Alcohol, Sleep, And Drinking Dreams
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Around 20% of Americans use alcohol to aid sleep, yet its effects on sleep are intricate. Alcohol accelerates the process of falling asleep but disrupts vital rapid eye movement (REM) sleep, which is necessary for restoration, dreams, and emotional well-being. Insomnia, defined as persistent sleep issues for over three weeks, is intertwined with substance abuse in 10-15% of cases.
The sleep cycle consists of REM and non-REM sleep, with the latter having four stages. From light sleep, we progress through intermediate and deep sleep, then enter the alternating cycles of REM and non-REM every 90 minutes. Drinking before bed accelerates sleep onset but inhibits REM, leaving us fatigued and groggy, and reducing melatonin production by 20%.
In sobriety, REM rebounds after 5-6 days, resulting in more REM sleep and shorter intervals between REM and non-REM. Alcohol use disorder disrupts total sleep time during drinking and early recovery, though recovery gradually restores this.
Dreaming, especially in vivid REM sleep, helps process emotions. Stress and anxiety during early recovery contribute to nightmares about alcohol. A study involving people in recovery found that relapse dreams – where the individual drinks their substance of choice – decrease over time, indicating psychological healing and adaptation to abstinence.
Listen to episode 3 to learn more about your sleep in early sobriety:
Cite this article:
Tietz, G. Alcohol, Sleep, And Drinking Dreams. Sober Powered. 2020
