A Spravato session takes at least two hours, plus time for check-in and the dose itself. Taking the nasal spray is the short part. Most of the visit is a required monitoring period: the FDA label says you must be observed for at least two hours after each dose and may only leave when your provider decides you are safe to go. You also need someone else to drive you home, and you should not drive again until the next day after a restful sleep.
So the honest answer to "how long does a Spravato session take" has two parts. Block out more than two hours for the office visit, since some visits need longer observation, and treat the rest of that day as a light one. The office can tell you how much time to reserve. This article walks through the visit in order, explains why the monitoring window is not optional, and lays out how often sessions happen so you can plan work, rides, and childcare around Spravato treatment at our Folsom and Rocklin offices.
If you are in crisis or thinking about harming yourself, do not wait for an appointment. Call or text 988 (Suicide and Crisis Lifeline) or call 911.
What happens during a Spravato session, step by step
The details below come from the current Spravato prescribing information and Medication Guide. Your office may add steps of its own, so ask when you schedule.
Before you arrive
The Medication Guide asks you not to eat for at least two hours before your dose and not to drink liquids for at least 30 minutes before, because nausea and vomiting are possible after the spray. If you use a nasal steroid or nasal decongestant, take it at least one hour before your appointment. Arrange your ride home before you leave the house; the office may ask how you are getting home before your dose.
Check-in and a blood pressure reading
Spravato can raise blood pressure for a few hours after a dose, so the label requires a blood pressure check before every dose. Staff may also ask how you have been feeling and what has changed since your last visit. If your blood pressure is high that day, your provider decides whether to go ahead, wait, or reschedule.
Taking the spray
You give yourself the nasal spray under the direct observation of a healthcare provider. The spray is quick, with short pauses built into the process, and staff walk you through each step. You do not take the device home, and Spravato is never dispensed for home use.
The monitoring window
This is where the time goes. The label requires that you be observed for at least two hours after the dose, with your blood pressure rechecked at roughly 40 minutes and again as needed. During this window you rest while staff watch for the effects the label warns about: feeling disconnected from yourself or your surroundings (dissociation), sleepiness, dizziness, nausea, and changes in blood pressure or breathing. Staff also monitor your breathing and oxygen level with a pulse oximeter, a small clip usually worn on a finger. The label notes that the blood pressure rise peaks about 40 minutes after the dose and lasts about four hours, and that dissociation in the clinical trials was temporary and limited to the day of dosing. Our article on what Spravato side effects feel like goes into more detail on what to expect in the chair.
Going home
Your provider decides when you are ready to leave, and that is after the two hours have passed, not before. You leave with your driver. The label is firm on this part: no driving, no operating machinery, and no activities that require you to be fully alert until the next day after a restful sleep. Plan a quiet afternoon or evening.
Why is the two-hour monitoring window required?
Spravato is available only through an FDA safety program called a REMS (Risk Evaluation and Mitigation Strategy). Under the program, the medication is dispensed and administered only in certified healthcare settings, and outpatients are enrolled in the program before treatment starts. The reason is the label's boxed warning, which names sedation, dissociation, and slowed breathing (respiratory depression) among its risks. The label separately warns that Spravato can impair attention, judgment, thinking, reaction speed, and motor skills. The two-hour observation period is how those effects are caught and managed by someone trained to do so.
This is also why a session cannot be shortened because you feel fine at the 60-minute mark. The window is a floor set by the label, not a clinic preference. The FDA-approved Medication Guide tells patients the same thing.
How often are Spravato sessions, and how long does the whole course take?
The minimum monitoring requirement is the same every time. What changes is how often you come in. For treatment-resistant depression, the label lays out this schedule:
- Weeks 1 to 4 (the induction phase): two sessions per week.
- Weeks 5 to 8: one session per week.
- Week 9 and after (maintenance): one session every two weeks, or weekly, depending on how you are doing.
In practical terms, the first month is the heavy lift: eight visits of two-plus hours each, with a ride home every time. The label also says your provider should evaluate whether Spravato is helping at the end of the induction phase before deciding to continue. After that, visits thin out, and how long you stay on maintenance is an individual decision between you and your psychiatrist.
Two related points. First, the current label allows Spravato for treatment-resistant depression on its own or together with an oral antidepressant. Your provider will talk with you about which approach fits you. Second, this article is about the visit, not the results. For the timeline of improvement, read how fast Spravato works.
How do I fit Spravato sessions into work and family life?
Most of the planning comes down to three things.
The ride. You need a ride home after every session, not just the first few. Line up a family member or friend for the first month, when visits are twice a week, and ask the office what they require if you plan to use a rideshare.
The time. Count on at least two hours in the office plus travel, and do not plan anything that needs sharp attention afterward. If you can, keep the rest of the day clear, especially during the first month when visits are twice a week.
The food and drink rules. No food for two hours before and no liquids for 30 minutes before, so think about meal timing when you pick an appointment time.
If any of this feels hard to arrange, say so at your evaluation. Transportation and time are part of whether Spravato is a realistic plan, and our article on who qualifies for Spravato explains how those practical factors are weighed alongside the clinical ones.
Spravato sessions in Folsom and Rocklin
Sacramento NeuroPsych Associates provides Spravato through the REMS program. Dr. Manish Aggarwal, co-founder of the practice, provides Spravato alongside psychiatric evaluation and medication management for patients in Folsom, Rocklin, and the greater Sacramento region. Both offices are open Monday through Friday, 8:00 AM to 5:00 PM. Our Natomas office is opening soon.
Because the first month means up to eight trips, each with a driver, it helps to choose the office closest to home or to the person driving you. When you call, ask which office schedules Spravato sessions, what days and times are available, and how long visits usually run there. If you plan to use insurance, our team can help verify your benefits before treatment begins; our guide to Spravato treatment cost covers the questions to ask.
Frequently asked questions
Can I leave early if I feel fine?
No. The label requires at least two hours of observation after every dose, and your provider decides when you are safe to leave. Feeling normal before the two hours are up does not change that, because blood pressure and sedation effects can still be present.
Can I take a rideshare home?
You cannot drive yourself home on a treatment day. Whether a rideshare is acceptable for the trip home is a question for the office, so ask before your first session and have a backup plan.
Can I eat or drink before a Spravato session?
The Medication Guide says to avoid food for at least two hours before your dose and liquids for at least 30 minutes before, to lower the chance of nausea and vomiting. Ask your provider about any other medications you take that morning.
Does every session take this long, even during maintenance?
Yes. The two-hour monitoring window and the ride-home rule apply to every dose, whether it is your first session or a maintenance visit months later. What changes over time is how often you come in.
Can Spravato be done at home or by telehealth?
No. Spravato is only given in a certified healthcare setting under direct observation, and the device is never sent home with you. Ask the office which other visits, such as follow-up conversations, can be done by video.
Take the next step
If you can set aside at least two hours and a ride twice a week for the first month, the logistics are manageable, and the office can help you work out the rest. The first step is a psychiatric evaluation to confirm whether Spravato is appropriate for you. Schedule an appointment or call us at (916) 473-2235.
