As sobriety continues, individuals often experience a normalization of sleep patterns, enhanced deep and REM sleep, and a reduction in sleep-related anxiety. 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. Any of these how to stop alcohol insomnia possibilities mean that when the person wakes, they aren’t feeling rested.
Quitting Alcohol Responsibly
However, quitting alcohol can yield incredible improvements in terms of sleep quality. Once your brain and body have gotten used to the regular presence of alcohol, you’re alcohol-dependent. And once dependence sets in, suddenly stopping drinking can cause a number of reactions.
Can I Drink Alcohol During a Gout Attack? Science Backed Answer
Relaxation and mindfulness techniques like meditation, breathwork, or progressive muscle relaxation can help calm the mind and body before bed. Many who struggle with insomnia related to substance use or withdrawal find it helpful to make this a habit before bed. Longer-term residential addiction treatment can be very helpful for anyone experiencing latent effects. If you drink alcohol regularly, especially in high amounts before bed, your body can start to get used to falling straight into deep stage 3 sleep due to alcohol’s sedative properties.
- After detox, it’s a good idea to follow up with comprehensive addiction treatment to address what’s driving your addiction.
- A growing number of people have had success using kratom to reduce the symptoms of alcohol withdrawal, including insomnia.
- By systematically lowering intake, you allow your body and brain to adapt, minimizing withdrawal risks.
Make your bedroom dark, cool, and quiet for optimal sleep conditions. This might include investing in a comfortable mattress—and if you’re sensitive to light and sound, blackout curtains or earplugs. Frequent consumption of high-carbohydrate foods, caffeine, sugar, and artificial sweeteners will perpetuate the cycle of poor sleep. Recent studies have shown that eating a diet low in fiber and high in saturated fat and sugar (a.k.a. the standard Western diet) leads to lighter, less restorative sleep. It’s your responsibility to do everything you can to sleep well, which often translates to forgoing guilty pleasures or habits that contribute to your sleep disruptions. Additionally, scrolling and responding is overstimulating your brain during a time of day when you should be doing the opposite.
“I Can’t Fall Asleep Without Alcohol”
You may have tried everything we’ve mentioned, including decreasing or stopping your use of alcohol. And yet, you’re still struggling to fall asleep or stay asleep throughout the night. Many recovering alcoholics find that it can take anywhere from months to a year or two for the body to readjust after coming off alcohol if there is a true physical dependency.
Physical exercise also helps you obtain more deep and restorative sleep, which can boost your body’s immune system, improve cardiac health, as well as decrease stress and anxiety. Insomnia occurs when a person has persistent symptoms related to difficulty falling or staying asleep. It also includes consistent unrestful sleep that occurs despite adequate sleep. Sleep issues are common during detox, and insomnia is very common in those going through drug or alcohol withdrawal and in the early stages of recovery. According to a study in the Journal of Addiction Medicine, the occurrence of insomnia is five times higher for those in early recovery than in the general population.
This sounds obvious, but many of us do not have bedrooms that promote sleep. Seeing pictures of friends partying or strolling down the uglier side of memory lane can keep you up even more at night. Because so many of us who abuse alcohol also struggle with things like anxiety and depression, I HIGHLY recommend getting counseling. Alcohol abuse and co-occurring sleep disruptions are serious and should be treated. Before we tackle how to manage insomnia, let’s briefly discuss the different types of insomnia you may experience. Therapy such as CBT can help you identify and change patterns of thought and behavior related to alcohol use.
Enact A Healthy Diet
Alcohol relaxes the muscles that keep the airway open during sleep. This can cause the airway to become partially obstructed, leading to snoring or worsening symptoms of sleep apnea – hence the clear link between alcohol and sleep apnea. While alcohol might initially make you feel sleepy, it can lead to a fragmented sleep cycle and contribute to chronic insomnia. Drinking large amounts of alcohol will increase the likelihood that alcohol will still be in your system when you go to bed.
The good news is that these sleep disruptions are temporary, and any insomnia you experience will likely resolve as you persevere through recovery. You may experience your most severe sleep disturbances in the first week, but most people find that it eases up with time. After one week without consuming alcohol you may notice that you are sleeping better. Alcoholics Anonymous You may find that wWhen you drink, you typically fall straight into a deep sleep, which means you are missing the important rapid eye movement (REM) sleep. While you are supposed to have between six and seven cycles of REM sleep a night, you will typically only have one or two when you’ve been drinking. People in alcohol recovery take a long time to fall asleep, have problems sleeping through the night, and feel that their sleep is not restorative.
Consume ORS or electrolyte-rich snacks (bananas, spinach, yogurt) 1–2 hours before bed to allow absorption without gastrointestinal discomfort. To counteract this, prioritize hydration before, during, and after alcohol consumption. Post-drinking, aim for 16–20 ounces of water before bed, but avoid excessive intake to prevent sleep-disrupting trips to the bathroom. For those over 40 or with kidney concerns, consult a doctor to tailor fluid intake to health status. We specialize in maximizing the efficacy of holistic practices like yoga, exercise, and other meditative procedures in recovery. Our unparalleled holistic approach, aimed at alleviating anxiety and alcohol withdrawals, are life-changing processes that make rehab enjoyable.
Understanding Why You Can’t Sleep After Quitting Alcohol
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