Abstaining from alcohol makes my mornings worse?
March 26, 2024 3:20 AM Subscribe
When I have 2-3 alcoholic drinks before going to bed, the next morning I wake up easily and refreshed. When I do not drink alcohol at all, it feels like I've been hit by a train the next morning. This happens consistently, even after 1-2 months of not drinking, and even when I make sure to stay hydrated. I also do not use an alarm clock most mornings (I wake naturally), so it doesn't seem like I should be waking up in the middle of a sleep cycle.
When I say "hit by a train," I mean that I have an extremely hard time waking up, and a hard time remembering what happened the day/night before, and I can't really think or function for an hour or so. Sometimes it's so bad that I find myself thinking, "Jesus, how much did I drink last night????" because it feels like a hangover (which I haven't truly experienced in over a decade).
As mentioned above, this happens consistently even after 1-2 months of not drinking at all, and even when I'm making sure to stay hydrated, and even when I don't use an alarm clock to wake up in the morning.
Does this happen to anyone else? Does this point to any medical conditions I could pursue? It's really frustrating.
When I say "hit by a train," I mean that I have an extremely hard time waking up, and a hard time remembering what happened the day/night before, and I can't really think or function for an hour or so. Sometimes it's so bad that I find myself thinking, "Jesus, how much did I drink last night????" because it feels like a hangover (which I haven't truly experienced in over a decade).
As mentioned above, this happens consistently even after 1-2 months of not drinking at all, and even when I'm making sure to stay hydrated, and even when I don't use an alarm clock to wake up in the morning.
Does this happen to anyone else? Does this point to any medical conditions I could pursue? It's really frustrating.
The alcohol might be pushing you past some kind of sleep disturbance? It might help to get a sleep study done.
posted by tiny frying pan at 4:41 AM on March 26, 2024 [23 favorites]
posted by tiny frying pan at 4:41 AM on March 26, 2024 [23 favorites]
Do you drink coffee or have a lot of caffeine and sugar during the day? That might be leading to poor sleep quality and booze might mean you're sleeping more deeply.
Just as an anecdotal point, I had to give up coffee for blood pressure reasons and I've discovered that I can wake up much more easily and feel better in the mornings now I only drink decaf. When I have too much caffeine these days I sleep badly and wake up exhausted, a lot like you're describing, and end up feeling like I need a coffee.. rinse and repeat. I assume it's got something to do with a high/crash cycle.
As well as talking to your doctor about a sleep study, I'd definitely look into what other substances you're using which might be influencing your energy levels.
posted by fight or flight at 5:20 AM on March 26, 2024 [4 favorites]
Just as an anecdotal point, I had to give up coffee for blood pressure reasons and I've discovered that I can wake up much more easily and feel better in the mornings now I only drink decaf. When I have too much caffeine these days I sleep badly and wake up exhausted, a lot like you're describing, and end up feeling like I need a coffee.. rinse and repeat. I assume it's got something to do with a high/crash cycle.
As well as talking to your doctor about a sleep study, I'd definitely look into what other substances you're using which might be influencing your energy levels.
posted by fight or flight at 5:20 AM on March 26, 2024 [4 favorites]
It happens to me to an extent. But when I drink so much as two alcoholic drinks I am basically forced awake 3-4 hours after I fall asleep - usually around 3am or 4am - and it is EXTREMELY awake. Like mind-racing coked-up feeling ready to pace the room "holy shit why can't I be this awake when I wake up at the hour that I'm supposed to wake up" levels of awake. It sucks for me though because it's lose-lose - if I try to power through the day on that little sleep I will definitely crash hard at around noon; if I fall back asleep it will only be for another hour or two and I will wake up feeling extremely groggy and disoriented and terrible.
I've read that anxiety is a common hangover symptom as alcohol can cause noradrenaline to spike so I wonder if this is what we're experiencing when we wake up with a blast of energy, but to different extents - you appear to get a full night it sounds like which is sort of nice, if it wasn't triggered by booze, which is probably not ideal.
posted by windbox at 6:38 AM on March 26, 2024 [1 favorite]
I've read that anxiety is a common hangover symptom as alcohol can cause noradrenaline to spike so I wonder if this is what we're experiencing when we wake up with a blast of energy, but to different extents - you appear to get a full night it sounds like which is sort of nice, if it wasn't triggered by booze, which is probably not ideal.
posted by windbox at 6:38 AM on March 26, 2024 [1 favorite]
The only person I know that this happens to is an alcoholic who self medicated to treat anxiety. If you have gone a very long time of drinking to manage your anxiety symptoms, 1-2 months is 1) not long enough for your brain to bring your chemicals back to normal levels, and 2) still allows the underlying condition to come through.
If this seems like you, I would consider trying therapy and antidepressants while sober and see if it helps.
posted by corb at 7:03 AM on March 26, 2024 [5 favorites]
If this seems like you, I would consider trying therapy and antidepressants while sober and see if it helps.
posted by corb at 7:03 AM on March 26, 2024 [5 favorites]
I don't know what's going on, but I think I'm experiencing something similar. For the last few weeks, I've been sleeping *terribly*, waking up 5-10 times a night and never really dropping into a deep sleep... except on those nights when I have a couple of beers, when I sleep comparatively well. It's frustrating. That's well below the hangover level, but above the recommended weekly maximum if I do it every night.
The sleep problems started when I went back to work after time off to recover from surgery, and I didn't increase my caffeine consumption or reduce my exercise level (increased the exercise, actually, which you'd think would help!) at that point, so I'm guessing the underlying problem is stress-related. Perhaps what the alcohol is doing is helping me let go of some physical tension that's otherwise keeping me from getting proper rest.
posted by ManyLeggedCreature at 7:06 AM on March 26, 2024
The sleep problems started when I went back to work after time off to recover from surgery, and I didn't increase my caffeine consumption or reduce my exercise level (increased the exercise, actually, which you'd think would help!) at that point, so I'm guessing the underlying problem is stress-related. Perhaps what the alcohol is doing is helping me let go of some physical tension that's otherwise keeping me from getting proper rest.
posted by ManyLeggedCreature at 7:06 AM on March 26, 2024
Alcohol acts as a sedative among other things. This might explain why you get better sleep when you drink moderately, particularly if you have underlying insomnia, a specific sleep condition like sleep apnea or you just plain don't get enough sleep for your needs. I found better, less judge-y information when I searched for information from websites focused on sleep rather than alcohol use, for example this from the sleep foundation.
While routinely having 2-3 alcoholic drinks a night may well not cause you any other problems, self-medicating with alcohol is probably less effective than treating an underlying sleep issue. Certainly, I'd suggest that it's worth attempting to treat a potential sleep issue. If you are in a society/culture that has a particularly negative attitude towards alcohol I would suggest that you continue not drinking while seeking initial treatment as you are likely to be treated better.
posted by plonkee at 7:43 AM on March 26, 2024 [2 favorites]
While routinely having 2-3 alcoholic drinks a night may well not cause you any other problems, self-medicating with alcohol is probably less effective than treating an underlying sleep issue. Certainly, I'd suggest that it's worth attempting to treat a potential sleep issue. If you are in a society/culture that has a particularly negative attitude towards alcohol I would suggest that you continue not drinking while seeking initial treatment as you are likely to be treated better.
posted by plonkee at 7:43 AM on March 26, 2024 [2 favorites]
Seconding everyone advising a sleep study, as this was a life changing event for me.
posted by ivanthenotsoterrible at 8:01 AM on March 26, 2024 [4 favorites]
posted by ivanthenotsoterrible at 8:01 AM on March 26, 2024 [4 favorites]
I just did and failed a sleep study last night. I can tell you the following about the experience.
(a) they send you home with a gadget and request that you get 5-6 hours that night with it on (which I failed) and it's only an overnight loan. You only get one shot to test it and have to bring it back early the next day.
(b) you write down if you had alcohol or regular sleeping meds on the sleep journal form, they do not seem to judge if you do or don't drink.
(c) it's only checking for sleep apnea and apparently nothing else, according to the nurse yesterday.
Since it sounds like the issue is that (a) with alcohol you sleep and (b) without it, you are roadkill, I'm not sure one night of testing is great for figuring out that issue? I would perhaps suggest talking to some doctor about the discrepancy and if you do a sleep study, whether or not you should drink or not during your one shot or if they'd let you do it in 2 nights.
posted by jenfullmoon at 9:50 AM on March 26, 2024 [3 favorites]
(a) they send you home with a gadget and request that you get 5-6 hours that night with it on (which I failed) and it's only an overnight loan. You only get one shot to test it and have to bring it back early the next day.
(b) you write down if you had alcohol or regular sleeping meds on the sleep journal form, they do not seem to judge if you do or don't drink.
(c) it's only checking for sleep apnea and apparently nothing else, according to the nurse yesterday.
Since it sounds like the issue is that (a) with alcohol you sleep and (b) without it, you are roadkill, I'm not sure one night of testing is great for figuring out that issue? I would perhaps suggest talking to some doctor about the discrepancy and if you do a sleep study, whether or not you should drink or not during your one shot or if they'd let you do it in 2 nights.
posted by jenfullmoon at 9:50 AM on March 26, 2024 [3 favorites]
"Feeling refreshed in the morning" might actually be a sign you aren't sleeping well. You should get a sleep study if you want to know for sure.
As someone who went through a similar process, my guess is that you are actually sleeping like absolute dogshit after drinking a bunch and you feel "refreshed" because you've actually been half awake for hours, and now that you are going to bed sober, you aren't waking up until your alarm actually goes off and now you know what "waking up from sleep" actually feels like.
Besides the drinking (that is no longer happening), I am diagnosed with severe obstructive sleep apnea. Before being diagnosed, I would have told you that I sleep straight through the night, every night, and I woke up feeling pretty great. I only got a sleep study because my then girlfriend wouldn't move in nor marry me until I took care of my snoring.
Well, turns out by "sleeping straight through the night" I was actually waking completely up 40 times an hour because of C02 build up in my blood. I felt great in the morning because I was never really asleep. When I quit drinking every night before bed, I also went through a similar "oh no now I feel kinda bad" phase because even with a CPAP machine the alcohol was disrupting my sleep. The difference was that I knew what I was happening, so I didn't make the incorrect assumption that the booze was allowing me to sleep.
posted by Back At It Again At Krispy Kreme at 11:03 AM on March 26, 2024 [5 favorites]
As someone who went through a similar process, my guess is that you are actually sleeping like absolute dogshit after drinking a bunch and you feel "refreshed" because you've actually been half awake for hours, and now that you are going to bed sober, you aren't waking up until your alarm actually goes off and now you know what "waking up from sleep" actually feels like.
Besides the drinking (that is no longer happening), I am diagnosed with severe obstructive sleep apnea. Before being diagnosed, I would have told you that I sleep straight through the night, every night, and I woke up feeling pretty great. I only got a sleep study because my then girlfriend wouldn't move in nor marry me until I took care of my snoring.
Well, turns out by "sleeping straight through the night" I was actually waking completely up 40 times an hour because of C02 build up in my blood. I felt great in the morning because I was never really asleep. When I quit drinking every night before bed, I also went through a similar "oh no now I feel kinda bad" phase because even with a CPAP machine the alcohol was disrupting my sleep. The difference was that I knew what I was happening, so I didn't make the incorrect assumption that the booze was allowing me to sleep.
posted by Back At It Again At Krispy Kreme at 11:03 AM on March 26, 2024 [5 favorites]
I just did and failed a sleep study last night. I can tell you the following about the experience.
Never heard of this which is interesting...usually sleep studies are done at a clinic where they can observe your sleep and diagnose more than sleep apnea. But any diagnosis about sleep could be helpful.
posted by tiny frying pan at 11:25 AM on March 26, 2024 [2 favorites]
Never heard of this which is interesting...usually sleep studies are done at a clinic where they can observe your sleep and diagnose more than sleep apnea. But any diagnosis about sleep could be helpful.
posted by tiny frying pan at 11:25 AM on March 26, 2024 [2 favorites]
There are apparently two(?) kinds of this: the "actual sleep in a lab while you're watched" version that a friend of mine is supposed to do, and the "you take it home overnight and we only check for apnea" version, I was only offered the latter. My friend who got told to do the "sleep in a lab thing" is having a horrendous time getting anyone to schedule it and it's a complete mess. I have the impression that's for far worse cases and for her it may not be actual checking for sleep problems so much as just what's related to her usual mess o' crap.
posted by jenfullmoon at 1:59 PM on March 26, 2024
posted by jenfullmoon at 1:59 PM on March 26, 2024
I’ve done both in-lab and at-home. For me the at-home was much better; the in-lab wanted me in bed by something like 9pm which is basically hilarious.
At-home got me diagnosed, and treated (not with cpap, but instead a dental device).
OP, getting tested for sleep apnea is a good idea— never mind the details of how that happens.
posted by nat at 4:32 PM on March 26, 2024 [1 favorite]
At-home got me diagnosed, and treated (not with cpap, but instead a dental device).
OP, getting tested for sleep apnea is a good idea— never mind the details of how that happens.
posted by nat at 4:32 PM on March 26, 2024 [1 favorite]
From someone I recently talked with...apparently the ability to do at home monitoring has gotten much, much better in recent years such that it is now something that can be used diagnostically. You can imagine it is far more easy logistically for everyone and way, way cheaper. So at home testing is the first thing most doctors are going to try and only do the in-person study if it is warranted.
posted by mmascolino at 9:49 PM on March 26, 2024
posted by mmascolino at 9:49 PM on March 26, 2024
At home sleep apnea testing is absolutely common now. The very fancy San Francisco Sleep Center started me there and in my case it was enough. The counterintuitive thing about this discussion is alcohol is generally understood to make obstructive sleep apnea worse, because it relaxes muscles. But there's all sorts of other sleep disorders than OSA and a sleep doctor can help you check for them.
If you are interested in experimenting, consider trying to take a little diphenhydramine (aka Benadryl) as a sleep aid. It's not something you want to do regularly but you might find it useful to try it and see if you respond to it similarly or differently than alcohol.
posted by Nelson at 11:38 AM on March 27, 2024
If you are interested in experimenting, consider trying to take a little diphenhydramine (aka Benadryl) as a sleep aid. It's not something you want to do regularly but you might find it useful to try it and see if you respond to it similarly or differently than alcohol.
posted by Nelson at 11:38 AM on March 27, 2024
usually sleep studies are done at a clinic
I myself have Kaiser, which doesn't believe in the existence of sleep disorders that can't be diagnosed by sending you home with a clippy thing on your finger for one night. I actually was led to believe the "get looked at by qualified doctors" kind of sleep study was a myth, something that hasn't been done since color TV was invented.
Having said that, I am not sure that the poster is necessarily experiencing apnea as their primary cause, here. Alcohol use, even in alcoholics, can and does increase incidents of apnea overnight. I'd expect abstaining to help, rather than worsen, apnea — that's been the case for a couple of apnea-having alcoholics in my own life for sure.
posted by majick at 9:08 AM on March 28, 2024
I myself have Kaiser, which doesn't believe in the existence of sleep disorders that can't be diagnosed by sending you home with a clippy thing on your finger for one night. I actually was led to believe the "get looked at by qualified doctors" kind of sleep study was a myth, something that hasn't been done since color TV was invented.
Having said that, I am not sure that the poster is necessarily experiencing apnea as their primary cause, here. Alcohol use, even in alcoholics, can and does increase incidents of apnea overnight. I'd expect abstaining to help, rather than worsen, apnea — that's been the case for a couple of apnea-having alcoholics in my own life for sure.
posted by majick at 9:08 AM on March 28, 2024
Mild withdrawal. Your body is used to getting the goods every night, so when you don't get it, it doesn't like that.
posted by coffeeand at 5:20 PM on March 28, 2024
posted by coffeeand at 5:20 PM on March 28, 2024
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So, do you get this every night for those 1-2 months when you are not drinking?
posted by SweetLiesOfBokonon at 4:12 AM on March 26, 2024 [1 favorite]