Effect sizes were estimated for sleep quality, days of alcohol abstinence, and symptoms of depression. Type of intervention (behavioral versus pharmacological) was tested as a moderator of intervention efficacy. Overall, the existing longitudinal and experimental evidence indicates that a range of sleep/circadian characteristics during adolescence and young adulthood influence risk for the development of alcohol use and/or related problems. Compared to “good sleepers,” adults with insomnia may experience relatively greater tension reduction and deeper sleep (based on slow-wave sleep) in response to alcohol, underscoring why they might initially turn to alcohol as a sleep aid. If sleep problems are related to relapse, then treatment of sleep problems in alcoholic patients could possibly decrease relapse rates.

Individuals with mental health conditions are also more likely to develop insomnia. See how your sleep habits and environment measure up and gauge how adjusting behavior can improve sleep quality. Nalmefene gave more insomnia than placebo, although the significance was either null or not reported. The “OR” Boolean Operator was used within each https://ecosoberhouse.com/ column to search for synonyms, while the “AND” operator was used between the columns to search for associations of terms. Cochrane was additionally searched to exclude the existence of other systematic reviews or protocols on this topic and to use related systematic reviews for manual harvesting of additional manuscripts through the references.

Longitudinal Sleep and Alcohol Studies

Comprehensive searches of psychological, medical, and educational databases were conducted to identify records that reported results of insomnia interventions for individuals with AUD. Electronic databases included PsycINFO, PubMed, EMBASE, Educational Resources Information Clearinhouse (ERIC), SocIndex, Cumulative Index to Nursing and Allied Health (CINAHL), Cochrane Library, Web of Science, Global Health, and ProQuest Dissertations. The electronic bibliographic database searches were conducted in October 2016. We also reviewed the reference sections of relevant reviews for any additional manuscripts not found from the electronic database searches. Alcohol withdrawal insomnia may clear up when withdrawal symptoms subside.

Alcohol can increase the quantity of non-REM sleep during the first half of the night, but it decreases REM sleep in the second half. If you’re turning to alcohol to help you sleep, you may be making the quality of your sleep worse. Many of us find ourselves tossing and turning at night, alcohol induced insomnia trying to get that elusive 7 to 8 hours of sleep experts say we need but never finding it. Treating these conditions may be necessary as some individuals experience insomnia due to other health issues. Consuming certain substances, such as alcohol, can disrupt sleep schedules.

1. Alcohol Consumption

Among those with AD, treatment-seeking subjects have been demonstrated to have a higher Periodic Limb Movement Index (PLMI) as compared to controls (Brower and Hall, 2001). A longitudinal study involving patients sober for 2–3 weeks after withdrawal, demonstrated higher baseline PLMI and PLMI with arousals versus healthy controls (Gann et al., 2002). At the 6-month follow-up, subjects with AD who relapsed had significantly higher PLMI and PLMI with arousals, than those who did not.