Alcohol initially acts like a stimulant. During your active days with addiction, you’ve undoubtedly felt the high or the buzz along with the feeling, I can do anything, that comes with a few stiff drinks. Your brain is being flooded with endorphins, or good-feeling chemicals. This is what alcohol consumption does to make people feel more confident, talkative and less socially inhibited.
Eventually the buzz wears off. The alcohol then begins to act as a sedative, causing you to feel drowsy. That’s why many people who don’t sleep well, use a nightcap to help them fall asleep more easily. It is worth noting that at higher blood alcohol levels, this effect can become dangerous, leading to loss of consciousness. Many an active alcoholic passes out on the couch or driving while intoxicated. Statistics for alcohol-related automobile fatality are staggering. According to the National Highway Traffic Safety Administration, every day, almost 29 people in the United States die in alcohol-impaired vehicle crashes. In 2016 records showed, one person died every 50 minutes in motor vehicle crashes. Though drunk-driving fatalities have fallen by a third in the last three decades; these crashes still claim more than 10,000 lives per year.
The mental and emotional strain of recovery can also be the cause of tiredness. Learning to listen to your body and take good care of it is a major necessity to staying sober. When you were out there drinking late into the night, or waking up in the armchair at 2 am, you weren’t getting adequate levels of sleep. Everything in your system was off kilter.
When you stop drinking abruptly your body can’t adjust right away. It is still dependent on the alcohol to both keep you going and to help you fall asleep. Think about how tired you were when you have been sick with the flu or a really bad cold. As you got better, you may have found that just walking around the house was exhausting, too. This is what you’re body is doing during withdrawal from alcohol. In recovery it is important to give your body the chance to recuperate. It needs lots of rest. Sleep specialists advocate going to bed at the same time every night. That this practice can help restore your natural sleep rhythms. One day soon, you won’t be tired all the time. You may even enjoy waking and feeling refreshed, motivated and challenged.
“Sometimes the most important thing in a whole day is the rest we take between two deep breaths.”—Etty Hillesum
If you or a loved one struggles with addiction, get help now. Nexus Recovery Services specializes in addiction treatment and encompasses holistic therapy for the mind, body, and soul with a focus on staying active and connected to nature. Our mission is to provide tools and support for every client’s seamless transition into a meaningful and fulfilling life of sobriety. We offer a free and confidential consultation. Call us to get started: (888) 855-6877