Alcohol, a common social lubricant and stress reliever, has a complex relationship with sleep. While some may turn to a nightcap to unwind, few realise the potential disruptions it can cause to the sleep cycle. In this comprehensive guide, we’ll delve into the intricate connection between alcohol and sleep, exploring its effects on the brain, behaviour, and the troubling link between alcohol addiction and insomnia. Before we proceed, it’s essential to note that the information provided is for general purposes only.

Walk-In Rehab Options for Alcohol Addiction in Georgia

If you’ve ever had a drink or two and fallen asleep only to wake up at 2 or 3 a.m., there’s also a reason for that. As alcohol wears off, it can cause a withdrawal effect that can wake you up. Among those with AD, treatment-seeking subjects have been demonstrated to have a higher Periodic Limb Movement Index (PLMI) as compared to controls (Brower and Hall, 2001). A longitudinal study involving patients sober for 2–3 weeks after withdrawal, demonstrated higher baseline PLMI and PLMI with arousals versus healthy controls (Gann et al., 2002). At the 6-month follow-up, subjects alcoholism with AD who relapsed had significantly higher PLMI and PLMI with arousals, than those who did not.

Improving Alcohol-Induced Sleep Disorder and Seeking Medical Help

If you’re having sleep-related problems, consider cutting back or giving up alcohol. “I’ve had many patients who came back to me after curtailing alcohol use entirely and their sleep disorders resolved,” shares Dr. Foldvary-Schaefer. An estimated 20% to 30% of people report drinking to manage insomnia.7 While alcohol can initially cause sedation, over time, alcohol causes major disruptions in the quality of sleep. Mixing alcohol with sleeping pills or sedative medications can be extremely dangerous. Both substances slow down the central nervous system, which can cause severe drowsiness, suppressed breathing, dangerously low heart rate, or even coma. The combination also increases the risk of confusion, falls, and accidental overdose.

Can Drinking Alcohol Cause Insomnia?

To understand the reasons for this, let’s discuss alcohol’s effects on sleep. Alcohol withdrawal occurs when someone who has become physically dependent on alcohol suddenly stops drinking. When an individual does alcohol cause insomnia has been drinking heavily for an extended period of time, their body becomes used to having alcohol in its system.

• Caffeine past mid-day, long afternoon naps, and bright screens too close to bedtime can keep you up and wired until late at night.
• While adenosine may help you get to sleep more quickly, artificially elevated levels of adenosine can disrupt the quality of your sleep while alcohol is in your system.
• And so alcohol has the effect of changing our sleep at night, and changing our sleep at night has the effect of how we function during the day.
• They are not designed to replace a physician’s medical assessment and medical judgment.
• It is also a powerful disease capable of damaging or destroying your heart, liver, pancreas, kidneys, brain, etc.
• Thus, improving your sleep quality may need to be addressed separately, while working on your alcohol issue.