Persistence of insomnia following abstinence from alcohol - SoberRecovery : Alcoholism Drug Addiction Help and Information

bottleslave · 03-27-2009, 04:18 AM

Found this fairly interesting 2001 academic piece by Kirk J. Brower, M.D., called "Alcohol’s Effects on Sleep in Alcoholics."

(Hey, I was up at 3:00 a.m. and couldn't sleep, right?)

I gots good news and bad news.

The good: insomnia is a common subacute withdrawal symptom that persists only for approximately 5 weeks. (I think this may be one reason I've had trouble staying sober to 45 days; just before that, I start feeling better and get cocky.)

The bad: some sleep abnormalities can persist for 1 to 3 years after cessation of alcohol consumption. Here's the money shot: "sleep fragmentation manifested by increases in sleep-stage changes, brief arousals, and REM sleep disruptions can persist for 1 to 3 years after establishing sobriety. Furthermore, most sleep disturbances that occur during recent abstinence (i.e., decreased total sleep time and SWS%, and increased sleep latency and stage 1 sleep) appear to normalize with sustained abstinence. REM sleep latency may remain abnormal from 9 to 27 months. Although some studies documented a return to normal REM% at 3 to 9 months, REM% may remain elevated for 27 months."

soidog · 04-01-2009, 09:00 PM

Thanks for posting that information. Its one of the common questions that come up often here. Nice to see some good info.

pearlwolf911 · 06-04-2009, 07:54 PM

Thanks. but the question is....how can I fix it?

Overman · 06-06-2009, 01:49 AM

I'm nearing 9 mos and I still struggle with insomnia (argh!).

I've found that diet and exercise help...the basics. No caffeine or high-sugar foods after 6pm, taking walks, lifting weights, swimming, etc.

Exercise will make you naturally tired, even if its just push-ups and sit-ups.

Also try reading. Mental exercise makes the brain tired (and by extension, the body).

GassyJack · 07-24-2009, 08:14 AM

thanks for posting that. explains alot.
Last drink i had was Dec2007. Sleeping not very well last few months. I fall asleep pretty easy but pretty much every nite i wake up at around 4am ..some times i can fall asleep again but most times its just a light sleep. Trying to sleep in on weekends is impossible. 6am to 7am is as far as i can get.
Nice to read that according to what you post it should get better over the next few months. Would love to be able to just sleep for 6hrs straight every nite like i used to

03-27-2009, 04:18 AM	#1 (permalink)
bottleslave Member Join Date: Mar 2009 Location: Nashville, TN Posts: 21	Persistence of insomnia following abstinence from alcohol Found this fairly interesting 2001 academic piece by Kirk J. Brower, M.D., called "Alcohol’s Effects on Sleep in Alcoholics." (Hey, I was up at 3:00 a.m. and couldn't sleep, right?) I gots good news and bad news. The good: insomnia is a common subacute withdrawal symptom that persists only for approximately 5 weeks. (I think this may be one reason I've had trouble staying sober to 45 days; just before that, I start feeling better and get cocky.) The bad: some sleep abnormalities can persist for 1 to 3 years after cessation of alcohol consumption. Here's the money shot: "sleep fragmentation manifested by increases in sleep-stage changes, brief arousals, and REM sleep disruptions can persist for 1 to 3 years after establishing sobriety. Furthermore, most sleep disturbances that occur during recent abstinence (i.e., decreased total sleep time and SWS%, and increased sleep latency and stage 1 sleep) appear to normalize with sustained abstinence. REM sleep latency may remain abnormal from 9 to 27 months. Although some studies documented a return to normal REM% at 3 to 9 months, REM% may remain elevated for 27 months."

06-06-2009, 01:49 AM	#4 (permalink)
Overman 9/15/08 Join Date: Jul 2008 Location: eastern Kansas Posts: 239	I'm nearing 9 mos and I still struggle with insomnia (argh!). I've found that diet and exercise help...the basics. No caffeine or high-sugar foods after 6pm, taking walks, lifting weights, swimming, etc. Exercise will make you naturally tired, even if its just push-ups and sit-ups. Also try reading. Mental exercise makes the brain tired (and by extension, the body). __________________ "If you can smile whenever anything goes wrong, you are either an idiot or a repairman." (or sober!) ~ Anon

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04-01-2009, 09:00 PM	#2 (permalink)
soidog Member Join Date: Mar 2008 Location: The Plains Posts: 69	Thanks for posting that information. Its one of the common questions that come up often here. Nice to see some good info.

06-04-2009, 07:54 PM	#3 (permalink)
pearlwolf911 Member Join Date: Jun 2009 Posts: 25 Blog Entries: 9	Thanks. but the question is....how can I fix it?

07-24-2009, 08:14 AM	#5 (permalink)
GassyJack Member Join Date: Feb 2008 Location: Vancouver BC Posts: 10	thanks for posting that. explains alot. Last drink i had was Dec2007. Sleeping not very well last few months. I fall asleep pretty easy but pretty much every nite i wake up at around 4am ..some times i can fall asleep again but most times its just a light sleep. Trying to sleep in on weekends is impossible. 6am to 7am is as far as i can get. Nice to read that according to what you post it should get better over the next few months. Would love to be able to just sleep for 6hrs straight every nite like i used to

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