Rebound insomnia how long does it last

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I Accept Show Purposes. Table of Contents View All. Table of Contents. Insomnia Healthcare Provider Discussion Guide Get our printable guide for your next healthcare provider's appointment to help you ask the right questions. Download PDF. Email the Guide Send to yourself or a loved one. Sign Up. Was this page helpful?

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Epocrates Rx Pro. Version Epocrates, Inc. San Mateo, California. What Is Valerian Root? Types of Sleep Disorders: Know the Symptoms. The Health Benefits of Melatonin. It may even drive you to start taking sleep medication again in the hopes of preventing a relapse of mental and emotional distress. As mentioned previously, the half-life of the medication you take also plays an important role.

The shorter the half-life, the faster symptoms will dissipate but the more intense they might be. But several other factors are at play here that can affect how intensely you experience these side effects. To understand what causes rebound insomnia, you must first understand how sleeping aids work. Sleeping pills enhance the natural chemicals in your brain and nervous system that trigger sleep. These neurotransmitters include melatonin , serotonin, tryptophan, and GABA.

When you suddenly stop taking these medications, your brain and body are slightly traumatized. Your system is at a stand-still, unsure of how to function normally with the presence of these drugs. Your sleep-wake cycle circadian rhythm is disrupted. With the presence of these drugs in your system, your natural sleep process slows down in an effort to control and regulate the increase in chemical levels.

As with most drugs, sleeping pills can create both tolerance and dependence within the body. The more you consume these sleep aids, the more tolerant your body becomes. Tolerance occurs when your body develops an immunity to something.

The more often and the higher dose of sleeping pills you take, the more your body needs to achieve the same desired results.

Over time, the pills work less and may even stop working completely. Physical dependency is another risk of taking and discontinuing the use of sleeping pills to treat insomnia. Certain medications like Ativan and other benzodiazepines can cause seizures and dangerous changes in your blood pressure and heart rate. Join Our Sleep Therapy Program! This is known as the half-life of the pill, or how long it takes for your body to process the active ingredients.

Knowing the half-lives of the most popular sleep medications can better prepare you for the side effects of rebound insomnia.

By definition, the half-life of a drug is how long it takes for half the dose to be metabolized, reducing its levels and effects within the body. Here are some of the most popular sleeping pills and their half-lives to give you a better idea of which medications last longer and which may have more dramatic withdrawal symptoms.

However, if you are hungry, eat a light snack instead. Reducing your caffeine intake, especially before bed, should help you get some shuteye.

Additionally, you should steer clear of alcohol. While it may initially make you drowsy, research [5] shows alcohol could lead to poor, disrupted rest. Smoking can be detrimental to your health in a variety of ways, including your slumber. According to Henry Ford Health System, the nicotine in cigarettes can disrupt your sleep because it is a stimulant that could make you feel less tired.

Additionally, smoking [6] increases your risk of developing other disorders such as sleep apnea. To help calm your mind, establish a nightly routine that helps you wind down.

This might include drinking some chamomile tea, meditating, reading a book, or stretching. Need help? Check out 9 simple bedtime rituals to help you relax. Your bedroom should also be a place that helps foster sleep.

For optimal rest, try to keep it quiet, dark, and cool. Additionally, make sure your mattress and bedding materials are benefiting you and your needs.

For instance, not getting enough back support from your mattress could leave you tossing and turning. Check out our guide on how to choose a mattress. Research tells us that exercise is good for snoozing. First, it can improve your mood, which should help you feel more at ease when nighttime rolls around. Secondly, moderate aerobic exercise has been found to increase the amount of slow-wave deep sleep.

Treatment Center Locator. Don't See Your Insurance? With just 30 days at a rehab center, you can get clean and sober, start therapy, join a support group, and learn ways to manage your cravings. Sleeping pills are both physically and psychologically addictive. People who abuse sleeping pills can easily become dependent on the drugs—sometimes after only a few weeks. Sleeping pill withdrawal symptoms can be intense, although they will vary from individual to individual based on a number of factors such as the severity and length of the addiction.

Some symptoms can even be life-threatening if not treated by a medical professional. During medical detox, doctors monitor the person in withdrawal to check vital signs and address any potential health concerns that may arise. Typical sleeping pill withdrawal symptoms include difficulty sleeping, restlessness, anxiety, shivering, and circulation problems. In these cases, the doctor might administer intravenous IV fluids to balance electrolytes and replenish the body.

Medical detox is always the safest way for someone to detox from sleeping pills or any other addictive drug. Learn More. During withdrawal, former sleeping pill users will experience physical and psychological discomfort. Symptoms of withdrawal from sleeping pills vary by individual. In general, those with severe sedative-hypnotic use disorders will experience more intense withdrawal.

Those with co-occurring disorders may require a longer stay in medical detox. Not all of these are life-threatening, but a medical detox can help with even the mildly uncomfortable symptoms while also ensuring nothing goes sideways during the process. Many people experience rebound insomnia when quitting sleeping pills.

Rebound insomnia can last anywhere from a few days to a few weeks. Rebound insomnia is like having a double dose of insomnia. Rebound insomnia is often much worse than the individual experienced prior to taking sleeping pills, and can cause almost a complete loss of sleep for several days. How long rebound insomnia lasts depends on the half-lives of the medication, as well as the frequency and dosages that were taken by the individual. For example, Lunesta has a half-life of 6-hours, Sonata has a half-life of 1-hour, Ambien or Ambien CR has a half-life of 2.

Drugs with shorter half-lives will leave the body faster. With these drugs, the rebound effects may be more intense and begin sooner, but they will also resolve faster, often fading within a few days to a week after stopping the medication. Drugs with longer half-lives may not have as intense rebound effects; however, it may take longer for the drug to leave the system fully.

Make a Call The withdrawal process—including the duration of withdrawal—is different for each sleeping pill user. For most, symptoms of withdrawal begin to present within several hours to a few days after quitting the drug.