Alcohol Withdrawal Insomnia: How To Get To Sleep During Detox

If you use your bedroom as a home office or an extra living room, your brain has a hard time distinguishing between the activities you do in it, which makes sleeping difficult. Limit what you do in your bedroom to nighttime activities only even if it means getting rid of your TV. They include L-theanine and Valerian root, both of which help you relax, battle stress and fall asleep easier. Once your body starts adjusting to life without alcohol, you may suffer from seizures or hallucinations.

How to sleep better after drinking alcohol

Consuming balanced meals throughout the day, avoiding caffeine, sugar, and heavy meals close to bedtime can go a long way in improving sleep quality. Studies suggest that generally, insomnia symptoms are most challenging during the first few days of quitting. This is when the body is actively detoxifying, resulting in restlessness and unstable sleep patterns. This period lasts about a week for most people, barring those with severe addiction.

Is Insomnia Normal After Drinking?

Finally, more frequent awakenings during the second half of the night (often from thirst and polyuria) may lead to un-steadiness and falls during nighttime trips to the bathroom, particularly among the elderly. We searched MEDLINE, PSYCHINFO, ETOH, BIBLIOSLEEP and the Rutgers Alcohol Studies databases between January 1966 and August 2002. Search terms included alcohol-related disorders or alcoholism in combination with sleep, sleep initiation and maintenance disorders, or sleep apnea syndromes. We reviewed 107 relevant articles, of which 60 included quantitative measures of both alcohol use and sleep. The key is giving what is alcoholism your body time to heal, supporting your sleep with the right habits, and staying consistent with a healthy routine.

Professional guidance ensures a safe and effective strategy for overcoming withdrawal-induced sleep disruptions. While napping might seem like the answer to your fatigue, moderation is crucial during alcohol withdrawal. Short (20-30 minute) naps early in the day can boost your energy in the afternoon without disrupting your nighttime sleep cycle. But longer naps or napping close to bedtime can backfire, leaving you feeling even more restless at night. This article reviews the relationship between alcohol and insomnia, including how alcohol can affect sleep quality alongside the risks of poor sleep quality.

Our outpatient and intensive outpatient programs provide medication assisted treatment and dual diagnosis services. We also offer telehealth options to help individuals receive the help they need from the comfort of their homes. Additionally, our peer recovery support program connects individuals with someone who has been in their shoes and can offer the support they need to overcome their addiction. If you or a loved one experiences alcohol addiction and insomnia, contact BrightView today.

Our medical detox program provides 24/7 medical monitoring and support during the acute withdrawal phase. Our medical team specializes in managing withdrawal symptoms, including insomnia, through safe and effective protocols. The environment where withdrawal occurs can significantly impact sleep quality. Sleep disturbances during alcohol withdrawal typically follow a predictable pattern, though individual experiences can vary significantly based on factors like drinking history, overall health, and co-occurring conditions. The brain adapts to the presence of alcohol by adjusting neurotransmitter production and receptor sensitivity. Over time, the sleep-inducing effects of alcohol become less pronounced, requiring larger amounts to achieve the same sedative effect.

• The environment where withdrawal occurs can significantly impact sleep quality.
• A Sleep Apnea Evaluation is necessary, as untreated sleep apnea can worsen insomnia.
• Finally, proteins produced by the immune system (i.e., cytokines) have known effects on sleep and are altered in alcoholic individuals (Ehlers 2000; Krueger et al. 1999).

How to Overcome Alcohol Cravings: Empowering the Early Stages of Recovery

With over 50 locations throughout Ohio, Kentucky, Virginia, North Carolina, Arizona, Massachusetts, and Maryland, we are the local addiction treatment option that makes it easy for individuals to access the help they need. Get professional help from an online addiction and mental health counselor from BetterHelp. By making these adjustments and seeking appropriate medical care, you can improve your sleep and overall well-being. Now that you’re well-versed with all the causes and potential solutions to post-alcohol insomnia, it’s time to put this knowledge into action. Modify routines, reevaluate lifestyle choices, and don’t hesitate to consult a professional if need arises.

• As discussed earlier, some effects of alcohol on sleep only seem to occur with heavier levels of drinking.
• It’s important to have realistic expectations about sleep recovery timelines.
• For the treatment of either disorder to be effective, both insomnia and substance abuse should be addressed together.
• Studies have shown that people who drink and have sleep apnea are at a much higher risk of traffic accidents than people with sleep apnea who do not drink alcohol.
• Beyond the second decade of life, individuals tend to revert back towards morningness 12.

With proper medical support, lifestyle modifications, and patience, most people experience significant improvement in their sleep quality as their recovery progresses. Insomnia is a disorder that prevents someone from achieving a restful night’s sleep. This could mean that they aren’t reaching a deep level of sleep, are waking several times through the night, or can’t fall asleep to begin with.

How Are Alcoholism and Insomnia Linked?

• Insomnia refers to difficulty falling asleep, staying asleep, or waking up too early and being unable to return to sleep.
• The intensity of insomnia will dictate whether an individual seeks treatment with either prescription or over-the-counter medications, or self-treatment.
• The discussion continues with the potential relationship between sleep problems and the development of alcoholism as well as the possible role of sleep disturbances in predicting relapse to alcoholism.
• Alcohol relaxes throat muscles, increasing the likelihood of airway collapse during sleep, leading to apnea episodes (pauses in breathing).

This article will explore its risk factors, symptoms, diagnostic tests, medications, procedures, and home remedies to help manage the disorder. Several factors can affect how severe and long-lasting alcohol withdrawal insomnia becomes, helping healthcare providers predict and plan for appropriate treatment approaches. Normal sleep occurs in distinct stages that cycle throughout the night, including light sleep, deep sleep, and rapid eye movement (REM) sleep.

Changes in the Brain

Subjective complaints in those with insomnia as compared to those without include longer SOL, increased WASO and lower sleep efficiency (Brower et al., 2001a, Conroy et al., 2006b). PSG sleep findings during the first 8 weeks of abstinence include increased SOL and stage 1 sleep and decreased TST and SWS % (Gillin et al., 1990b, Gillin et al., 1990a, Moeller et al., 1993, Le Bon et al., 1997, Brower et al., 2001a). It is to be noted that individuals in early recovery may overestimate their subjective SOL but underestimate their WASO, as compared to their PSG estimated indices (Conroy et al., 2006b). Yes, lifestyle changes significantly impact sleep quality during alcohol withdrawal.

Chronic Alcohol Use and Sleep Changes

Alcohol withdrawal insomnia refers to the significant sleep disturbances that occur when someone stops drinking after a period of regular alcohol use. These sleep problems are among the most common and persistent withdrawal symptoms, often lasting weeks or months after the last drink. Alcohol abuse also referred to as “binge drinking,” “problem drinking,” or “heavy drinking,” is the 2nd most common form of substance abuse in the US. In other words, most alcohol abusers can reduce or even stop the behavior – if they try.

Our inpatient rehab programs include specialized therapies that address sleep problems and their underlying causes. Cognitive-behavioral therapy for insomnia (CBT-I) is particularly effective for people in recovery, helping them develop healthy sleep habits and address anxiety or racing thoughts that interfere with sleep. Understanding the neurochemical changes that occur during alcohol withdrawal helps explain why sleep problems are so common and persistent during recovery.