What’s more, long-term use of stimulant drugs can impact neurotransmitter levels (brain chemicals responsible for mood, energy, learning, and more). When taken too close to bedtime, they can make it incredibly hard to fall asleep. This category of drugs, which includes things like cocaine and amphetamines, increases how alert we feel. If you’ve ever had coffee too close to bedtime, you’ve probably experienced how stimulants can disrupt sleep. To understand what’s going on in relation to drug abuse and sleep, you need to look at each category of drugs individually. This relationship is more than a bit complicated, largely due to the wide variety of drugs available today. Generally, taking drugs leads to chemical changes in the body that can have a direct impact on our circadian rhythm, which is the biological clock responsible for our sleep/wake cycle. For some, this can result in sleep disorders like insomnia and sleep apnea.ĮXACTLY HOW AND WHY DO DRUGS IMPACT OUR SLEEP? Substance abuse can cause both acute (short-term) and chronic (long-term) sleep difficulties. How Different Substance Addictions Interfere with SleepĪddiction is defined as “a brain disease brought on by chronic drug use that interferes with and makes changes to brain circuitry and chemistry, and these changes lead to compulsive drug-using behaviors.”īut these changes in our brain chemistry and circuitry do more than lead to compulsive drug use they can also lead to trouble sleeping. In this article, we’re going to help you understand the intricate relationship between substance abuse and sleep, and what you can do to get the quality of sleep you need when you’re recovering from drug addiction.

This isn’t just the case for “street drugs” like cocaine or heroin, but also for alcohol, prescription medications, and some over-the-counter drugs.īut did you know that this relationship goes both ways? Just as drug use can result in sleep problems, so too can sleep issues lead to drug abuse. Both drug use and withdrawal symptoms can make it hard to fall asleep and sleep through the night. If you or a family member has ever struggled with drug addiction, you’ve likely experienced the negative effects of addiction on sleep.

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