Yes, shrooms can make some people feel sleepy or deeply relaxed, especially as the experience peaks or begins to fade. While psilocybin often increases awareness and mental activity at first, it can later lead to physical tiredness, heavy body sensations, and a strong urge to rest.
This sleepy feeling usually happens because psilocybin affects serotonin, a chemical that helps control mood, energy levels, and sleep cycles. After several hours of intense mental stimulation, the nervous system can shift into a calmer state, which many people experience as drowsiness or fatigue. For some, this shows up as yawning, slowed movement, or feeling drained after the trip ends.
Not everyone reacts the same way. Some people feel alert and energized on shrooms, while others feel relaxed or sleepy, and many feel both at different stages of the experience. Understanding when and why this happens helps explain what your body and brain are doing during a psilocybin trip.
Do Shrooms Make You Sleepy or Energized?
Shrooms can make you feel both sleepy and energized, depending on the stage of the experience and how your body reacts to psilocybin. Early on, many people feel mentally alert, curious, or stimulated. Colors may seem brighter, thoughts may move faster, and awareness often increases. During this phase, sleepiness is uncommon.
As the experience continues, the effect often shifts. After several hours of heightened mental activity, the body can begin to feel heavy, calm, or tired. This is when people commonly report yawning, lying down, or feeling ready to rest. For some, this happens during the comedown. For others, it appears after the main effects wear off.
This contrast happens because psilocybin affects serotonin receptors in the brain. Serotonin plays a role in both alertness and sleep regulation. While psilocybin can temporarily increase mental stimulation, it can also trigger a nervous system slowdown later on. Once the stimulation fades, physical fatigue can set in, especially if the experience was emotionally or mentally intense.
So, if you’re wondering do shrooms make you sleepy, the short answer is yes, they can. The sleepiness usually does not come right away. It tends to appear later in the experience or afterward, once the brain and body begin to settle.
The Come-Down and Post-Trip Chill
After the high fades, a lot of people slip into what’s called the “afterglow.” It’s that calm, dreamy feeling where you’re emotionally open and a bit tired but content. You’re not sedated, just relaxed. I’ve had trips where, by the end, I felt like curling up under a blanket, not because I was drugged out, but because I finally felt peaceful after hours of mental fireworks.
Your body might feel heavy, your mind quiet. That’s normal. It’s your system coming back online after a wild ride through your subconscious.
When Shrooms Don’t Let You Sleep
Funny enough, some people get the opposite problem, they can’t sleep at all, especially after strong strains. Their mind stays too active, or they replay insights and visuals long after the trip ends. A 2024 BMC Psychiatry case report mentioned sleep trouble in people who used large doses repeatedly. That’s not what happens to most people, but it shows that overdoing it or tripping too often can mess with your rest cycle.
I’ve noticed that when people take shrooms late at night, they struggle more with sleep, as dosage matters most. The trip keeps your mind buzzing for hours, and by the time you come down, the sun’s coming up. Timing matters more than most realize.
What Helps With the Fatigue
If you feel wiped out after shrooms, there are a few simple things that help:
- Eat something light. A small meal helps you feel grounded again.
- Stay hydrated. Trips can dehydrate you without you noticing.
- Get cozy. Dim lights, quiet music, soft clothes, it all helps your body relax.
- Sleep it off. Seriously. A nap after a trip can feel like hitting a reset button.
Most people wake up feeling refreshed the next day. Sometimes you even wake up with a strange mix of peace and curiosity, like your brain’s been dusted off.
When Sleepiness Might Mean Something Else
If you feel constantly tired or emotionally drained days after a trip, that’s not typical. It might mean you’re processing something deeper from the experience, or that you took more than your body could handle. In rare cases, like in the BMC Psychiatry report, fatigue and sleep changes lasted longer, usually because of heavy or frequent use.
Occasional use, though, doesn’t seem to cause ongoing tiredness or sleep problems. Most of the time, that post-shroom sleepiness is your body saying, “Hey, that was a lot. Let’s rest.”
Direct Answer: Can Shrooms Make You Sleepy?
Yes, but mostly after the trip, not during it. Shrooms don’t act like sedatives, they just wear you out mentally and emotionally. You might feel like you ran an invisible marathon, and your body’s way of saying “enough” is to crash for a few hours.
So yeah, shrooms can make you sleepy, but it’s not a bad thing. It’s your brain’s way of recharging after something big.
Final Thoughts
If you ever feel that post-trip haze, don’t fight it. Eat, hydrate, rest, and let your brain reset. The fatigue passes, and most people wake up lighter, like they left a little mental weight behind. Shrooms aren’t sleep medicine, but they do have a way of tucking you into bed afterward, whether you planned to nap or not.
Sources
JAMA Network Open – Akhila Yerubandi et. la 2024 – Acute Adverse Effects of Therapeutic Doses of Psilocybin.
UC Berkeley Psychedelics Q&A – Brian Anderson – Long-Term Physical Effects and Recovery After Psilocybin Use.
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