Can You Safely Take NyQuil During The Day?

Hello and thank you for reaching out to us!

You certainly could take NyQuil during the day, but you probably shouldn't if you can't afford to be tired or drowsy.

Remember that NyQuil is a nighttime formulation cough/cold medication and contains ingredients that will make you tired (which is why it is promoted to help with falling asleep).

If you're just at home resting during the day and have no plans to go out anywhere (e.g. you don't plan on driving your car), NyQuil is perfectly safe to take during the day.

What Is In NyQuil?

For your reference, let's review the list of active ingredients contained in NyQuil:

• Acetaminophen (pain/fever reducer)
• Dextromethorphan (cough suppressant)
• Doxylamine (antihistamine)

The ingredient I have highlighted here is the sedating antihistamine doxylamine.

Doxylamine is a first-generation antihistamine, very similar to Benadryl (diphenhydramine). Both cause pronounced sedation and last about four to six hours per dose.

Doxylamine is actually widely used just by itself as a sleep aid. For example, Unisom, a popular sleep aid product, contains only doxylamine. That gives you an idea of how sedating it is.

Now, while the doxylamine contained in NyQuil will make you tired, it is not included as an ingredient solely for that purpose.

As mentioned, it is an antihistamine. It will help reduce the severity of a number of cold symptoms including a runny nose, watery/itchy eyes, and can reduce post-nasal drip since it has drying properties.

In addition to doxylamine, NyQuil also contains 10% alcohol by volume (20 proof), which, give or take a few percentage points, is about the percent alcohol of wine.

Can You Take NyQuil During The Day?

Due to the sedating properties of NyQuil, it really only makes sense to take it at night or if you are going to be home resting.

Technically, yes, you can take NyQuil during the day, but you shouldn't partake in any activity that requires mental alertness (e.g. driving, working at your job) while on it.

Other Options

There are plenty of other cough/cold medications that are available over the counter if you need to take something during the day that won't sedate you.

One example is DayQuil, which does not contain an antihistamine. It contains:

• Acetaminophen (pain/fever reducer)
• Dextromethorphan (cough suppressant)
• Phenylephrine (nasal decongestant)

DayQuil basically substitutes the doxylamine for phenylephrine, a decongestant. DayQuil also contains no alcohol and is generally non-sedating.

I also want to point out that NyQuil is available in an alcohol-free version. Not only does this product not contain alcohol, it actually does not contain doxylamine either. It instead, contains a different antihistamine, chlorpheniramine.

Chlorpheniramine is not as sedating as doxylamine is but it still is a relatively sedating antihistamine, especially when you compare it to non-sedating ones like Claritin and Allegra.

Most studies concerning chlorpheniramine classify it as having a mild to moderate sedative effect.

Final Words

I know it can sometimes be difficult to find the right medication since there are just so many options.

I always recommend listing out the specific symptoms you are trying to treat and asking the pharmacist for a suggestion.

They can help to find the appropriate product based on your symptoms and considerations (like not wanting to be tired).

Thanks for your question and be sure to contact us with any further inquiries!