Habits are tough to break, particularly when it comes to sleep patterns. The quicker you start working on breaking your bad habits, the easier it will be to create a healthier sleep routine. Here’s what you need to know about trouble sleeping without alcohol.

Because alcohol can have a depressive effect on the brain, drinking may help some people fall asleep faster. Drinking to fall asleep can cause or worsen some health issues over time. These include breathing issues like sleep apnea, which is linked to drinking. Moderate drinking is considered two drinks a day or less for men and one drink or less for woman, according to the Centers for Disease Control and Prevention (CDC).

Be a sleep-smart drinker.

CBT is a type of talking therapy that can help you to challenge your negative thought patterns and cope better with stress. For example, if you often find yourself having a drink when you’re worrying about work, CBT might help you to reframe these worries. You might be busy juggling work, family and friends, along with lots of other commitments and demands. So, it’s important to take some time out for yourself when you can. You could try doing a guided meditation, some gentle breathing exercises or taking a nice warm bath.

• These lapses in breathing can in turn cause sleep disruptions and decrease sleep quality.
• In fact, 12-step recovery programs often refer to the factors that increase a person’s risk for relapse as HALT, standing for Hungry, Angry, Lonely, or Tired.
• Alcohol may be consumed in beer, wine, and hard liquors like vodka, rum, gin, and whiskey.
• For individuals with severe alcohol dependence, however, withdrawal symptoms can be more severe and may require medical attention.
• The insomnia experienced during alcohol withdrawal is one reason people quitting alcohol use often seek professional help.

Your brain spends more time in this stage of sleep than in other stages. At the beginning of the NREM cycle, within seconds to just a few minutes after https://ecosoberhouse.com/ nodding off, alpha and theta brain waves cause eye movement to slow down. This is a stage of light sleep where the individual can be easily woken.

Alcohol’s Tricky Relationship With Insomnia

Although alcohol can help you get to sleep more easily, it will ultimately harm sleep duration and quality. But part of a smart, sleep-friendly lifestyle is managing alcohol consumption so it doesn’t disrupt your sleep and circadian rhythms. It’s not because I don’t appreciate a glass of wine with a great meal, or a few beers on a hot summer evening. It’s because I know what alcohol can do to sleep and healthy circadian rhythms. Even though alcohol can make you feel sleepy, it may impact your overall quality of sleep.

As the night progresses, this can create an imbalance between slow-wave sleep and REM sleep, resulting in less of the latter and more of the former. This imbalance decreases overall sleep quality, which can result in shorter sleep duration and more sleep disruptions. Often times, it’s easy to grab a bottle of your favorite après how to fall asleep without alcohol beverage to blow off steam and relieve the day’s tensions. And while the occasional urge to imbibe is normal, making it a daily habit can be disruptive to your health and well being. Drinking can also negatively impact sleep as the alcohol in your blood interrupts and compromises the recovery effects of your sleep cycle.