Pharmacological Treatment of Insomnia in Alcohol Recovery: A Systematic Review Alcohol and Alcoholism

Some of these solutions were serendipitous discoveries that I found through a process of trial and error. Others were gathered from a variety of reputable books and studies on the subject of nutritional repair for alcoholism and insomnia. Using relaxation techniques like yoga and meditation is a great way to unwind at bedtime. People are often kept awake by racing thoughts about their day, problems they need to solve, or other worries. Additionally, if your body moves during the day, it will need to rest at night. Sitting all day doesn’t wear you out physically, so a sedentary lifestyle can cause sleep problems. Eat something light and healthy before laying down to ensure you can make it until breakfast.

In addition, in this study melatonin was used as single treatment, while in practice melatonin is prescribed as an adjuvant drug to be taken in combination with other sleeping pills. Therefore, it is worth exploring the different effects on sleep quality when melatonin is used alone versus in conjunction with other sleep aids. This could be explained by the very short half-life of melatonin and also by the contrasting/complementary role of melatonin receptors on sleep phases. Preclinical studies showed that MT1 selective stimulation increased rapid eye movement sleep while MT2 receptors increased non-rapid eye movement sleep highlighting an opposite role of both receptors56. Further research investigating melatonergic receptors and different ligands is needed in order to clarify the specific role of each ligand. To our knowledge this is the first RCT using melatonin taken orally 1 hour before bed time for 4 weeks of treatment in AUD subjects. Our results were not consistent with the results of open-label studies that explored MT1 and MT2 synthetic agonists in AUD subjects.

Create A Bedtime Routine

This process of powering up and then slowing down helps to further slow activity in the brain. 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 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.

In other cases, they are necessary, but not sufficient to guarantee that you get the best night’s sleep possible. We will now proceed to discuss why it’s so difficult to sleep during alcohol withdrawal, followed by my Top 10 Remedies to resolve insomnia after quitting drinking. I’ll then review some lifestyle strategies that I still use to this day to ensure a great night’s sleep. Matt Gonzales is a writer and researcher for DrugRehab.com. He graduated with a degree in journalism from East Carolina University and began his professional writing career in 2011. Matt covers the latest drug trends and shares inspirational stories of people who have overcome addiction. Check on seat covers.

Does Binge Drinking Increase Insomnia?

PSQI global score and subscales were significantly decreased at the end of the treatment period. Further analyses of mood showed a significant time effect where anxiety and depression scores decreased significantly after 4 weeks. There is no standard amount of time that sleep issues last during alcohol withdrawal. Moderate to severe withdrawal symptoms typically last 72 hours and slowly dissipate in the days and weeks after. During the alcohol detox process, people in recovery may take a long time to fall asleep and have a hard time staying asleep throughout the night. People in alcohol recovery take a long time to fall asleep, have problems sleeping through the night, and feel that their sleep is not restorative. Would one experience these alcohol withdrawal symptoms if they drank 2 to 3 drinks a night and then quit cold turkey?

Studies are needed to compare the efficacy of pharmacological and nonpharmacological interventions for sleep in early alcohol recovery, both alone and in combination. Controversy about the effect of a drug is not unusual in the scientific literature. Although some previous studies showed promising effects of melatonin, other placebo-controlled trials showed different results. Our results are consistent with a study among patients diagnosed with Alzheimer’s disease where melatonin didn’t improve sleep quality vs placebo32. Another study among patients diagnosed with dementia didn’t show a significant effect of melatonin on sleep after 2 weeks of treatment33.

Tips For Dealing With Insomnia During Alcohol Withdrawal & Detox

Insomnia and other sleep disturbances are exceedingly common during early recovery from alcohol dependence and likely contribute to relapse in this population. When insomnia symptoms persist beyond four weeks and are accompanied by daytime impairments and/or psychological distress, adjunctive sleep treatments should be initiated. Both pharmacological and nonpharmacological treatments are available, but many are either inappropriate or have not been adequately tested in patients with a history of abuse.

• Sleep issues may include sleep apnea, insomnia, non-restorative sleep, and more.
• If you or a loved one is struggling with addiction, don’t wait.
• Lastly, melatonin in pill form typically has about a 2-hour window of effectiveness in the body.
• At the beginning of the NREM cycle, within seconds to just a few minutes after nodding off, alpha and theta brain waves cause eye movement to slow down.

This study was of short duration and did not include any relapse measures. Further systematic research into the use of these agents is required before we can conclude whether they are efficacious or harmful in this patient population. Friedman et al. 2008Trazodone1733 months on Rx and 6 month f/uImmediately post-detoxificationRelapse to drinkingPSQISleep improved significantly in trazodone group during active treatment phase. Le Bon et al. 2003Trazodone 164 weeks2 weeks post-detoxificationPSGPSGSleep efficiency was increased, reduced awakenings, improved non-REM sleep time and WASO.

Alcohol Withdrawal Insomnia: How Long Do Sleep Issues Last?

Nicassio PM, Bootzin R. A comparison of progressive relaxation and autogenic training as treatments for insomnia. Engle-Friedman M, Bootzin RR, Hazlewood L, Tsao C. An evaluation of behavioral treatments for insomnia in the older adult. Cajochen can’t sleep without alcohol C, Krauchi K, Wirz-Justice A. Role of melatonin in the regulation of human circadian rhythms and sleep. Mason BJ. Dosing issues in the pharmacotherapy of alcoholism. Longo LP, Johnson B. Treatment of insomnia in substance abusing patients.

The effects of these stimulants can last for hours after consumption. To decrease your trouble sleeping without alcohol, you should avoid stimulants in the evening. A tolerance can develop quickly, causing trouble sleeping without alcohol. As a result, it takes more alcohol to cause sleepiness, leading to addiction and alcohol use disorder. Insomnia is a common side effect when someone goes through alcohol detox or withdrawal. A Journal of Addiction Medicine study states insomnia in early recovery is five times higher than the general population.