We publish material that is researched, cited, edited and reviewed by licensed medical professionals. The information we provide is not intended to be a substitute for professional medical advice, diagnosis or treatment. It should not be used in place of the advice of your physician or other qualified healthcare providers. Heavy alcohol use can contribute to the development of insomnia, a sleep disorder characterized by difficulty falling asleep and staying asleep. As many as three quarters of people with alcohol dependence experience insomnia symptoms when they drink. Trusted Source UpToDateMore than 2 million healthcare providers around the world choose UpToDate to help make appropriate care decisions and drive better health outcomes.
Does Stopping Alcohol Consumption Cause Insomnia
If you find yourself lying awake in bed or having sleep disruptions throughout the night, here are some things experts recommend trying. His research and clinical practice focuses on the entire myriad of sleep disorders. A large amount of fat or protein right before bedtime, or a spicy meal, can send your digestive system into overdrive, making it difficult to sleep and potentially giving you heartburn. Hunger pains can wake you up as well, as can precipitous blood sugar drops during the night. Sharing your bed, whether with a human or four-legged friend, greatly reduces sleep quality—especially if your partner snores, crowds you, hogs the covers, or otherwise makes you uncomfortable. Search our list of alcohol detox centers to find a program that matches your needs, and reach out directly today.
Practical Tips to Deal with Insomnia After Quitting Alcohol
- Some experts suggest that the effects of warm milk are purely nostalgic, that drinking it wraps you in the warm embrace of childhood, sending you off to lala land.
- Studies have connected poor sleep hygiene with poorer mental well-being.
- Sharing a bed with an infant can also lead to more fragmented sleep for the parent and more night wakings for the child.
- Evidence shows that lifestyle and behavioral changes make the largest and most lasting difference when it comes to insomnia.
Although sleep disturbances are common during alcohol detox, ongoing problems hint at more severe issues. Symptoms may include frequent awakenings during the night, irritability or depression, daytime fatigue, or problems with attention and memory. People can’t sleep without drinking experiencing insomnia-related impairments in their daily life may benefit from a healthcare provider’s expertise. So, when you quit alcohol, your stress and anxiety levels may spike, and these elevated levels are not conducive to peaceful sleep.
- While the urge to reach for a cup of coffee during withdrawal might be strong, caffeinated drinks can worsen your sleep struggles.
- There might be a temptation to use alcohol as a stress relief, but Dr Turner notes that it has been shown to increase symptoms of mental health conditions such as anxiety and depression.
- If you are struggling to fall asleep or wake up during the night, experts recommend making small changes in your lifestyle like avoiding caffeine and screens before bed to promote better sleep.
Relieving anxiety that keeps you from falling or staying asleep
Alcohol can have a detrimental impact on sleep, but these problems can also persist once you decide to stop drinking. Finding ways to cope with insomnia and other sleep issues is important since poor sleep can be a risk factor for alcohol relapse. There are many other lifestyle strategies for insomnia such as yoga, meditation, and sauna or steamroom therapy. While these can be helpful, especially in the months after quitting drinking, the importance of biochemical repair for alcohol withdrawal cannot be overstated. Even though supplements and medications can help tremendously for alcohol withdrawal insomnia, they are not necessary in every case. In other cases, they are necessary, but not sufficient to guarantee that you get the best night’s sleep possible.
- Keep in mind that for people with AUD, sleeping issues may persist through the withdrawal phase.
- In extreme cases, long-term heavy drinking can cause serious problems including alcoholic fatty liver disease.
- While this is not a comprehensive picture of the chemicals involved in alcohol withdrawal, skewed levels of any of the above are very common after quitting drinking and can cause insomnia.
- “Many adults don’t nap voluntarily or intentionally, but often fall asleep when not busy or watching TV,” says Doghramji.