After one week away from alcohol, you may notice that you are sleeping better. When you drink, you typically fall straight into a deep sleep, missing the important rapid eye movement (REM) sleep.
SAMHSA statistics indicate such sleep problems can last weeks, months, or even years after drinking stops. Multiple studies support the finding that those in recovery from an AUD often experience sleep disturbances that last up to months or longer, and that getting to sleep was the most reported challenge.
Sleep is better without alcohol
People might find it easier to fall asleep – or even nod off when they don't mean to – if they've been drinking alcohol. Just because you fall asleep quickly doesn't mean that you will have a good quality sleep.
That's why you end up feeling tired the day after drinking. Two weeks off alcohol will help you reset your sleep cycle, getting you into a regular and undisturbed pattern. You'll wake more refreshed and alert each day, helping to boost your concentration and performance at work and play.
You may feel significant sleep issues after you quit drinking. The majority of heavy alcohol drinkers who stop drinking have trouble sleeping at initial days of abstinence; this is a common symptom of alcohol withdrawal, which causes many drinkers to relapse.
However, by day 4 without alcohol, most people will have got beyond any initial withdrawal symptoms. All the alcohol will have left your system by now, and your body will begin to bounce back. If you're not as focused on alcohol, you may be eating better, drinking water, moving more, and perhaps sleeping more deeply.
Specific brain cells in the forebrain promote a state of wakefulness. Alcohol appears to inhibit neurotransmitters that activate these brain cells. This can disturb the whole sleep-wake cycle, disrupting sleep and potentially predisposing a person to insomnia.
Overall benefits of three weeks without alcohol
Weight loss. Clear skin. More energy. Improved gym performance.
More energy
Following a better, more restful night's sleep, you're certain to feel more energetic through the day. You'll also be much less irritable and could perhaps wake up feeling much stronger and refreshed than you're used to.
In general, you may start to experience physical benefits such as increased energy, reduced anxiety, and improved liver health. You might also notice positive changes in your personal life, such as improved relationships and more free time for hobbies.
When people stop drinking, their body undergoes a state of physical and mental exhaustion, which causes them to have trouble sleeping, as well as fatigue, sore muscles, and headaches. These symptoms make it difficult for them to function normally and as a result, they may feel tired or have trouble concentrating.
All of your body's systems are back to their usual working levels. You may find that you have more energy and better concentration. Even if you toss and turn a bit at first, when you do drop off you'll get better-quality sleep and probably wake feeling more refreshed the next day.
You may find that you have more energy and your thinking is clearer, too. Lots of people describe this as 'the fog lifting'. You may find it easier to get up in the mornings and you'll be less prone to mood swings. By this time you've completed your first sober weekend – well done!
If you stop drinking alcohol for a whole month, you can reduce the stress placed on your GI tract. It could help you with bloating. Alcohol is also an inflammatory agent. If you stop drinking alcohol for a month, you will have less inflammation throughout your body, getting rid of aches and pains.
5 Weeks Without Alcohol
Your skin will improve. Drinking causes dehydration due to alcohol binding to your body's protein that helps reabsorb water back into the body. This means you urinate excess water while you're drinking, which typically would have been retained by your body to stay hydrated.
BENEFITS: Less inflammation, better sleep, reduced anxiety, improved mood & energy, healthier-looking skin, potential weight loss.
Because the liver is in a constant state of regeneration, in many cases the healing process can begin within just weeks after foregoing alcohol. This happens when the liver enlarges already existing healthy cells, and new cells begin to form in the area that has sustained damage or injury.
For one, I am physically renewed with a new sense of normal, one gloriously free from hangovers. I wake up most days by 6:30 a.m. and meditate. Often, I will do some yoga or stretching before work. Mornings are quiet and calm, and I move through them with a grateful mind.
According to the Recovery Research Institute, it takes 14 months of complete abstinence for the dopamine transporter levels (DAT) to return to nearly normal.
What do you mean by heavy drinking? For men, heavy drinking is typically defined as consuming 15 drinks or more per week. For women, heavy drinking is typically defined as consuming 8 drinks or more per week.
Depending on how much you drank, your starting weight, your age, and how you've treated diet and exercise since you stopped drinking, it's not uncommon to lose anywhere between 6-15 pounds after a month without alcohol.
Among patients in recovery from alcohol dependence, insomnia complaints are especially frequent and may persist for weeks to months post-abstinence.
However, people who drink before bed often experience disruptions later in their sleep cycle as liver enzymes metabolize alcohol. This can lead to excessive daytime sleepiness and other issues the following day.
After a night of drinking, you're more likely to experience several disruptions in your sleep due to your body's effort to process the alcohol when you're sleeping. “For one, a chemical process called glutamine rebound can stimulate your body and wake you up,” Mansour adds.