Very many people suffering from insomnia are looking to alcohol as a cure. We are going to try and find out whether insomnia wine really works or not. Wine will help the individual fall asleep much faster thanks to the sedative properties of alcohol. This will, however, have negative effects on the person drinking it in both the long and short-term.
The number of people using alcohol to treat sleeping disorders has been steadily rising which is very alarming. This is because alcohol has numerous negative effects on both a person’s health and social life.
What Is the Cause of the Rise of Alcohol Self-Medication?
Studies have shown that the increased use of smartphones may be the cause of the rise in the number of people drinking alcohol to help them fall asleep.
These smart devices are created in a way that makes them emit blue light which has been discovered to affect an individual’s sleeping patterns. This can make it very difficult for an individual to fall asleep at the required time thus reducing the quality of sleep he/she gets.
Staying too long on your electronic gadgets can cause you to suffer from insomnia which is a sleep disorder that makes it difficult for one to fall asleep or the individual keeps waking up in the middle of the night. The tossing and turning at night due to lack of sleep has led many people to seek the help of alcohol.
Alcohol works as a sedative and muscle relaxant when ingested. The alcohol will disrupt communication between your brain cells and the spinal cord which will then cause your muscles to relax and get you into a lull state. This will work to get you to fall asleep and even cause you to stay asleep for much longer.
Alcohol, however, comes with a number of problems which include the person getting poor quality sleep thanks to the brain constantly receiving signal patterns thus preventing you from experiencing deep sleep.
Another disadvantage of alcohol is that it can cause the development of other sleep disorders such as apnea when taken in large quantities.
Taking wine every night to help you deal with insomnia can cause you to become dependent on it thus turning you into an alcoholic. Taking large amounts of wine can lead to liver damage in the long term and if not treated in time, it can lead to death.
When you find yourself unable to sleep at night, you should never reach for your smartphone/tablet because the blue light being emitted from it will lie to your brain that it is daylight as it mimics the sun’s light. This will always work to make your insomnia worse.
You should instead dim all the lights and try to relax your brain naturally without the use of alcohol. You can choose to count sheep or even listen to some soft music or nature sounds which will help your mind switch off.
Effects of Drinking Alcohol to Treat Insomnia
The following are some of the effects that have been reported in conjunction with self-medicating with alcohol:
- One wakes up feeling tired in the morning from the alcohol-induced sleep
- One has increased chances of suffering from depression this can also lead to alcohol dependency
- Alcohol worsens breathing-related sleep disorders such as sleep apnea thanks to its muscle relaxing abilities
- Alcohol increases your chances of getting hypertension and cardiovascular diseases.
- Excessive consumption of alcohol can lead to increased chances of getting into accidents thanks to getting poor quality sleep
- In the long run, alcohol will lead to liver failure which is fatal if not detected and treated in time
The Relationship Between Alcohol, Depression, and Insomnia
People suffering from depression tend to have difficulty falling asleep which is a condition known as insomnia.
Most people choose to rely on alcohol as a way to get them to fall asleep which is always the wrong choice. This is because alcohol is a depressant on its own and thus will make the condition even worse.
The alcohol may cause a lift in your mood initially but then it will cause you to fall into an even deeper depression.
The quality of sleep that the individual gets is of poor quality which makes them feel tired during the day. This often causes the individual to drink even more so as to reduce these unpleasant effects.
This self-medicating with alcohol to treat both depression and insomnia causes people to become alcoholics. Your body’s alcohol tolerance will increase thus causing you to increase the amount of alcohol you take and some will graduate from drinking bottles of wine to downing copious amounts of spirits. This can lead to liver problems which can be fatal.
How to Treat Insomnia Without the Use of Alcohol
There are a number of ways in which you can treat your insomnia without having to drink wine. These include:
- Creating a conducive sleep environment by dimming lights and eliminating noise.
- A touch of blue bedroom décor will set the mood for quick and sufficient sleep.
- You should make sure that you switch off your smart devices when you go to bed.
- Try and get yourself a regular sleeping pattern by going to bed at the same time each night even if you don’t fall asleep immediately and also waking up at the same time each morning.
- Avoid eating fatty or oily foods before bed
- Avoid taking caffeine or alcohol before going to bed.
- Ensure that the mattress you use is comfortable and firm, and that the pillows you sleep on are soft.
- Adjust the room temperature so that it is not too warm or too cold to avoid waking you in the middle of the night.
Conclusion
The information provided above clearly shows that insomnia wine is a complete failure in treating insomnia. It is very important for one to get enough hours of quality sleep in order to be productive during the day in both work and social activities. This is usually prevented when you drink alcohol before bed as it interrupts your REM sleep which is very important.
If you were thinking about starting self-medicating with alcohol to treat insomnia then you should do away with that though. The adverse effects of alcohol are not worth a couple of hours of poor quality sleep.
Most people who are alcoholics started out trying to get their brains to shut down so they could fall asleep. The solution worked short term, and not effective, but the effects were fatal.
There are so many alternatives to help you effectively treat insomnia that are healthier and will also save you a lot of money.
You should get in touch with a qualified sleep doctor if you are having trouble falling asleep or staying asleep. The doctor will be able to conduct tests and also get you on a treatment that will help you deal with the problem long term.
Most times doctors choose to implement behavioral therapy to treat insomnia rather than prescribing sleep medication. Most times insomnia is caused by poor lifestyle choices.
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