Can Ozempic (Semaglutide) Make You Tired? Yes, Here’s Why

Ozempic — one brand name for the drug semaglutide — is a diabetes drug that’s often used for weight loss. It may cause tiredness as a side effect as you may be eating fewer calories or miss out on sleep from Ozempic side effects. 

Below, we’ll dive into whether Ozempic can make you tired, common side effects that could affect your sleep and energy, and how you can use RISE to get more sleep and energy, both while on and off Ozempic.

Heads-up: Ozempic, Wegovy, and Rybelsus are different versions of the same drug: semaglutide. We’ve covered whether Wegovy can make you tired and Rybelsus can make you tired here.

Does Ozempic Make You Feel Tired? 

Yes, Ozempic can make you feel tired. According to the FDA, fatigue is a potential side effect of Ozempic, affecting more than 0.4% of people. 

While 0.4% sounds like a small number, as Ozempic becomes increasingly popular, that 0.4% can end up being hundreds of thousands of people experiencing Ozempic fatigue.

This figure comes from clinical trials on diabetics, however, so it’s unclear how non-diabetics react to the drug. And this is just what we know from limited clinical trials. As popularity explodes, more people are reporting it online.

In fact, there are so few clinical trials on Ozempic fatigue and so many online accounts of it that studies — like this 2023 study — are using online reports to gather data on the side effects of Ozempic and similar drugs. In the 2023 example, sleep issues were mentioned most often by users.

Here’s Why Ozempic Makes You Tired 

More research is needed, but Ozempic fatigue could be due to: 

• Eating fewer calories: Ozempic reduces your appetite, so you eat fewer calories. As your body has less fuel, it can feel fatigued. 
• Sleep loss: A 2023 study analyzed social media posts about the side effects of glucagon-like peptide-1 receptor agonists (GLP-1 receptor agonists) — the class of medication Ozempic belongs to. Sleep-related issues were mentioned most by users.
• GI issues: GI issues are the main side effects of Ozempic. They can cause sleep loss, make you feel mentally drained, and cause dehydration, which can cause fatigue. 
• Anxiety: Anxiety can make it harder to sleep. RISE users say stress and anxiety are their biggest sleep challenges. You might feel anxious about Ozempic or the side effects it causes, and 2023 research found reports of semaglutide causing anxiety, depression, and even suicidal thoughts.   
• Changes in dopamine: Dopamine is linked to mood and motivation. Some 2023 research suggests semaglutide could impact your brain’s dopamine reward system. This may lead to feeling less excitement and energy around food or in general. A lower mood may also cause lower alertness. 
• Hypoglycemia (low blood sugar levels): Hypoglycemia is a potential side effect if you take Ozempic with other medications, drink alcohol, or do more exercise than usual. Hypoglycemia can cause drowsiness, restless sleep, shakiness, mood issues, and feeling weak. Nocturnal hypoglycemia (when your blood sugar levels drop too low overnight) can cause morning tiredness.
• Hyperglycemia (high blood sugar levels): You may experience hyperglycemia if you’re exercising less than usual or overeating (although this is hard to do on semaglutide). Hyperglycemia can cause drowsiness.
• Exercising less: You may do less exercise than usual while on Ozempic because of fatigue or GI side effects. This can leave you feeling sluggish and make it harder to fall asleep. 

It’s also possible that the more common culprits of tiredness (needing to catch up on sleep and having an irregular sleep schedule) are causing low energy. We’ll share how to fix these soon.

We’ve covered whether diabetes and weight loss drugs Mounjaro and Zepbound make you feel tired.

Heads-up: There’s a difference between tiredness, fatigue, and sleepiness. Tiredness is when you feel mentally or physically fatigued. Sleepiness is when you feel like you could fall asleep if you tried. Ozempic may cause both tiredness, as a side effect, and sleepiness, as it can cause sleep deprivation. 

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How Long Does Ozempic Fatigue Last? 

It’s unclear how long Ozempic fatigue lasts. Ozempic tiredness may get better as you adjust to the medication, but more research is needed

There are no long-term studies on Ozempic, so we don’t know when Ozempic fatigue goes away.

Ozempic can lower your blood sugar levels within the first week of use, but it can take eight weeks or longer for the medication to reach its full effect. So you may feel fatigued in this time.

Does Ozempic Affect Sleep? 

Ozempic can affect your sleep as it may cause: 

• GI issues
• Low blood sugar 
• Anxiety and depression 

This can make it harder to fall and stay asleep.

Ozempic may affect your sleep directly, but more research is needed. A clinical trial company called eHealthMe looked into sleep problems in those taking Ozempic. It states poor quality sleep was reported in those taking the drug, especially by “people who are female, 60+ old, have been taking the drug for 6 - 12 months.” 

Can Ozempic Improve Your Sleep? 

Ozempic may improve your sleep by helping you lose weight or manage type 2 diabetes. Both obesity and type 2 diabetes are linked to sleep disturbances and sleep disorders like sleep apnea. 

We’ve covered Ozempic as a potential treatment for sleep apnea here. 

The 2023 study we mentioned earlier found some Ozempic users reported improved insomnia, anxiety, and depression.

The diet and exercise changes that are encouraged when taking Ozempic can also help you sleep. Ozempic may also reduce food cravings, appetite, and preference for high-fat foods, so you eat better and smaller meals, which can improve your sleep. 

Ozempic may even reduce your cravings for alcohol and cigarettes, and cutting down on these can also improve your sleep. 

Does Ozempic Cause Insomnia?

It’s unclear whether Ozempic can cause insomnia. A 2023 study found social media reports of GLP-1 receptor agonists like Ozempic causing insomnia, but it also found reports of improved insomnia. 

This research also found users reporting better and worse anxiety and depression on Ozempic, both of which are linked to insomnia. 

What Are the Side Effects of Ozempic? 

Common Ozempic side effects include: 

• Nausea 
• Diarrhea 
• Constipation 
• Vomiting 
• Cramping 
• Acid reflux 
• Abdominal pain
• Burping 
• Bloating 
• Swelling at the injection site 
• Hair loss 
• Less fullness in the face and more visible wrinkles 

Many of these — like abdominal pain, nausea, and vomiting — can impact your sleep and energy.

Research from 2021 found most Ozempic side effects are mild or moderate and get better over time. It may take five weeks or longer for side effects to clear up once you stop taking the drug.  

More serious possible side effects of Ozempic include: 

• Inflammation of the pancreas (pancreatitis) 
• Changes in vision 
• Kidney problems or kidney failure 
• Serious allergic reactions 
• Hypoglycemia (low blood sugar levels)
• Gallbladder disease 
• Diabetic retinopathy complications (an eye condition) 
• Increased risk of thyroid cancer — semaglutide causes thyroid tumors in animals, but more human research is needed

These side effects happen in rare cases. Seek medical attention if you get serious side effects from Ozempic. Ozempic isn’t used to treat type 1 diabetes, and it's not clear if Ozempic is safe for those who are pregnant or breastfeeding. Get medical advice before taking these drugs. 

One major problem with Ozempic research? Most of what we know about the drugs comes from studies linked to the manufacturer, Novo Nordisk. More research needs to be done.

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How to Improve Ozempic Fatigue

Here’s how to get more energy while taking Ozempic.

Catch Up on Sleep  

We all need a different amount of sleep and most of us don’t know how much we need, so you may be sleep deprived and not even know it. Catching up on sleep can boost your energy. 

The first step to catching up on sleep is finding out how much sleep you need. 

This can vary quite a bit from person to person. For example, among 1.95 million RISE users aged 24 and up, we found people needed five hours to 11 hours 30 minutes of sleep. Check RISE to see how much sleep you need. 

If you haven’t been getting enough sleep for you, you’ll have built up sleep debt. Sleep debt is how much sleep you owe your body. How much sleep you got last night has the most impact on your energy levels today, but lost sleep from the past several days can still affect how you feel.

You can lower your sleep debt by: 

• Taking a nap
• Going to bed a little earlier
• Sleeping in a little later
• Improving your sleep habits (more on those soon)

We’ve got more advice on catching up on sleep here.

RISE works out how much sleep debt you have each day.

Keep a Regular Sleep Schedule

Keeping a regular sleep schedule can help to keep your circadian rhythm, or body clock, in check. This can boost your energy levels and help you feel sleepy at bedtime and awake come morning. 

You can keep a regular sleep schedule by going to bed and waking up at the same time every day, even on weekends. 

You’ll find it easier to keep a regular sleep schedule by:

• Eating meals at roughly the same times and not too close to bedtime or during the night (as this can disrupt your body clock and sleep). 

• Going to bed during your Melatonin Window — which is what we call the roughly one-hour window of time when your body’s rate of melatonin production (the sleep hormone) is at its highest

RISE predicts the timing of your circadian rhythm each day so you can see the best times for you to go to bed and wake up.

Improve Your Sleep Habits 

Sleep hygiene is the set of habits you can do to fall asleep more quickly, wake up less often, and get the most restorative sleep possible on Ozempic.

Here’s what to do: 

• Get at least 10 minutes of natural light as soon as possible after waking up
• Dim the lights and put on blue-light blocking glasses 90 minutes before bed
• Avoid caffeine, large meals, vigorous exercise, and alcohol too late in the day
• Keep your bedroom dark, cool, and quiet

RISE tells you the best time to do 20+ sleep hygiene habits each day to make them even more effective.

Manage GI Issues 

If Ozempic GI issues keep you up, try: 

• Eating bland, easily digestible foods like toast, rice, and bananas
• Avoiding anything fried, spicy, and fatty
• Eating smaller, more frequent meals 
• Eating ginger or drinking ginger tea for nausea
• Staying hydrated if Ozempic causes vomiting and diarrhea (and at all times) 
• Sleeping on your left side if you have acid reflux 

We’ve got tailored advice for common GI issues such as:  

• Abdominal pain 
• Acid reflux 
• Digestion worries 

Reduce Anxiety 

RISE’s audio guides walk you through relaxation and breathing exercises to reduce anxiety and help you drift off. 

If you’ve been awake in bed for more than 20 minutes, get up and do a relaxing activity in low lighting until you feel sleepy again. This will stop your brain from making a link between your bed and wakefulness.

We’ve covered more on how to sleep with anxiety here.

Eat a Balanced Diet 

Your appetite and food cravings may change on Ozempic, but you should still strive to eat a balanced diet overall. This can boost your energy and improve your sleep. 

Eat plenty of fruits, veggies, fiber-rich complex carbs, and protein. Research shows semaglutide can reduce muscle mass, so a high-protein diet can help stave this off. 

We’ve covered more on foods that give you energy here.

Get Some Exercise 

You may not feel like exercising if you’re tired, but try to do some physical activity each day — even if it’s just a walk or some gentle yoga.

Exercise can boost your energy and help you fall asleep faster, wake up less often, and improve insomnia. 

Avoid vigorous exercise within an hour of bedtime, though, as this can keep you up. 

We’ve covered more on the best time to work out here.

Speak to a Healthcare Provider 

Speak to a healthcare professional if you’re experiencing extreme fatigue on Ozempic. 

They may tweak your medication or recommend taking Ozempic at a different time of day to see if that stops side effects from disrupting your sleep. 

We’ve covered more ways to get more energy here.

Get Over Ozempic Fatigue 

Use RISE to lower your sleep debt, sync up with your circadian rhythm, and improve your sleep hygiene to get more energy while taking Ozempic. 

Users say RISE’s habit reminders make a big difference: 

“Just becoming more aware of when’s the best time to drink caffeine, eat dinner, and get sunlight according to my circadian rhythm has helped my sleep quality tremendously.” Read the review.

And it’s not just better nights — 80% of RISE users feel more energy within five days.