I have taken Trazodone for about 4 years but have recently learned some interesting things about it. It is really good to help some people "fall asleep" and pretty good about keeping you asleep during the night but it can do funky things with your early morning sleep especially if you have sleep apnea and you're taking a low dose.
I have sleep apnea (positional) and Trazodone helps me fall asleep but at a high dose doesn't help as much. It also makes my mouth extremely dry and then even wearing my CPAP I wake up many time during the night.
I'm reconsidering continuing to take Trazodone now that I have a CPAP and am hoping that maybe with CPAP I can learn to sleep without medication and the dry mouth due to this medication will go away.
I have been taking this for sleep at 200mg since 2009. From what I have read the dose of trazodone needed to produce an anti-depressant effect produces so much sedation that it was never really used as an antidepressant. I take this as a booster because on its own trazodone is not enough to put me to sleep and when I take higher doses most of the time it just makes me very lethargic instead of drowsy and then sometimes it makes me panicky or anxious. YMMV.
I am taking Trazadone for sleep as well the dosage has just been raised to 100mg at night. I was taking the 50mg tab and it did not keep me asleep. So far the 100mg tab is doing okay.
Trazodone is great for sleep without giving you a hangover like a lot of meds. I don't know the 1/2 life off the top of my head. Are you wondering because of side effects or think you may need more?
Hope I can help
Karen