Drinking can reduce the melatonin you naturally make, and melatonin supplements may not help correct the problem. Combining melatonin and alcohol can lead to side effects.<\/p>\n\n\n\n
Insomnia is common in people who drink alcohol, especially those with an alcohol use disorder<\/a>. Experts believe that up to 91%<\/a> of people struggling with alcohol use have trouble sleeping. When sleep seems impossible, it can be tempting to turn to over-the-counter sleep aids to get a good night\u2019s rest. One common treatment is melatonin. If you drink alcohol, however, it is very important to be aware of potential side effects and drug interactions before you choose a sleep aid.<\/p>\n\n\n\n Melatonin is a hormone produced by the pineal gland, a small gland in the middle of the brain. The brain makes melatonin only<\/a> when a person\u2019s surroundings are dark. The eye\u2019s retina sends information to the brain about the environment\u2019s brightness. When it is bright, the pineal gland does not get activated. When it is dark, the pineal gland becomes active and produces melatonin. This is why melatonin levels are low during the day. They start to increase<\/a> before bedtime, reaching a peak between 2 a.m. and 4 a.m. and then decreasing.<\/p>\n\n\n\n Melatonin is also sold as an over-the-counter supplement to help regulate sleep. It is widely available in drugstores, grocery stores, health food stores and online shops. Side effects are rare with melatonin<\/a>, and there is no evidence<\/a> that the substance can be harmful. Even at high doses<\/a>, melatonin appears to be nontoxic.<\/p>\n\n\n\n Even though melatonin is generally safe on its own, it is always best to check for drug interactions when mixing substances, including alcohol. Because alcohol is known to affect sleep and melatonin is a common sleep aid, it is important to verify the safety of combining the substances beforehand.<\/p>\n\n\n\n\n\n Melatonin does not<\/a> have any drug interactions with alcohol, but drinking decreases<\/a> the amount of melatonin your brain produces. How much melatonin you end up producing depends on how much alcohol you have had. The more you drink, the less melatonin you naturally make. However, some studies have shown that taking melatonin supplements \u2014 particularly if you struggle with alcohol \u2014 may not improve<\/a> your sleep.<\/p>\n\n\n\n Related Topic:<\/strong> Supplements for alcohol detox<\/a><\/p>\n\n\n\n Although melatonin does not<\/a> have an interaction with alcohol, the same cannot be said for other sleep aids. Many over-the-counter sleep aids contain central nervous system (CNS) depressants, which can be dangerous<\/a> when combined with alcohol. These include:<\/p>\n\n\n\n If you have trouble sleeping, you may wonder if a drink or two might help you get better rest. Although drinking can make you fall asleep faster, your sleep is likely to be of poor quality. This is because<\/a> alcohol can increase the number of awakenings and disturbances you have while sleeping. Drinking also increases<\/a> the amount of light sleep and decreases the amount of deep sleep and REM sleep. As a result, you may not feel well-rested when you wake up the next morning. Further, alcohol can exacerbate<\/a> other sleep-related conditions that can interfere with your rest, such as sleep apnea. For these reasons, you should avoid drinking if you are having sleeping problems.<\/p>\n\n\n\n You can take many actions to improve your sleep without substances. Some strategies<\/em> include<\/a>:<\/em><\/p>\n\n\n\n Stress, whether from daily life or from unexpected stressors like COVID-19, can take a toll on your sleep and mental health. Some people have turned to drinking alcohol or using sleep aids as a way to cope with anxiety about the unpredictable. However, holistic approaches can help promote better sleep and improve mental health without turning to substances.<\/p>\n\n\n\n Ways of reducing stress and improving sleep that don\u2019t involve drinking or sleep aids include<\/a>:<\/strong><\/p>\n\n\n\n If you have come to rely on drinking as a way to cope with stress, it can be difficult to cut back \u2014 even if you want to. This can cause further stress and lead to a snowball effect. Fortunately, help for alcohol addiction is available.<\/p>\n\n\n\n If you or a loved one struggle with alcohol, you do not have to fight your addiction alone. Our professional medical staff at The Recovery Village at Baptist Health are experts in treating alcohol use disorders and co-occurring mental health conditions. We offer alcohol detox services, inpatient and outpatient rehab to help you address your reliance on alcohol. Contact us<\/a> today to learn more about individualized recovery programs that can help you start living a healthier, alcohol-free life.<\/p>\n\n\n\n Drinking can reduce the melatonin you naturally make, and melatonin supplements may not help correct the problem. Combining melatonin and alcohol can lead to side effects. Insomnia is common in people who drink alcohol, especially those with an alcohol use disorder. Experts believe that up to 91% of people struggling with alcohol use have trouble sleeping. When sleep […]<\/p>\n","protected":false},"author":3,"featured_media":11577,"parent":697,"menu_order":0,"comment_status":"closed","ping_status":"closed","template":"","meta":{"_acf_changed":false},"categories":[16],"tags":[100],"class_list":["post-2607","blog","type-blog","status-publish","has-post-thumbnail","hentry","category-alcohol","tag-mixing"],"acf":{"written_by":287,"enable_medically_and_up":["Yes"],"medically_reviewed_by":289,"medically_reviewed_content":"This article was reviewed by a medical professional to guarantee the delivery of accurate and up-to- date information. View our research policy.<\/a>","up_to_date":"Medically Reviewed by Jessica Pyhtila, PharmD<\/a>","page_first_published_date":"20221229","page_last_edit_date":"20221229","highlighted_description":"If you or a loved one is struggling with addiction, help is available. Speak with a Recovery Advocate by calling 888-648-0738<\/b><\/a> now.","key_takeaways":"","source":{"source_label":"View Sources","source_content":"Aulinas, Anne. \u201c<\/span>Physiology of the Pineal Gland and Melatonin<\/span><\/a>.\u201d Endotext, December 10, 2019. Accessed October 25, 2020.<\/span>\r\n\r\nSubstance Abuse and Mental Health Services Administration. \u201c<\/span>Treating Sleep Problems of People in Recover from Substance Use Disorders<\/span><\/a>.\u201d 2014. Accessed October 25, 2020.<\/span>\r\n\r\nDrugs. \u201c<\/span>Drug Interaction Report: Alcohol and Melatonin<\/span><\/a>.\u201d Accessed October 25, 2020.<\/span>\r\n\r\nDrugs. \u201c<\/span>Drug Interaction Report: Alcohol and Diphenhydramine<\/span><\/a>.\u201d Accessed October 25, 2020.<\/span>\r\n\r\nDrugs. \u201c<\/span>Drug Interaction Report: Alcohol and Doxylamine<\/span><\/a>.\u201d Accessed October 25, 2020.<\/span>\r\n\r\nDrugs. \u201c<\/span>Drug Interaction Report: Alcohol and Valerian<\/span><\/a>.\u201d Accessed October 25, 2020.<\/span>\r\n\r\nMemorial Sloan Kettering Cancer Center. \u201c<\/span>Valerian<\/span><\/a>.\u201d September 6, 2018. Accessed October 25, 2020.<\/span>\r\n\r\nNational Institute for Occupational Safety and Health. \u201c<\/span>NIOSH Training for Nurses on Shift Work and Long Work Hours<\/span><\/a>.\u201d March 31, 2020. Accessed October 25, 2020.<\/span>\r\n\r\nDrugs. \u201c<\/span>Melatonin<\/span><\/a>.\u201d August 2, 2020. Accessed October 25, 2020.<\/span>\r\n\r\nGendy, Marie; Lagzdins, Dina; Schaman, Jessika; Le Foll, Bernard. \u201c<\/span>Melatonin for Treatment-Seeking Alcohol Use Disorder patients with sleeping problems: A randomized clinical pilot trial<\/span><\/a>.\u201d Scientific Reports, May 26, 2020. Accessed October 25, 2020.<\/span>\r\n\r\nDepartment of Veterans Affairs, Department of Defense. \u201c<\/span>Clinical Practice Guideline for the Management of Chronic Insomnia Disorder and Obstructive Sleep Apnea<\/span><\/a>.\u201d 2019. Accessed October 25, 2020.<\/span>\r\n\r\nCenters for Disease Control and Prevention. \u201c<\/span>Coping With Stress<\/span><\/a>.\u201d July 1, 2020. Accessed October 25, 2020.<\/span>\r\n\r\nVyas, Nilong. \u201c<\/span>Sleep Hygiene<\/span><\/a>.\u201d Sleep Foundation, August 14, 2020. Accessed October 25, 2020.<\/span>"},"staff_member_heading":"Authorship","staff_member":[{"staff_member_title":"Editor","select_staff_member":287},{"staff_member_title":"Medical Reviewer","select_staff_member":289}],"insurance_label":""},"_links":{"self":[{"href":"https:\/\/www.floridarehab.com\/wp-json\/wp\/v2\/blog\/2607","targetHints":{"allow":["GET"]}}],"collection":[{"href":"https:\/\/www.floridarehab.com\/wp-json\/wp\/v2\/blog"}],"about":[{"href":"https:\/\/www.floridarehab.com\/wp-json\/wp\/v2\/types\/blog"}],"author":[{"embeddable":true,"href":"https:\/\/www.floridarehab.com\/wp-json\/wp\/v2\/users\/3"}],"replies":[{"embeddable":true,"href":"https:\/\/www.floridarehab.com\/wp-json\/wp\/v2\/comments?post=2607"}],"version-history":[{"count":0,"href":"https:\/\/www.floridarehab.com\/wp-json\/wp\/v2\/blog\/2607\/revisions"}],"up":[{"embeddable":true,"href":"https:\/\/www.floridarehab.com\/wp-json\/wp\/v2\/blog\/697"}],"acf:post":[{"embeddable":true,"href":"https:\/\/www.floridarehab.com\/wp-json\/wp\/v2\/staff\/289"},{"embeddable":true,"href":"https:\/\/www.floridarehab.com\/wp-json\/wp\/v2\/staff\/287"}],"wp:featuredmedia":[{"embeddable":true,"href":"https:\/\/www.floridarehab.com\/wp-json\/wp\/v2\/media\/11577"}],"wp:attachment":[{"href":"https:\/\/www.floridarehab.com\/wp-json\/wp\/v2\/media?parent=2607"}],"wp:term":[{"taxonomy":"category","embeddable":true,"href":"https:\/\/www.floridarehab.com\/wp-json\/wp\/v2\/categories?post=2607"},{"taxonomy":"post_tag","embeddable":true,"href":"https:\/\/www.floridarehab.com\/wp-json\/wp\/v2\/tags?post=2607"}],"curies":[{"name":"wp","href":"https:\/\/api.w.org\/{rel}","templated":true}]}}What Is Melatonin?<\/h2>\n\n\n\n
Mixing Melatonin and Alcohol<\/h2>\n\n\n\n
Side Effects of Combining Alcohol and Melatonin<\/h3>\n\n\n\n
OTC Sleep Aids and Alcohol<\/h2>\n\n\n\n
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Alcohol\u2019s Effect on Sleep<\/h2>\n\n\n\n
Tips for Better Sleep<\/h3>\n\n\n\n
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Mental Health Check During Times of Stress<\/h2>\n\n\n\n
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Finding Help for Substance Abuse in Florida<\/h3>\n\n\n\n
FAQs<\/h4>\n\n\n","protected":false},"excerpt":{"rendered":"