Changing Birth Control Pill Time: What You Need to Know

Question
If I usually take my pill in the morning but want to start taking it at night what should I do?

Answer
Hi N,

This answer is based on the assumption that you're taking a standard birth control pill and NOT taking the progestin only "mini pill":

Taking the pill at the same time every day is a very good habit and ensures that the levels of hormones stays consistent, however there really shouldn't be a decrease in effectiveness if you want to switch times. The pill has a very long half life, so the accumulation of the drug in your system should be enough to accommodate the initial delay (within reason, of course). If you want to be extra careful you could use a backup method of contraception for the first week, or you could move the time you take the pill gradually, say in increments of three or four hours over the course of a week.

Good luck,

Julia