What the product information shows
Neither the US prescribing information nor the European summary of product characteristics lists insomnia or other sleep problems as reactions to Victoza®. [1][2] The Canadian monograph is the only source with numbers, because it prints each trial’s events above 1% whether or not they were judged drug-related. [3] The figures are small and inconsistent: trouble sleeping was slightly more frequent than the comparison group in some trials and absent in others. [3]
| Source and term | Victoza® 0.6 mg | 1.2 mg | 1.8 mg | Comparison group |
|---|---|---|---|---|
| US label, Table 1 and section 6.2 [1] | Not listed | Not listed | Not listed | — |
| EU SmPC, Table 1 [2] | Not listed | — | ||
| Canada, LEAD-2 (with metformin): insomnia [3] | 0.0% | 0.8% | 1.2% | Placebo 0.8%; glimepiride 0.0% |
| Canada, LEAD-5 (with metformin and glimepiride): insomnia [3] | — | — | 0.4% | Placebo 0.0%; insulin glargine 0.0% |
| Canada, trial 1860 (with metformin): insomnia [3] | — | 1.4% | 0.9% | Sitagliptin 0.5% |
| Canada, trial 1842 (52 weeks, no placebo): insomnia [3] | — | — | 1.3% (with metformin); 1.8% (insulin detemir added) | Non-randomised group 1.4% |
Why the Saxenda® label reads differently
Liraglutide at 3 mg a day, the dose used for weight management as Saxenda®, does carry an insomnia entry: 2.4% of adults against 1.7% on placebo in the US table, and a common rating in the EU with a footnote that it was mainly seen in the first three months. [4][5] Victoza® tops out at 1.8 mg and is studied in people with type 2 diabetes, so the absence of insomnia in its own labels is the more relevant fact. [1][2] Still, if your sleep changed after a switch between the two products or after a dose step, that timing is worth noting.
Psychiatric events as a whole were reported by 8.5% on 1.8 mg and 8.4% on 1.2 mg of Victoza® against 5.6% on glimepiride in the year-long LEAD-3 trial, but the monograph does not break that total down by sleep or mood. [3] A 2025 analysis of safety reports in three national databases reported an insomnia signal for dulaglutide; its abstract does not report one for liraglutide. [10]
Night-time blood sugar, both directions
The label warns that adults using Victoza® with a sulfonylurea or insulin may have more low blood sugar, and that in patients aged 10 and older the risk was higher with Victoza® regardless of other treatment. [1] MedlinePlus includes trouble sleeping, sweating and a pounding heart among symptoms of low blood sugar, and explains that some people do not feel the warning signs at all. [8] A low during the night could therefore show up as broken sleep or night sweats.
High blood sugar works the other way. MedlinePlus lists needing to urinate a lot, including getting up more often than usual at night, alongside thirst and a dry mouth. [9] Waking to pass urine is therefore worth mentioning to your prescriber as a possible sign of control, not only of sleep.
Reflux and a full stomach at night
Victoza® slows stomach emptying as part of how it lowers blood sugar after meals. [1] The EU product information lists reflux disease and indigestion as common reactions, and the US table records indigestion at 4% on 1.2 mg and 7% on 1.8 mg against 1% on placebo. [1][2] Heartburn that comes on when lying down can disturb sleep, and MedlinePlus advises avoiding heavy meals in the hours before bed. [7] The label lets Victoza® be injected at any time of day, independently of meals; no source links injection time to sleep, so any change of time is a question for your prescriber. [1]
Other causes of poor sleep
MedlinePlus explains that short-term insomnia often follows stress or upsetting events and usually lasts days to weeks, while long-term insomnia is most often secondary to something else: a medical condition, a medicine, another sleep disorder, or caffeine, tobacco and alcohol. [6] Risk is higher with stress, depression, shift work, long-distance travel across time zones, an inactive lifestyle and older age. [6] Its sleep-habits guidance asks you to check with your provider whether any medicine, diet pill, herb or supplement could be affecting sleep. [7]
Pain or discomfort that keeps you awake, and low mood, are both reasons MedlinePlus gives for contacting your provider. [7]
What the sources describe
MedlinePlus’s sleep-habits page suggests keeping regular sleep and wake times, avoiding daytime naps, cutting back on caffeine, alcohol and smoking, being active during the day but not right before bed, keeping the bedroom quiet, dark and comfortable, using the bed only for sleep, and getting up to do something quiet if sleep does not come. [7] It also suggests writing worries down before bed. [7] For longer-lasting insomnia, it describes cognitive behavioural therapy and, in some cases, medicines that your provider can discuss. [6]
For people using Victoza® with insulin or a sulfonylurea, the Medication Guide asks you to agree a plan for low blood sugar with your prescriber before starting. [1]
Victoza® and Saxenda® are registered trademarks of Novo Nordisk A/S. PepLabo is not affiliated with or endorsed by Novo Nordisk A/S.
When to get help
| Sign | Who to contact | How fast | Source |
|---|---|---|---|
| Someone with diabetes who is confused, cannot be woken or becomes less alert at night | Emergency services (911 or local number) | Emergency | MedlinePlus [8] |
| Waking with sweating, shakiness or a pounding heart, especially on insulin or a sulfonylurea | Check your glucose and tell your prescriber soon | Today | Medication Guide [1]; MedlinePlus [8] |
| Getting up often at night to urinate, with thirst or blurred vision | Discuss your blood sugar control with your provider | At your next appointment | MedlinePlus [9] |
| Pain, heartburn or other discomfort that keeps you awake | Contact your provider | At your next appointment | MedlinePlus [7] |
| Feeling sad or depressed along with poor sleep | Contact your provider | At your next appointment | MedlinePlus [7] |
| Taking sleep medicines without having talked to your provider | Raise it at your next appointment | At your next appointment | MedlinePlus [7] |
