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The effects of these stimulants can last for hours after consumption. To decrease your trouble sleeping without alcohol, you should avoid stimulants in the evening. The 12-step community has a saying when describing the risk factors of relapse – HALT. When individuals are Hungry, Angry, Lonely, or Tired, they increase their risk of recurrence of use. And non-restorative sleep is unfortunately common in alcohol withdrawal.
Instead, researchers suggest adopting a largely plant-based diet that incorporates lean proteins and high-fiber foods, such as those found in the traditional Mediterranean and DASH diets. 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 alcoholic insomnia restorative sleep. Never mind the fact that sober scrolling can be anxiety-producing. Seeing pictures of friends partying or strolling down the uglier side of memory lane can keep you up even more at night. To learn more about Kava and why you, as a sober person, should probably avoid the hard stuff, check out this article on kava.
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Consuming alcohol and experiencing restricted sleep reduces alertness during the day. Alcohol can increase the quantity of non-REM sleep during the first half of the night, but it decreases REM sleep in the second half. Many of us find ourselves tossing and turning at night, trying to get that elusive 7 to 8 hours of sleep experts say we need but never finding it.
- Sitting all day doesn’t wear you out physically, so a sedentary lifestyle can cause sleep problems.
- When you drink alcohol, it goes through the same process as any other food or drinks you consume.
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 https://ecosoberhouse.com/ recovery. There are many medications used to treat insomnia, including benzodiazepine and nonbenzodiazepine medications. If you’re in recovery, your healthcare provider will need to weigh the risks and benefits of prescribing these medications for insomnia. There are also some relapse-prevention medications that can help promote sleep.
Create Good Sleep Hygiene to Ease Alcohol Withdrawal Insomnia
Addiction to alcohol and insomnia commonly co-exist, as many who have trouble falling asleep mistakenly turn to alcohol in order to help them get rest. There are many treatment options available, including inpatient rehab, outpatient treatment, group therapy, and medication. Treating addiction and insomnia simultaneously is the key to a successful recovery and a full, healthy life. According to one study, 58 percent of alcoholic men experienced insomnia during their first six days of alcohol withdrawal. There is a strong link between alcoholism and insomnia, for several reasons.
Roughly half of all people going through withdrawal will experience this symptom, though some people are at greater risk than others. While consuming alcohol may have sedative effects, causing you to fall asleep more quickly, the body recognizes it as a toxin and goes into overdrive trying to expel it from your system. This process messes with your REM cycle the most, and is the reason why you may feel groggy and irritable the next morning, even if you logged eight or more hours of sleep. What is consistent from one person to the next, is the science of how alcohol diminishes sleep quality (5)—regardless if you struggle to fall asleep or not after drinking it. To help assess how alcohol may be affecting your sleep, experts recommend an alcohol-free reset period, or what Dr. Martin called “an alcohol holiday,” lasting at least two weeks.
Why Does Alcohol Mess With My Sleep?
Contact us today to learn more about how we can help you on your journey to an alcohol-free life. Alcohol depresses the body’s neurological system, making it easier to relax and fall asleep. While alcohol helps you fall asleep more easily, it will ultimately negatively affect sleep duration and quality.
Someone looking for treatment for their Insomnia, without taking their alcohol use into consideration, could make the problem worse. If they aren’t forthcoming about their dependency or possible addiction, then a doctor can’t prescribe proper treatment. This may mean they are given medication that should not be mixed with alcohol or are given poor treatment because they have given insufficient information. Alcohol may help you initially get to sleep, but is not recommended as a sleep aid because it actually worsens the overall quality of your sleep. The graph below from the study shows the frequency and severity of sleep issues in subjects. Eat something light and healthy before laying down to ensure you can make it until breakfast.
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