinil dose as early as possible in the morning.
• We DO NOT take Modafinil after 1:00 p.m. unless we want to spend the night awake.

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Benefits

Knowing that the half-life of Modafinil lasts between 12 and 15 hours, we can deduce some benefits of taking Modafinil that are supported by scientific studies and anecdotal testimonials from nootropic users.

The half-life of Modafinil guarantees a few things. Here are some of the positive aspects:

Lasting focus

One of the best aspects of the Modafinil experience is how long one can stay focused. It's almost as if boring and complicated tasks suddenly become fun and enjoyable.

This was confirmed in a systematic review that examined the use of cognition-enhancing drugs in unfocused youth who were not diagnosed with ADHD.12]:

“Participants believed the improvements would be greater than they were, which the authors contributed to increased vigor.

In participants without sleep deprivation, modafinil does not appear to induce overconfidence in cognitive abilities (although the authors found a trend toward overconfidence on post-task measures of self-control), while improving performance. cognitive in logical reasoning (accuracy and response times), vigilance and serial reaction time”

Some people end up switching completely to Modafinil because it "increases alertness as much as caffeine does" [13].

Productive and energetic late nights

For those who need to spend midnight until the sun rises, Modafinil can help maintain a high level of alertness and prevent the need to sleep [14]:

“The results indicate that modafinil is effective in maintaining/restoring objective performance and alertness during sleep deprivation with few adverse effects. In appropriate doses, modafinil restores performance and alertness to non-sleep-deprived levels.”

Even government officials will anonymously admit to using Modafinil to meet extremely tight deadlines [15]:

“Senior public officials relied on drugs to stay awake for 20-hour shifts in the rush to draft budget documents.”

"One user told News.com.au that modafinil was necessary to endure a series of long shifts interrupted by just a four or five hour break."

“For years, federal and state budgets and other economic statements have required public servants in Finance and Treasury to abandon their already extended work hours and spend more time at their desks”

Lack of nervousness, anxiety or withdrawal symptoms

Have you ever felt “overwhelmed” or jittery after taking other stimulants? If so, Modafinil may be a good alternative worth considering [16]:

“Unlike amphetamines, for example, modafinil is reported to have minimal peripheral side effects at therapeutic doses. “It also appears to have a low potential for abuse, does not interfere with normal sleep, and does not appear to produce tolerance.”

Many users have reported feeling much less anxious and aggressive when taking Modafinil compared to other stimulants, allowing for "smoother" and more uninterrupted concentration [17].

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Disadvantages

The half-life of Modafinil can also work against those who do not know how to use the medication correctly. Here are some downsides to Modafinil's half-life:

Lack of sleep/interference with sleep cycle

Make no mistake: Modafinil can (and will) interfere with the user's regular sleep cycle.

For example, if you normally fall asleep before midnight but end up falling asleep at 3 a.m. After using this smart medicine, you may experience a hangover effect after Modafinil. This is usually due to the change in sleep cycle [18].

Considering that the effects of Modafinil can last up to 12 hours, the Modafinil “high” may last much longer than the user would like.

Additionally, Modafinil is NOT a substitute for sleep. Its continuous use to avoid sleeping 7 to 8 hours a night for a long period could be dangerous for mental health [18]:

“If someone takes modafinil long-term, they can develop some of the same deficits in slow-wave sleep as cocaine users… Slow-wave sleep is the deep sleep that we tend to get early in the night.

But by taking a stimulant that forces your body to stay awake more than it wants, your ability to regulate the amount and type of sleep you get is disrupted, so you never feel adequately refreshed.”

Even a single week of sleep deprivation can significantly lower your body's immune system and cognitive functioning.

You MUST be productive

This anecdotal downside to modafinil's half-life has been brought up frequently to us and we've experienced it ourselves, so it's worth mentioning here.

Before taking a dose of Modafinil, it is imperative to have a plan of action for the things to be done that day.

Once you swallow the Modafinil pill, you should start working immediately and keep your concentration on the task at hand. When the effects of modafinil kick in, we find that we can operate on “autopilot” with respect to focusing on any given task.

However, this has also worked against us.

For example, one of our research leaders was watching YouTube videos when his Modafinil took effect. What do you think that happened? Yes, he spent the next few hours watching YouTube, unable to consciously force himself to stop and get back to his work.

In other words: we see no point in taking Modafinil unless one intends to invest one's energy in tasks that require the cognitive boost that Modafinil provides.

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Armodafinil versus modafinil | Half-life differences

What are the half-life differences between Modafinil and Armodafinil, a drug that consists of the most potent enantiomer (i.e., a non-superimposable mirror image) of Modafinil?

Surprisingly, both Armodafinil and Modafinil have very similar half-lives.

According to a pharmacokinetic study, the half-life of modafinil is 14.4 hours, while the half-life of armodafinil is 16.5 hours.19].

This makes sense since armodafinil is the "R" enantiomer of modafinil, which has a half-life of approximately 15 hours, while the "S" enantiomer has a half-life of only 4 hours.

However, a seminal study points out that the duration of effects is markedly different for both drugs.20]:

“Despite similar half-lives, plasma concentrations after administration of armodafinil are higher at the end of the day than those after administration of modafinil on a milligram-by-milligram basis. The different pharmacokinetic profile of armodafinil may result in better daytime wakefulness in patients with SSc compared to modafinil.”

In summary, the half-lives of Armodafinil and Modafinil are similar in duration, but Armodafinil leads to greater sustained wakefulness during the workday.

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Finding the Ideal Modafinil Dosage

Knowing the half-life of Modafinil and how long it lasts, these are the guiding questions we ask ourselves individually to determine an “ideal” dose of Modafinil and when to take it [19]:

• How long do I want to stay focused?
• When do I want to go to sleep tonight?
• Am I experiencing any unwanted side effects with this dose?

Even then, we keep in mind that each person is biochemically unique and may react to modafinil differently.

After all, 100 mg of Modafinil may “work” for 12 hours in one individual and only 6 to 8 hours in another.

Therefore, we can conclude that most people would be advised to start with a Modafinil dose of 100 mg early in the morning 1 to 3 times a week.

Speaking from experience, our team members typically started this way and gradually increased their dose in 25 mg or 50 mg increments, experimenting with the new dose for an additional week.

None of us go above 200 mg of modafinil per day as the effects do not seem to improve significantly beyond that amount.

We'll leave you with some additional tips from research participants who have successfully used Modafinil's half-life for their own benefit.These tips may or may not improve your Modafinil experience and lead to the “Modafinil high” you are looking for:

• Take 100 mg of modafinil between 7 and 8 am. m. and another 100 mg between 12 and 1 p.m. m. to maintain maximum blood concentrations of modafinil throughout the day.
• Taking modafinil on an empty stomach may produce different results than taking it with food.

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Half-life of modafinil | The verdict

So what is magical?Half-life of modafinilWhat's the number smart drug users should know?

To summarize: If you are taking a standard Modafinil dose of 100 to 200 mg, it has a half-life of 12 to 15 hours in your system.

The effects are long-lasting, so don't expect to sleep for at least 12 hours. For most users, this means taking Modafinil before lunch or even early in the morning.

This does not apply to those who use Modafinil to stay up all night.

Others enjoy using the smart drug to stay up all night.

Regardless of your goals, use the information above to ensure you are using Modafinil in the most beneficial way possible. As always, consult with your doctor before acting on this information.

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