A member asked:

Do benzodiazepines disrupt sleep quality and sleep architecture to the same degree as alcohol?

9 doctors weighed in across 2 answers

No: Alcohol is far worse. The hynogram is incredibly jagged in appearance with all the arousals and awakenings and getting up to urinate from the alcohol. Bemzodiazepines are no where near as disruptive and they don't knock out the benefits of antidepressants like alcohol often does, for up to 72 hours.

Answered 9/16/2013

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Dr. Marsha Davis answered

Specializes in Internal Medicine

No: Alcohol puts you to sleep and increases slow wave sleep then awakens you about 4 hours later and you do not sleep well and becomes disruptive to sleep and the sleep is non restorative .Benzodiazepines increase stages 1&2 and decrease slow wave or stage 3 sleep. It is also not restorative sleep and has been shown in ICU patients to contribute to sleep deficit and delirium.

Answered 6/10/2014

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