Modafinil for Excessive Sleepiness Associated with Shift-Work Sleep Disorder
Summary
Three‑month, double‑blind RCT (n=209) in diagnosed SWSD; 200 mg modafinil reduced excessive sleepiness and improved functional outcomes vs placebo.
Why It Matters For Night Shift Workers and Night Owls
Participants randomized in this trial whether wake‑ or sleep‑promoting medications showed sleep & alertness for night‑shift workers and night owls. The effects appear in real shift contexts, clarifying where medicines fit alongside timing strategies instead of replacing them. For people who work nights, that frames an everyday choice (when you eat, how you light the end of a shift, how rest is split) as part of the mechanism, not just routine.
Notes
PubMed: https://pubmed.ncbi.nlm.nih.gov/16079371/