If you’ve ever tripped on shrooms, you probably know that they can leave you feeling a little off afterward. Some people say they can’t stop thinking; others just want to crash. So, can shrooms actually make you sleepy? The short answer is yeah, kind of, but it’s not like they’re a sleeping pill. What happens is more like emotional or physical exhaustion after your brain just ran a marathon.
Why Shrooms Sometimes Make You Tired
During a trip, your brain is working hard. Psilocybin, the active compound in magic mushrooms, fires up parts of your brain that don’t normally talk to each other. That’s why your thoughts, senses, and emotions all blend together in strange, intense ways.
When it’s over, your brain needs a reset. Think of it like staying up all night having deep conversations with yourself. You didn’t exactly run laps, but your mind did. In most studies, including one published in JAMA Network Open, people didn’t feel drowsy during the trip. The fatigue usually hit afterward, when the effects wore off.
So if you feel sleepy, it’s more like post-trip recovery than a direct side effect. Your brain just burned a lot of emotional energy.
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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