Armodafinil
Nuvigil · Wakefulness agent (eugeroic)
What it is
The R-enantiomer of modafinil — the longer-acting half of the racemic mixture, sold as its own prescription drug for the same conditions: narcolepsy, shift-work disorder, sleep apnea. Users describe it as 'modafinil with a later peak', which is precisely what the pharmacokinetics show.
What human evidence shows
Same evidence base as modafinil: solid for wakefulness under sleep deprivation, modest for executive function in the well-rested. Head-to-head data against modafinil is limited; the practical difference is timing — later peak concentration, so alertness holds further into the day at the cost of a later sleep window.
Risks
Same profile as modafinil: headache, anxiety, insomnia, appetite suppression, the rare-but-serious skin reactions (Stevens-Johnson), and reduced effectiveness of hormonal contraceptives. The later peak makes accidental sleep destruction MORE likely than with modafinil, not less — taken past mid-morning it will still be working at midnight.
Legal status
US: Schedule IV prescription drug, same as modafinil.
Evidence base
substantial literature
Large human evidence base: several phase 3 or 4 trial reports, plus multiple meta-analyses or systematic reviews.
- phase 3/4
- 4
- randomised
- 44
- reviews
- 34
- human trials
- 56
Counts are of published papers, not distinct trials, and measure how much research exists — not whether this works or is safe for you.
Research (12)
- Armodafinil2006
- ArmodafinilCNS Drugs · 2009
- Armodafinil as a Potential Pharmacological Treatment for Attention Deficit Hyperactivity Disorder in Adults: A ReviewCurr Neuropharmacol · 2024
- Armodafinil in MilkJ Hum Lact · 2023
- Modafinil/armodafinil for excessive daytime sleepiness after traumatic brain injury: a systematic review and meta-analysisBrain Inj · 2025
- Armodafinil in the treatment of excessive sleepinessExpert Opin Pharmacother · 2010
- Modafinil/armodafinil in obstructive sleep apnoea: a systematic review and meta-analysisEur Respir J · 2016
- Idiopathic Hypersomnia and Other Hypersomnia SyndromesNeurotherapeutics · 2021
- Headache improves with armodafinilJ Clin Sleep Med · 2024
- Armodafinil for excessive daytime sleepinessDrugs Today (Barc) · 2008
- Armodafinil (Nuvigil) for wakefulnessMed Lett Drugs Ther · 2010
- Interaction profile of armodafinil with medications metabolized by cytochrome P450 enzymes 1A2, 3A4 and 2C19 in healthy subjectsClin Pharmacokinet · 2008
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