Modafinil

Modafinil is an oral Schedule IV wake-promoting drug approved for excessive sleepiness associated with narcolepsy, obstructive sleep apnea, and shift-work disorder. Those indications do not establish broad cognitive enhancement in rested healthy people.

tier A · focus · 3 approved excessive-sleepiness settings

verdict

Modafinil improves wakefulness in defined sleep disorders. A small severe sleep-deprivation experiment found task-specific effects, but sleep deprivation is not rested-user evidence and does not establish broad cognition, productivity, mood, or long-term safety claims.

the core tension

Tier A reflects substantial disorder-specific human wakefulness evidence, not an endorsement of broad enhancement. The public nootropic claim fails when it moves from sleep disorder or deprivation into ordinary rested cognition while dropping Schedule IV, rash, psychiatric, driving, cardiovascular, contraception, and interaction boundaries.

what it is

Modafinil is the racemic active in Provigil oral tablets. Armodafinil is the distinct R-enantiomer and is not a modafinil alias; modafinil acid and modafinil sulfone are metabolites, not equivalent actives.

what it does

The precise wake-promoting mechanism is unknown. The label reports in-vitro DAT binding and reuptake inhibition, and a 10-man PET pilot found DAT occupancy and higher extracellular dopamine after oral modafinil.

origin

Current Provigil labeling covers excessive sleepiness associated with narcolepsy, obstructive sleep apnea, and shift-work disorder. In OSA it does not treat the underlying airway obstruction, and standard obstruction therapy should continue.

does it work

Labeled programs showed improved wakefulness or sleepiness measures in the three indicated disorders. A separate 54-person comparison after 44 hours awake used small arms and did not provide a rested baseline for the relevant executive tasks.

key facts

• molecular formula: C15H15NO2S
• molecular weight: 273.4 g/mol (label value 273.35)
• amino acids: n/a (small-molecule wake-promoting drug)
• half-life: about 15 h for oral modafinil in the label PK record
• type: racemic modafinil; distinct from armodafinil and its metabolites
• CAS: 68693-11-8
• 558 combined adults in two labeled narcolepsy trials
• 271 adults in the multicenter narcolepsy trial
• 12 modafinil participants in the severe sleep-deprivation comparison

frequently asked questions

What is Provigil approved to treat?

Provigil is approved to improve wakefulness in excessive sleepiness associated with narcolepsy, obstructive sleep apnea, and shift-work disorder.

Does modafinil treat obstructive sleep apnea itself?

No. It treats associated excessive sleepiness and does not treat the underlying obstruction or replace standard airway treatment.

Does the sleep-deprivation study prove enhancement when rested?

No. Severe sleep deprivation is not rested healthy use, the study arms were small, and relevant tasks lacked a rested baseline.

Why is contraception mentioned?

Modafinil affects CYP pathways and can reduce steroidal contraceptive effectiveness during use and for one month after discontinuation.

Is modafinil the same as armodafinil?

No. Armodafinil is a distinct R-enantiomer drug. Its label, exposure, and trials are not merged with racemic modafinil.

related peptides

• Methylene blue: The modafinil evidence cited on this page does not establish methylene blue's identity, mechanism, cognition evidence, or interaction profile.

reptides grades the research record and cites the literature behind every call. research reference only; not medical advice.