Always consult a qualified healthcare or mental health professional for advice regarding any medical or mental health concerns. Individual results will vary, and participation in our programs does not replace professional treatment.Copyright © 2025 LiveWellandFully.com. Research has found that the brain can recover from alcohol abuse with prolonged sobriety. However, this process is gradual and can take several months or even years depending on factors like the severity of addiction, overall health, age, and genetic predisposition. It’s essential to be patient and understand that regeneration takes time. Alcohol disrupts the natural sleep cycle, preventing you from reaching the deeper stages of sleep (like REM sleep) that are crucial for feeling rested.
Alternate Your Drinks With Water
Yes, when you stop drinking, you can expect to go through a period of feeling overly tired. This experience is sometimes referred to as sobriety fatigue or sobriety exhaustion. A day and a half after quitting alcohol, withdrawal symptoms will intensify. New symptoms will develop, including clammy skin, nausea, jumpiness, insomnia, depression and loss of appetite. As new symptoms develop, they will become more and more intense as withdrawal progresses.
- Having a sleep routine helps keep your circadian rhythm working well and keeps sleep issues at bay.
- If you or a loved one are struggling with alcohol, Lake Avenue Recovery is here to support you every step of the way.
- Like other substances that can lead to addiction, alcohol is difficult to quit.
- Managing stress becomes a critical component of recovery to combat this fatigue.
This rapid adjustment can result in alcohol fatigue as your body and brain try to restore balance. One of the most common challenges you may face after quitting drinking is alcohol fatigue. Here are some of the key symptoms that play a role in post-alcohol fatigue. Even if you don’t have sleep apnea, drinking can cause snoring and breathing problems. People with diagnosed sleep apnea who drink may find that treatments like CPAP machines become less effective.
Waking Up Prematurely After Experiencing Alcohol Induced Sleep

Regular workouts not only boost energy levels, but also improve mood and sleep quality. Choose an exercise regime that sits well with your current fitness level. The initial manifestation of this bold decision is going to be the detox phase. It’s similar to a spring cleaning that your body conducts to get rid of alcohol remnants. Detox is the body’s reactionary mechanism to sudden alcohol deprivation, making it a challenging phase. Considered an agonist to the major neurotransmitter GABA, alcohol binds to the receptors and best way to stop drinking then replicates their activities, which causes one to feel relaxed or tired.
The Physical Impact: Alcohol Detox Symptoms
But this not only helps keep your BAC at a relatively low level, but also counteracts the dehydrating effects of alcohol, which is especially important when you’re basking in the sun. You can go through a detoxification process to get off alcohol safely and then enter a treatment program to focus on the psychological addiction and learning how to maintain sobriety. While sobriety fatigue can feel overwhelming, there are effective strategies to combat it and help your body recover faster. While alcohol may initially make you feel drowsy and you feel it will help you to sleep, it can instead disrupt your sleep patterns if high quantities of alcohol have been consumed.
Is Extreme Fatigue After Drinking Alcohol Normal?
Alcohol can also impair your ability to get restorative rest because you’re less likely to enter REM sleep, which has been shown to increase your risk of dementia. From weight loss to better sleep, the long-term and short-term side effects can be noticeable. Understand what to expect, explore essential services, and find the right rehab facilities for lasting recovery.
Fatigue as a Symptom of Alcohol Withdrawal
When you quit alcohol, your body undergoes significant adjustments as it amphetamine addiction treatment adapts to the absence of a substance it has grown accustomed to. Fatigue is one of the most common withdrawal symptoms experienced during this period. This exhaustion occurs because alcohol affects multiple systems in the body, including the central nervous system and neurotransmitter balance. When alcohol is removed, these systems must recalibrate, which can be energetically demanding and leave you feeling drained. The body’s attempt to restore homeostasis after prolonged alcohol use requires a substantial amount of energy, contributing to profound tiredness.
The Essential Role of Peer Recovery Coaches in Addiction Treatment

If it’s winter, you may notice fewer colds than in the past, but in warmer months, the changes may be more subtle, but that doesn’t mean they aren’t there. “Giving your body six months of water absorption will improve your digestion and constipation,” says Dr. Mosquera. We also recommend that you seek medical advice from your local GP if you are showing signs of chronic fatigue syndrome and alcoholism. CFS may be caused by something other than your alcohol use, so seeking professional medical attention is important for your wellbeing. Fatigue after quitting drinking is but a natural part of the recovery process. After quitting drinking, you may wonder how long the fatigue will last.

In everyday life, this happens automatically and without any issues. Of course, the best way to avoid getting the spins is to avoid drinking too much alcohol in the first place. You don’t have to abstain from alcohol altogether – a few drinks typically won’t cause the spins in most people. Rather, it’s the excess alcohol that results in that awful spinning sensation you feel. Withdrawal happens because your brain gets used to the depressive effects of alcohol.
By week three, you will have saved about $450–$600 from not buying alcohol. Your calorie intake will be about 9,000 calories less, leading to a potential drop in weight of about three pounds. While you will still likely have some alcohol cravings, you will probably feel pretty good about quitting alcohol. They will become less intense, and symptoms will disappear one by one. Physical symptoms will be much better by a week after stopping for most people.
Weeks Alcohol-Free
She loves scouring the internet for delicious, simple, heartwarming recipes that make her look like a MasterChef winner. Her other culinary mission in life is to convince her family and friends that vegetarian dishes are much more than a basic salad. Contact us today to find out which program might be right for you, or to begin the process of arranging for treatment. You’ll meet millions of fellow Reframers in our 24/7 forum and daily Zoom check-in meetings.
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