The Flmodafinil Buying Guide: Trustworthy Places To Buy It ... Modafnil, by this point, is quite well-known as a nootropic or "smart drug." First approved for medical use to treat narcolepsy and shift work sleep disorder in 1998, modafinil became popular as a study drug and productivity aid in the early 2000's, as well as being used by the Air Force to combat pilot fatigue on long missions.. It became well-known to the general public in the second ...