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Disease & Conditions

Alcoholism

How Alcohol and Insomnia Are Related

Alcoholism:

Insomnia is a condition which keeps the sufferer from getting to sleep and/or staying asleep. Insomnia is the inability to fall asleepon a regular basis. Many people associate insomnia and alcohol, but there is more than meets the eye. It has been said that alcohol is a good treatment for insomnia, when the truth is that it is more of a problem than a solution.

Why Alcohol Affects Sleep

Consuming alcohol affects a person's body in many ways. Because it is a depressant, it can make a person feel tired, but typically at a time that is outside their regular sleep cycle. Plus, after its effects wear off, it can actually stimulate the body. This depends on the amount of alcohol consumed, and varies by person, but either way alcohol actually disrupts the circadian rhythm or sleep pattern.

Multiple studies have proven that alcohol does indeed induce sleep at first, but more importantly it interrupts the second cycle, known as REM sleep. REM stands for "rapid eye movement", and it is the most restful period of sleep, so by disrupting it the person's quality of rest is greatly reduced. For people who consume alcohol often, the withdrawal affects they experience during sleep reduce the effects of sleep. Therefore, the combination of insomnia and alcohol can lead to prolonged problems getting a good night's sleep.

More Issues With Alcohol

One other issue with using alcohol as an insomnia "treatment" is the limiting of long-term treatment choices. This can be a vicious cycle, because the sufferer tends to latch onto alcohol as their choice for getting to sleep due to the short-term results, causing serious long-term problems with their liver, excess body fat, heart and kidneys.

It is much easier to stop pretending alcohol is a solution for insomnia when provided with a worthwhile, healthy alternative. There are many prescriptions on the market to treat insomnia's effects, and plenty of excellent alternative treatments as well. One natural hormone, known as melatonin, helps to trigger the body's sleep patterns. Some have reported findings of alcohol being directly related to a lack of melatonin in the system, which can lead to an increase in insomnia's negative side effects

By using proper treatment methods such as prescriptions, herbal remedies and behavioral treatments such as meditation, feng shui or soothing music, the insomnia sufferer can enjoy better sleep without the use of alcohol.

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