People mainly take Hydroxyzine for sleep, anxiety. Based on 15 first-hand reports and 34 meta-analyses & systematic reviews in the medical literature. Ranked #547 of 1,974 overall.
Of reports that state an outcome, 44% are positive.
Of the people who reported each effect, the share who said it got better.
Systematic reviews and meta-analyses from PubMed, with their published conclusions.
3+ meta-analyses or systematic reviews and 10+ randomized controlled trials in humans. The grade measures how much human research exists — read the conclusions below for what it found.
Conclusion: The studies in this review suggest hydroxyzine could be considered as a short-term treatment option for adults with insomnia for whom previous therapy was ineffective, not tolerated, or contraindicated. Additional long-term studies with an active comparator are needed to further establish its role in insomnia treatment.
PubMed 36843057 ↗Conclusion: The synthetic cannabinoid nabilone (one study) showed the highest effect size (g = 1.86), followed by the histamine H1-antagonist hydroxyzine (one study), and prazosin (10 studies), with effect sizes of g = 1.17 and g = 0.54, respectively. Findings and limitations are discussed, and recommendations for future studies are provided.
PubMed 36613097 ↗Conclusion: This meta-analysis showed that treatment by photobiomodulation has more significant effects on bruxism, followed by treatment with hydroxyisalazine. However, this meta-analysis has limitations due to the diversity of treatment evaluation methods.
PubMed 39275819 ↗Conclusion: There is some moderate-certainty evidence that oral midazolam is an effective sedative agent for children undergoing dental treatment. There is a need for further well-designed and well-reported clinical trials to evaluate other potential sedation agents. Further recommendations for future research are described and it is suggested that future trials evaluate experimental regimens in comparison with oral midazolam or inhaled nitrous oxide.
PubMed 30566228 ↗As stated by users — not a recommendation. Follow the label or your doctor.
How often each side effect came up across all reports.
Verbatim quotes, shortened only — each links to the original discussion.
“These definitely knock me out, but I wake up very groggy and am like that for half the next day.”
“Huprizine-A can help but might cause lucid dreaming”
“I eventually landed on magnesium glycinate, hot yoga and hydroxozine when needed. Honestly, after about 3 months of hot yoga...I didn't even need the hydroxozine”
“I've noticed anti-histamines help a lot with my anxiety. Hydroxyzine or even just Benadryl or Dramamine does help me sleep”
“Buspirone (5HT-1A agonist like CBD), propranolol or Hydroxyzine. These seem to work pretty well without antidepressant side effects”
User data from public discussions; research from PubMed. Information only, not medical advice — talk to a doctor before starting, stopping or combining anything. Data updated October 2, 2026. How we rate