Alcohol Withdrawal Syndrome Vs A Hangover
While some of the symptoms of alcohol withdrawal syndrome are similar to a hangover, they are not the same condition. Alcohol withdrawal syndrome and a hangover have different causes.
A hangover occurs when a person drinks too much alcohol at one time. Alcohol withdrawal syndrome occurs when a person with alcohol use disorder stops or suddenly decreases their alcohol intake.
Too much alcohol can irritate the stomach lining, cause dehydration, and lead to an inflammatory response in the body. As the alcohol wears off, these effects lead to common hangover symptoms, such as headache, nausea, and fatigue.
Alcohol withdrawal syndrome is different. If a person has alcohol use disorder, their body gets used to a certain amount of alcohol in their system.
The continued use of alcohol causes changes in the central nervous system and neurotransmitter production in the brain. When the supply of alcohol is suddenly stopped or decreased, withdrawal symptoms can develop.
Anyone that thinks they are dependent on alcohol should consider speaking to a doctor.
Alcohol use disorder can lead to various physical and mental health conditions. However, treatment is available and can be highly effective.
For those trying to detox from alcohol, it is vital to do so under the supervision of a doctor, as the withdrawal symptoms may be severe.
Effective Ways How To Get Sleep During Alcohol Withdrawal
There are some things that an alcohol withdrawal will cause to your body. While undergoing the difficult process, you may experience an extreme case of a bad insomnia. This insomnia may not allow you to get a good sleep that you really need. Other than that, a lack of sleep is a serious condition that may become worse if you do not treat it.
This article will give you the 35 Ways How to Get Sleep during Alcohol Withdrawal. You can also read the causes and effects from lack of sleep as you may experience some of them already.
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Causes of Inability to Sleep
Some causes that make you unable to fall asleep are:
- Tension
Effects from Having No Sleep
These are the effects that will take a toll on you:
- Moody
- Lack of Energy
How to Get Sleep
Here are some ways that you can do to help you fall asleep during alcohol withdrawal:
1. Avoid Napping
You may feel the urge to take naps during the day but dont. Naps will only confuse your body from the right schedule to sleep. Moreover, naps will also make you feel less sleepy at night.
2. Keep Regular Sleeping Time
Make sure that you have a regular sleeping time. Stick to that particular time every day. This will create a sleeping habit for your body. It will make you fall asleep easier.
3. Avoid Caffeine at Night
Dont consume any caffeine at night. The caffeine will only give your body a push of high energy. You will not be able to have a good sleep. Drink water or juice instead.
4. Dont Stay Awake in Bed
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Alcohol Can Cause Nighttime Wakeups
Because alcohol is a diuretic, people may wake up more often to go to the bathroom during the night if they have been drinking. Alcohol actually decreases how much antidiuretic hormone the body produces, causing lowered reabsorption of water. So, our kidneys kick into gear and our body loses more fluid through urination. After a night of drinking, people may wake up needing to go, even if their bladder doesnt typically bother them at night.
Another issue? Alcohol may affect ones circadian rhythms, leading to nighttime wakeups. A small 2010 study published in the journal Alcoholism: Clinical & Experimental Research found that chronic drinking disrupted circadian rhythms. Researchers compared blood samples from 22 men who met the diagnostic criteria for alcohol dependence with samples from 12 subjects who did not. They found that the groups had genetic differences related to their circadian clocks.
In other words, chronic alcohol consumption was associated with a destruction of normal circadian clock gene expression, study author Sy-Jye Leu, a researcher at Taipei Medical University, said in a statement. This altered expression is closely related to circadian rhythm dysfunction and might link to a variety of physiological problems such as sleep/wake cycle dysregulation, depression, and even cancer.
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Signs Our Sleep Is Taking A Hit
Sometimes it can be difficult to figure out what is causing various problems with ones sleep. Plus, everyone handles alcohol differently, so some people may be seriously affected while others may not be.
One helpful tool is to track our sleep for a while and compare our sleep on nights when we have consumed alcohol to our sleep on nights when we have not. There are a number of available options for tracking our sleep. One option is a wearable sleep tracker, like one built into a smartwatch. These trackers use the accelerometer within the smartwatch to track when one is asleep, restless, and awake. They can also estimate how long we spend in different stages of sleep, though their accuracy is questionable the only truly accurate way to measure sleep stages is using an EEG to track our brain waves.
Some smartphone apps can also track our sleep, for example when kept under our pillow or at the corner of your bed to record our physical movement during the night. And of course, there is always the good old-fashioned method of writing down any observations about ones sleep after waking up the next morning. We can note down our bedtime, what time we woke up in the morning, any times we woke up during the night, if we needed to go to the bathroom during the night, and anything unusual we remember about that nights sleep.
Rekindle An Old Hobby Or Start A New One
When you stop drinking, you will find that you have a lot more time on your hands. You might be shocked at how much time you spent drinking, thinking about drinking, obtaining alcohol and recovering from drinking too much. Its always good to sink your time and energy into something that is fulfilling and productive. Do you have an old hobby that you would like to start up again? Or, is there a new hobby that you have always wanted to dive into?
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Sleep Disturbances Linked To Withdrawal
More than one type of sleep disturbance can contribute to sleep deprivation for a person undergoing alcohol withdrawal. These include insomnia, frequent waking at night, restless sleep, and night terrors.
Failure to get a good nights sleep leads to excessive drowsiness during the day. As the sleep disturbances continue, their effects become more noticeable during daytime hours. It becomes more difficult to focus and process information.
Does Alcohol Withdrawal Cause Insomnia
When cutting alcohol out of your life can lead to a wide array of symptoms. Your body becomes dependent on alcohol over time. Taking that alcohol away means your body is going to have to readjust. Many people struggle with the symptoms of alcohol withdrawal. That is why going to an alcohol detox facility or rehabilitation facility to stop using or abusing alcohol is so important. If you want to get over an alcohol addiction, we are here to help at Compass Detox.
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What Are The Side Effects Of Alcohol Withdrawal Insomnia
The number one concern for people in recovery is a recurrence of use. When people have trouble sleeping without alcohol, it can cause various negative side effects. Above all, insomnia can influence people to drink again.
Other side effects of alcohol withdrawal insomnia include:
- Mood swings
- Increases the challenges of recovery
How Does Alcohol Affect Your Sleep
Initially, a little alcohol before bed might seem helpful for insomnia. However, people can rapidly develop tolerance to the sedating effects of alcohol. A small study shows quite explicitly how quickly alcohol becomes ineffective when used repeatedly for sleep. In volunteers struggling with insomnia without a history of alcohol use, alcohol or placebo was given nightly before bed. Initially, smaller amounts of alcohol did increase total sleep time and deep sleep. However, these effects were quickly lost within a week. As the study continued, subjects who had been given alcohol before bed were inclined to increase alcohol consumption, up to almost the equivalent of 3 beers a night. The study clearly demonstrates how quickly tolerance develops for alcohol which puts a person at risk for developing alcohol use disorders.7
With higher doses, especially over long-term consumption, alcohol may have even worse effects on sleep.8 Higher doses of alcohol have been shown to disrupt sleep, particularly during the second half of the night.
Studies also show that alcohol may exacerbate sleep-disordered breathing such as snoring and even obstructive sleep apnea. Heavy drinkers appear to be at increased risk of exacerbating sleep apnea, and this combination can increase a persons risk of heart attack, stroke, and sudden death.
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Cognitive Behavioral Therapy For Insomnia
The goal of cognitive behavioral therapy for insomnia is to change sleep habits as well as any misconceptions about sleep and insomnia that may perpetuate sleep difficulties. CBT-I often entails regular, weekly meetings, during which your therapist will give you sleep assessments, work with you to alter problematic sleep behaviors, and ask you to complete a sleep diary at home.
Managing Alcohol Withdrawal Symptoms That Disturb Sleep
When it comes to detox of any substance, the symptoms will likely worsen before they improve. This does take time and is usually very different for each person to experience, especially without help. The association between alcohol withdrawal and night terrors is not exempt. Typically, beginning detox in the initial stages of treatment, the uncomfortable effects of withdrawal include worsening sleep quality.
Though this will eventually subside in most cases, residential addiction treatment offers treatment options to assist. Providing a quiet and safe space, inpatient rehab allows for a more forgiving schedule, which allows for inconsistencies in sleep. In order to retain lessons and behavioral skills throughout the process, regaining healthy sleep habits is considered a major priority.
While in the care of trained professionals during residential treatment, recovering alcoholics work toward developing proper sleep hygiene. Attempting detox and rehab for alcohol is not only a dangerous process to do alone, but can also lack structure. Having an effective program designed for these specific needs during alcohol withdrawal lessens the threat of developing chronic sleep conditions.
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Ride Out The Cravings
The craving for alcohol will be a persistent challenge during withdrawal. There will be multiple points throughout the process where you will be tempted to have a drink. Its helpful to think of your craving as a wave Cravings build, peak, crash and then dissipate. The point is that eventually, your craving will go away the wave will crash.
Also, dont get caught off guard in thinking that since one craving stopped, another one wont come quickly. Often, cravings can come quickly and in succession of each other.
Remedy #: Nutrient Repair
Ultimately, how to end alcohol withdrawal insomnia is the same question as how to end alcohol withdrawal itself. If you want to sleep better after quitting alcohol, a full program of nutrient repair should be high on your priority list.
Many alcoholics are deficient in B-vitamins, which can lead to various psychological disturbances including insomnia.
In particular, Vitamin B6 must be present in order for tryptophan to convert into serotonin, which itself is a precursor for melatonin.
Before proceeding, Ill briefly discuss four additional nutrients that are effective for insomnia.
- Lithium Orotate Compound containing 5mg of elemental lithium, a rare trace mineral that support the nervous system in similar ways as magnesium. It has helped many people, including myself, feel noticeably more mellow and sleep more easily.
- Niacinamide One of the forms of Vitamin B3 , can increase serotonin concentrations. It can be taken along with tryptophan to induce sleep and mood-boosting properties via the same pathway used by tryptophan and 5-HTP.
- Inositol A natural glucose isomer that regulates GABA and serotonin and enhances REM sleep. To be effective, this nutrient needs to be taken for at least a few weeks so that it can accumulate and begin working.
- Melatonin This sleep-signaling hormone may also have antioxidant properties. Melatonin is contained in Sleep Support, in which it works synergistically with other sleep-inducing compounds.
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Remedy #: Sleep Support
For people that quit drinking and cant sleep Im SUPER PUMPED to tell you about Sleep Support because its an easy and affordable way to consume many of my favorite sleep-inducing nutrients.
Here is a list of some of the potent natural compounds contained in Sleep Support:
- Magnesium Citrate Counteracts insomnia by calming the entire nervous system
- L-Theanine Encourages sleep by lowering glutamate and cortisol levels
- L-Tryptophan Naturally increases levels of serotonin and melatonin
- Melatonin Primary hormone used by our bodies to induce sleep
- Ashwagandha Improves sleep by modulating GABA and balancing the thyroid
- Valerian Promotes sleep by enhancing GABA activity
- Wild Lettuce Leaf Supports sleep via pain-relieving and anti-anxiety compounds
- Hops Encourages sleep by calming brain activity and inducing relaxation
This supplement absolutely works to bring on sleep more quickly and to provide a deeper nights rest. Shipping is free, and if Sleep Support doesnt agree with your biochemistry or help you sleep better, you can return it for a full refund.
My only criticism of Sleep Support is that it only contains 13.5 mg of magnesium citrate, and Ive had the best results with 250-500 mg per day. This problem can easily be solved by taking it along with some extra magnesium citrate.
It would be difficult to find all of the ingredients in Sleep Support for a reasonable price. It is a godsend for many of my private clients!
How Alcohol Impacts Sleep What You Should Know
Those who you drink alcohol have probably had a had a night where a few drinks left them feeling drowsy. Alcohol is a depressant, which means it can help one fall asleep faster. However, it can affect the quality of our sleep, and not in a good way.
In 2013, researchers reviewed 20 studies centered on alcohol and sleep for an overarching look at the detrimental impacts of alcohol on nighttime rest. This review confirms that the immediate and short-term impact of alcohol is to reduce the time it takes to fall asleep, Irshaad Ebrahim, director of the London Sleep Center and lead author of the review, said in a statement. In addition, the higher the dose, the greater the impact on increasing deep sleep.
The review also found that alcohol reduces the time spent in REM sleep. In sum, said Chris Idzikowski, director of the Edinburgh Sleep Centre, alcohol, on the whole, is not useful for improving a whole nights sleep. Sleep may be deeper to start with, but then becomes disrupted. Additionally, that deeper sleep will probably promote snoring and poorer breathing. So, one shouldnt expect better sleep with alcohol.
This piece will cover all the different ways alcohol affects sleep, including making us fall asleep quicker, decreasing the amount of time spent in REM sleep, contributing to vivid dreams and nightmares, increasing the number of times we wake up during the night, and upping our risk of obstructive sleep apnea.
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What Options Exist For Treating Insomnia In Alcoholic Patients
A number of effective pharmacological and nonpharmacological treatment options exist to manage insomnia. Most have been evaluated in non-alcoholic insomnia patients so their efficacy in alcoholic patients is uncertain. Moreover, treating insomnia in the alcoholic patients requires special consideration because of the abuse history and potential for overdose with some pharmacological agents when mixed with alcohol. Clinical guidelines have been recommended for addressing insomnia complaints in early recovery.43 Good sleep practices should be discussed with all recovering alcoholic patients, but adjunctive insomnia treatment should be initiated if sleep problems persist beyond one month and are accompanied by daytime impairment and/or psychological distress.
Yoga Helps Cope With Alcohol Withdrawal Insomnia
Yoga is a gentle exercise that helps you get in tune with your body. When you struggle with alcohol withdrawal insomnia, it can make you feel totally out of wack mentally and physically. By including yoga in your daily routine, you decrease your trouble sleeping without alcohol and become more connected with yourself.
Typically, yoga includes slow, gentle movements in rhythm with your breathing. However, there are many types of yoga, including slow-paced Hatha yoga to vigorous power yoga. Making yoga a lifetime practice also increases lifelong recovery.
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How To Get Better Sleep During Alcohol Detox
Sleeping better is critical to a successful recovery. Experts recommend including sleep as part of the treatment plan, as better sleep makes the other aspects of detox easier to manage. For example, one study showed that successful treatment of insomnia both improved sleep and symptoms of depression in those with comorbid alcoholism.
However, given the individuals tendency for addiction, clinicians may advise to avoid sedatives or other medication. In that case, the following behavioral tips can improve sleep during detox.
