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Alcohol is a little-known yet significant source of insomnia. Often, people drink alcohol to induce sleep. However, long-term use of alcohol has the opposite effect. It frequently reduces the duration and quality of sleep. To avoid alcohol insomnia, alcohol consumers must know more about it.

Why Alcohol Causes Insomnia

Alcohol reduces the quality of sleep by interfering with Rapid Eye Movement (REM) sleep. While under or shortly after the influence of alcohol, the brain frequently moves between deep REM and lighter stages of sleep. This cuts down on the hours of REM sleep each night. REM is the most restful stage of sleep.

Alcohol also interferes with the glutamine levels in the brain. Glutamine is one of the body's natural stimulants. When alcohol is present, the body produces more glutamine to compensate for the repression. Once the alcohol passes through the body, increased glutamine levels persist for some time. This excess stimulant interrupts sleep and results in alcohol insomnia.

Alcohol related insomnia affects the body on more basic levels as well. Sleep after alcohol ingestion is frequently interrupted. Excess sweating, the urge to urinate or the urge to drink due to dehydration interrupts sleep many times during the evening which leads to a type of insomnia.

Stopping Alcohol Insomnia

Stopping alcohol insomnia is not always as simple as stopping the consumption of alcohol. Chronic or long-term drinkers often suffer worsening insomnia once they quit drinking. Periods of restlessness and poor quality sleep are often punctuated with realistic nightmares.

Alcohol insomnia related to withdrawal symptoms may take quite some time to subside. During this period of alcohol withdrawal insomnia, traditional sleep aids are often ineffective. High levels of magnesium in the diet have helped ease insomnia in some cases. In other cases, trazadone taken under a doctor's care may help sufferers sleep until they no longer suffer from alcohol withdrawal.

Long-term alcohol use is the cause for insomnia in 10 to 15 percent of sufferers. When attempting to cure alcohol insomnia related to long-term alcohol use or abuse, consult a physician. Alcohol withdrawal systems often involve much more than just insomnia. A physician will help guide patients on the correct path to alleviating their symptoms safely, with or without medication.

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Related Questions

Can alcohol cause insomnia?

Yes it can because you can be up for hours drinking and not sleeping a wink but other alcohols can make you fall asleep. Yes if taken in excessive alcohol can cause you insomnia


Why is alcohols not a good solution for insomnia?

Alcohol disrupts REM sleep.


What are the physical and psychological signs of an alcohol addiction?

Disturbing cravings for it. Irretability. Insomnia.


Causes, Effects and Treatments of Alcohol Insomnia?

Insomnia is a chronic condition that occurs when an individual is unable to fall or remain asleep. This condition can affect every aspect of a person's life, and can lead to more serious conditions such as depression and anxiety, high blood pressure and heart conditions.Alcohol InsomniaIt is not uncommon for people with insomnia to self-medicate their symptoms with the use of alcohol, and alcoholism can be both a cause and symptom of insomnia. Although alcohol is a depressant with sedative qualities, it usually only worsens insomnia by interfering with both quality and quantity of sleep. Those who use alcohol to treat insomnia often wake throughout the night, and often do not fully enter deep stages of sleep. This can lead to increased exhaustion during the day, as well as more intense complications, such as headache and dizziness.How Alcohol Affects SleepNormal sleep is comprised of two alternating cycles: REM sleep and SWS, or slow wave sleep. Slow wave sleep cycles provide deep, restful sleep, and make up about seventy five percent of average sleep time. REM cycles occur approximately every hour, and typically last no longer than twenty minutes at a time. REM cycles are also associated with dreaming, and are less deep and restful than SWS cycles. The consumption of alcohol has been shown to have a negative effect on both these stages: those who drink often experience strange dreams, nightmares or a lack of dreams, and also experience less restful sleep during slow wave cycles.Treatment for Alcohol InsomniaAlcohol insomnia is typically treated in the same way as regular insomnia, but with added emphasis placed on substance abuse treatment. It's important to note that alcoholism can induce violent, and even dangerous, withdrawal symptoms, and those with severe addiction to alcohol should seek proper medical treatment as soon as possible. The following are common methods used to treat alcohol insomnia:Behavioral TherapyIn cases of alcohol insomnia, behavioral therapy focuses on an individual's behaviors and how they can be modified to improve their condition.OTC MedicationsInstead of using alcohol to induce sleep, over-the-counter medications, such as all-natural melatonin, can be administered.Prescription MedicationsIn some cases, a doctor may prescribe a sleep aid, such as Ambien or Seroquel, to treat alcohol insomnia.


Insomia first aid?

Insomnia first aid include no caffeine after 3pm, not alcohol after 7pm, a regular bedtime and a regular wake-up time.


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Insomnia is worsened with the use of alcohol. Alcohol is use by many to relax or assist sleep, but it actually deteriorates peaceful sleep. It makes it so that the person wakes up frequently, find it hard to get to sleep or has night terrors.


What are not the 5 Long-term effects of alcohol?

Some problems most experience after long term alcohol consumption is insomnia, liver disease, cardiovascular disease, malabsorption (food doesn't metabolize easily - beer gut), and if you are a pregnant female Fetal Alcohol Syndrome is something you to worry about, hypertension is also a long term side effect from alcohol.


The Connection Between Alcohol And Insomnia?

Insomnia is a condition that occurs when an individual is unable to sleep for a sufficient period of time each night. Some people attempt to overcome insomnia by taking sleeping pills or other types of medications that are intended to induce drowsiness. Alcohol is sometimes used as a self-medication for insomnia. The apparent effects of alcohol consumption might lead some to conclude that alcohol makes a person sleepy. This is not the case, however. Drinking to excess can cause a person to lose consciousness. This is not the same as the restful sleep that is required for good health. The human body has several stages of sleep that occur at different points throughout the night. Slow wave sleep (SWS) is a very deep and relaxing stage for the body. Rapid eye movement (REM) sleep occurs when the brain becomes more active. Everyone requires both SWS and REM sleep over the course of a single night. Studies have shown dramatic negative health effects when a person is deprived of REM sleep. Some people do experience drowsiness after drinking alcohol. This can make it easier to fall asleep at night. Unfortunately, the sleep that is induced is not necessarily restful. Alcohol in the system changes the way that the body reacts during sleep. The body tends to stop shifting from SWS to REM sleep. This can lead to a number of problems including depression, confusion and changes in behavior during the next day. This disruption in normal sleeping patterns has been shown to occur with even minor amounts of drinking several hours before bed. Alcohol can actually cause insomnia for a number of reasons. Sleep at night can be interrupted because of apnea that results from excessive drinking, frequent trips to the bathroom or elevated brain activity that results from increased glutamine production after the alcohol starts to leave the body. Long-term drinking can result in a number of psychological problems that can also cause insomnia. Individuals who are experiencing insomnia should seek medical advice and should not become reliant on alcohol for sleep.


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