What Is Alcohol Withdrawal Insomnia?

Closed the blackout curtains, turned on the relaxing sleep playlist, but still tossing and turning? Unfortunately, insomnia is a common experience for those of us in alcohol withdrawal. Withdrawal can be physically and mentally taxing on our body and, to make matters worse, we can’t even get a good night's rest. 

Now that we’ve stopped drinking, shouldn’t our sleep improve? It’s frustrating, but it can take time. Let’s better understand why and what strategies we can implement to improve insomnia during recovery. 

Alcohol Withdrawal Insomnia: A Barrier to Much-Needed Rest

Alcohol withdrawal insomnia is a symptom that can occur after quitting alcohol, marked by difficulties sleeping. Sleep disturbances can occur during acute alcohol withdrawal or even for a prolonged period after quitting alcohol. 

It’s a common misconception that our sleep improves immediately after quitting alcohol. Our body needs time to adjust to not having alcohol and repair normal sleep patterns after acute detox. According to the Substance Abuse and Mental Health Services Administration (SAMHSA), 25-72% of those with AUD report trouble sleeping. But why does it happen?

What Causes Alcohol Withdrawal Insomnia?

Withdrawal occurs when our body adjusts to not having a substance that we have developed a physical and neurological dependence on. This change requires significant adjustments, physiologically and neurologically, which can cause symptoms such as insomnia.

Alcohol is a depressant, which means it slows down messaging in our brain. This damper on our brain explains the sedative or relaxing properties associated with alcohol that may help us fall asleep initially. Our body can become dependent on the depressant effects of alcohol to help us fall asleep, making it difficult to fall asleep without it at first.

Neurologically, alcohol stimulates our GABA receptors, which produce feelings of pleasure and relaxation. When we are in withdrawal, our GABA receptors are understimulated. This can cause feelings of restlessness and anxiety — making sleep difficult. 

Adding to Insomnia: Alcohol Withdrawal’s Other Symptoms

While adjusting to independence from alcohol can undoubtedly cause sleep disturbances, our sleep is affected by many factors. Alcohol withdrawal can include many symptoms that contribute to decreased sleep quality, including the following:

• Heart palpitations
• Headaches
• Anxiety
• Shakes and tremors
• Hyperthermia (overheating) 
• GI disturbances
• Fever 

Just as these symptoms can worsen insomnia during alcohol withdrawal, insomnia can exacerbate other symptoms. This can create a vicious cycle, but it won’t last forever. 

How Long Does It Take To Improve Insomnia After Quitting Drinking? 

Everyone’s experience with alcohol withdrawal can vary. Some of us may never experience insomnia during withdrawal. For those of us who do, sleep disturbances may subside as other withdrawal symptoms decrease. Acute withdrawal can last about 7-10 days. 

After acute withdrawal, some of us may experience post-acute withdrawal syndrome (PAWS). PAWS describes symptoms of prolonged withdrawal that can occur for months to years after quitting alcohol. For some of us, insomnia can continue after acute withdrawal — lasting months to years, especially if we experienced difficulties sleeping previously. 

With our culture heavily pushing productivity and the availability of caffeinated drinks, how important is sleep?

The Importance of Sleep During Recovery

Sleep is essential to the proper functioning of our body systems. Getting adequate rest helps optimize our cell and organ function to detox from alcohol effectively and efficiently. It also supports cell and tissue repair, which can be essential in preventing and minimizing long-term health consequences caused by alcohol. 

Getting proper sleep after quitting alcohol can also help prevent relapses. Research shows that sleep deprivation decreases the sensitivity of dopamine receptors. This can make us more susceptible to participating in impulsive behaviors, increasing the risk of relapse.

Although insomnia is a common experience during alcohol withdrawal, sleep is essential to help us recover. So, how can we fix our sleep?

Tips on How To Get Sleep During Alcohol Withdrawal

Unfortunately, no magic pill or practice can get rid of our insomnia. However, humans are habitual; we thrive off habit and routine. Implementing healthy sleep habits can help improve our sleep:

• Have a sleep schedule. Developing a consistent sleep schedule helps our body redevelop a normal sleeping pattern. In the beginning, we may end up lying in bed for a while, but if we keep at it, we can train our body to sleep again. 

• Avoid caffeine and nicotine. Caffeine and nicotine are both stimulants, meaning that they can cause hyperactivity —decreasing our quality of sleep. We may be itching for our morning coffee after a poor night of rest, but depending on caffeine for energy throughout the day can perpetuate the cycle of insomnia.
• Avoid naps. Daytime naps can be difficult to avoid, especially during the fatigue of withdrawal. However, taking a lengthy nap during the day can increase the chance of difficulties sleeping during bedtime. Stick to power naps of no longer than 15 minutes to minimize the occurrence of insomnia. 
• Exercise regularly. Movement is beneficial for our physical and mental health. While vigorous exercise may be difficult while our body heals during withdrawal, walks or light stretching can help us expend some energy and promote the production of our “feel-good” hormones — helping boost our mood. 
• Develop a calming nighttime routine. Dimming the lights, listening to relaxing music, and winding down with a book can help our nervous system relax and set us up for a good night’s rest. A nighttime routine can help our body recognize that it’s time to sleep. 
• Use medication/supplements. Supplements such as melatonin and magnesium are reported to support improved sleep. If our insomnia becomes severe, and no other strategies are helping, our doctor may prescribe medication to help us get some much-needed rest. 

These tactics may not work immediately, but they can help reestablish a normal sleep schedule and fight off insomnia. 

Preventing Insomnia During Alcohol Withdrawal

If you’re not already experiencing insomnia, there are some things you can do to prevent it. As with treating insomnia, there’s no surefire method to prevent alcohol withdrawal insomnia, but there are some methods we can use to minimize the risk:

• Don’t wait. Alcohol withdrawal occurs when our body has developed an alcohol dependence. To minimize the risk of alcohol-related insomnia, we can address our relationship with alcohol before it becomes a bigger problem.
• Quit/cut back on alcohol. Since alcohol directly affects our sleep, quitting or cutting back on alcohol limits disruptions.
• Reduce stimulants. Stimulants such as caffeine and nicotine may provide a short energy boost during the day, but they can increase hyperactivity in the brain that makes it difficult to sleep at night. When mixed with alcohol’s depressant effects, it can send mixed signals to our brain, increasing the risk of insomnia.
• Alcohol detox treatment. In severe cases of alcohol withdrawal, assisted treatment may be needed. Detox treatment can consist of medical supervision and medically assisted treatment, which can help keep us safe and reduce severe symptoms that may also contribute to insomnia.
• Try supplements. Supplements such as melatonin, glycine, lavender, magnesium, and more can support better sleep. These may not automatically fix our sleep but can be helpful when used with other healthy habits.

Winding Down

Not being able to sleep when we want to can be excruciating. In fact, sleep deprivation is known to be used as a form of torture. For those of us experiencing alcohol withdrawal, insomnia can feel like this. Sleep is crucial during alcohol withdrawal, as our physical and neurological systems are repairing. Sticking to a sleep routine can be difficult in the beginning since we might end up tossing and turning. However, as our body adjusts to following a consistent sleep routine, our natural circadian rhythm will return.