![]() ![]() ![]() Even after getting a full night’s sleep, they may struggle with exhaustion⁷. At that point, someone coming down from stimulant use will experience a “crash” due to the imbalance of chemicals in the brain.Īs the crash sets in, they’ll lose their sense of energy and excitement and feel sluggish and completely fatigued for days. These drugs are known for their altering and energetic quality, and with continuous use, they can prevent a solid night’s sleep for days until the effects wear off. With regular stimulant use, insomnia is practically inevitable. These drugs give people an artificial energy boost that often results in anxiety and restlessness. Instead of dampening the central nervous system, they kick it into high gear. Stimulant drugs such as cocaine, methamphetamine, and Adderall (for people without ADHD) have the opposite effect as alcohol and benzodiazepines. Once those substances wear off, your central nervous system becomes overly excited, making it difficult to fall asleep. Using these drugs regularly causes the central nervous system to become more excitatory in response you’ll feel more stimulated and reactionary because your baseline level of central nervous system activity increases to counteract the effects of these drugs. While this makes them commonly used as a sleep aid, your body will often have a rebound effect that makes sleep difficult. This means that they slow down automatic bodily functions, such as your heart rate and respiration⁶. Alcohol and Benzodiazepinesĭrugs such as alcohol and benzodiazepines act as central nervous system depressants. While insomnia is a common symptom across most substance use disorders, the way that specific drugs affect your sleep can explain why they interfere with sleep quality. Drug Specific Effects on Sleepĭifferent substances affect sleep in unique ways. This is a typical pattern in substance use disorders: the attempt to solve a problem with drug use exacerbates the problem further down the line. While insomnia occurs in roughly half of people recovering from a substance use disorder, the likelihood dramatically increases if you use substances to cope with your insomnia. This reliance can create a significant problem for people entering recovery. ![]() However, repeated use of substances to help fall asleep will ultimately result in dependence and further sleep problems. People who have trouble sleeping on their own may have a nightcap before bed, take a pill, or try smoking marijuana to aid in falling asleep. Insomnia will often drive people to use substances to help them fall asleep. If people begin to use substances to attempt to manage their insomnia on their own, the problem can quickly fall into a negative spiral. Essentially, the more people use drugs or alcohol, the worse their average sleep quality is. Over time, consistent sleep loss can lead to a whole host of health issues.Ĭlinical research has shown that quality sleep and substance use are directly opposed⁵. Sleep disruptions can prevent your body from fully resting and recovering. Brain changes associated with substance use disorder can create sleep disturbances⁴.Stimulant drugs, such as methamphetamine or cocaine, can produce insomnia³.Depressants, such as alcohol or opiates, reduce the quality of your sleep¹ ².There are several reasons for this relationship: Substance use negatively impacts your sleep. Understanding these associations may increase your chances of sustained recovery. This means that sleep affects how much you use substances, and substances affect the quality and quantity of your sleep. Poor quality sleep and substance use have a bidirectional relationship. Unfortunately, the opposite is true: poor sleep quality can disrupt routines and increase the likelihood of relapse.įortunately, medical treatments and behavioral changes can make a profound difference in sleep quality and support those in recovery. Quality sleep can make it easier for people to get sober and maintain recovery. Sleep quality and substance use are interconnected in several ways.
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