Contact us today to see how we can help you or your loved one begin recovery. Continual lack of quality sleep can have dangerous health effects. It can seriously suppress the immune system, impair cognitive and motor function, and increase the risk for heart disease, heart attack, stroke, diabetes, and more. Sleep problems also contribute to irritability, anxiety, and depression, which can seriously impact those in recovery. Once your body has built up a physical dependence upon alcohol, called tolerance, and alcohol use stops, withdrawal symptoms will occur. Symptoms can range from mild to severe, and frequently include insomnia and other sleep disruptions. Even though supplements and medications can help tremendously for alcohol withdrawal insomnia, they are not necessary in every case.

People who are Hungry, Angry, Lonely, or Tired are at an increased risk of relapse. Certainly, one way a person can be tired is through sleep disruptions.” David Susman, PhD is a licensed clinical psychologist with experience providing treatment to individuals with mental illness and substance use concerns. Friends, family, and even support groups are a great way to share your day’s stresses. You can enjoy a few laughs and even find some common ground with your fellow man that’s struggling with life’s challenges. Oftentimes, breaking a lifelong habit can be achieved via the word of a trusted friend or mentor. The oral fixation of sipping a liquid can be an issue for frequent drinkers.

Insomnia After Quitting Alcohol

This can also make it hard to fall back asleep if you are woken up in the middle of the night. Getting healthy sleep when quitting alcohol is a big deal. It’s essential to do what you can to reduce symptoms of insomnia to aid in recovery. Sleep maintenance insomnia means you have a hard time staying asleep, or even if you get eight hours of sleep, it is not restful sleep. You feel just as tired when you wake up as you did when you fell asleep. If you have trouble falling asleep, staying asleep, or attaining restful sleep, you could have insomnia.

Take comfort in the fact that although you’ll suffer a little in the short term, in the long term you will be far better off. Alcohol may aid with sleep onset due to its sedative properties, allowing you to fall asleep more quickly. However, people who drink before bed often experience disruptions later in their sleep cycle as liver enzymes metabolize alcohol. This can also lead to excessive daytime sleepiness and other issues the following day.

Prevalence of Alcohol Withdrawal Insomnia

The idea of attempting to sleep without alcohol can causeanxiety, which can lead to more drinking, perpetuating the cycle of alcohol abuse. Many people rely on alcohol’s calming effect after a rough day.

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How to sleep better after drinking alcohol

As far as the self-medication goes, I think we can all relate to that – to one extent or another. When I quit drinking, I probably went for over a month with difficulty either falling asleep or staying asleep. Drinking alcohol before bed can add to the suppression of REM sleep during the first two cycles. Since alcohol is a sedative, sleep onset is often shorter for drinkers and some fall into deep sleep rather quickly.