Why You're So Tired After You Stop Drinking

It's day nine without a drink. You expected to wake up clear-headed and full of energy. Instead you're dragging yourself through the afternoon, yawning at your desk by three, and wondering why nobody warned you about this part.

Feeling wiped out in the first weeks after you stop drinking is common, and there are good reasons for it. Most of them are temporary. Here is what's going on, how long it tends to last, and when tiredness is worth a trip to the doctor.

Alcohol was never giving you good sleep

Alcohol is a sedative, so a night of drinking can knock you out fast. That is where its help ends. Sleep researchers find that a large dose before bed shortens the time it takes to drop off, then leaves you with broken, poor-quality sleep later in the night. The NHS says drinking can disrupt your sleep patterns and stop you sleeping deeply.

So the sleep you're comparing against was less restful than it felt. It came quickly, and that was about all it had going for it. Waking up tired was part of the deal back then too, and it was easy to blame on a busy week.

Why sleep gets lighter before it gets better

When you stop, the sedative is gone and your brain hasn't caught up yet. It spent months or years adjusting to alcohol in the evening, and it needs time to adjust back. Sleep studies of people who were dependent on alcohol show a clear pattern in the first eight weeks without it. It takes longer to fall asleep, and more of the night is spent in light sleep. There is less deep sleep and less sleep overall.

Research on heavy drinkers also finds more dream sleep than normal lasting into the weeks after stopping, which is one reason some people notice vivid dreams. Lighter sleep means you can spend eight hours in bed and still feel as if you had five. If nights are the main problem, our guide to sleep problems after you stop drinking goes deeper.

Your brain is recalibrating

Sleep is only part of it. A brain that gets alcohol most days turns up its own activity to balance out the sedation. Take the alcohol away and that extra activity has nothing to push against for a while. Researchers call the lingering phase after the first few days protracted withdrawal. Its main features are unsettled mood, cravings and poor sleep, and one review describes it lasting around five weeks.

MedlinePlus, the US National Library of Medicine's health site, lists fatigue among the common symptoms of alcohol withdrawal. It also notes that sleep changes, mood swings and fatigue can last for months in some people. Your body is still adjusting, and much of that shows up as tiredness.

Low mood and low energy travel together

Feeling flat is common in the early weeks, and a flat mood makes everything feel heavier. The research here is encouraging. In a classic study of 191 men in treatment for heavy drinking, 42% had significant depression symptoms when they stopped. Four weeks later only 6% did, and the biggest drop came in the second week.

The same study found that physical symptoms such as poor sleep were the slowest to clear. So don't be surprised if your mood lifts before your energy does. The NHS also notes a strong link between heavy drinking and depression, which is one more reason the first weeks can feel low.

How long it tends to last

There is no fixed timeline, and anyone who gives you an exact day is guessing. A rough guide from the research:

• The first few days: withdrawal symptoms, if you get them, usually start within eight hours of your last drink and peak by 24 to 72 hours.
• The first five weeks or so: unsettled sleep and mood are common as your brain readjusts.
• Longer: in people who drank heavily for years, sleep problems and fatigue can last months, and some studies find disturbed sleep years later.

Studies link more severe drinking problems to worse sleep in recovery, so the heavier and longer you drank, the longer this may take. There is less research on lighter drinkers. Even so, the NHS lists feeling more rested and less tired during the day among the first benefits of cutting down.

What helps

• Keep the same wake-up time every day. The US National Heart, Lung, and Blood Institute (NHLBI) advises a regular bedtime and wake time, with weekends no more than about an hour off your weekday schedule.
• Get outside and move. NHLBI recommends time outdoors every day and being physically active, and the CDC says regular physical activity can help you sleep better. A short walk counts.
• Watch the caffeine. Its effects can last up to eight hours, so an afternoon coffee to beat the slump can cost you the night.
• Keep naps short. NHLBI suggests no more than 20 minutes, and keeping them early in the afternoon if you struggle to fall asleep.
• Skip the nightcap. Alcohol breaks up the second half of the night, and one study linked using alcohol as a sleep aid to going back to drinking.
• Ask about CBT for insomnia if poor sleep drags on. It's a short talking treatment, and researchers see it as one of the most promising options for sleep problems after heavy drinking.

When tiredness needs a doctor

Most early tiredness fades. Some doesn't, and some has another cause. The NHS advises seeing a GP if:

• you've been tired for a few weeks and don't know why
• tiredness is affecting your daily life
• it comes with other symptoms, such as weight loss or mood changes
• you've been told you gasp, snort or choke in your sleep, which can be a sign of sleep apnoea

A GP may check for causes such as anaemia, diabetes or an overactive thyroid with blood tests. If your mood drops sharply, or you have thoughts of harming yourself, contact a doctor or emergency services the same day.

One more thing matters before any of this. If you drink heavily every day, stopping suddenly can be dangerous. Talk to a doctor first. The NHS notes that for someone who is physically dependent, stopping overnight could be harmful. Seek urgent care if you or someone with you has:

• severe shaking you can't control
• confusion
• seeing or hearing things that aren't there
• a seizure
• a racing heart with heavy sweating

Feeling tired and flat for a few weeks is a normal part of your body learning to sleep without alcohol. For the wider picture, read how alcohol affects sleep, energy and fitness, and if your thinking feels slow as well, see brain fog after you stop drinking.