You may forget words you use regularly or just feel mentally exhausted. Certain foods and vitamin deficiencies play a role in brain function and can be one of the causes of your brain fog symptoms. Some brain fog causing foods are obvious, such as alcohol and caffeine. Alcohol and caffeine exacerbate symptoms of anxiety and stress, which are also causes of brain fog as I discussed earlier. Modern society bombards you with everyday stressors that affect sleep-wake cycles.

• The complete thyroid formula synergizes the effectiveness of the multiple ingredients to enhance not just thyroid function but also improve mental and physical energy.
• Exercising, lowering stress, and eating a healthy diet can all help, too.
• These could be online brain training games, sudokus, trying to remember names or other memory games.
• If you drink alcohol regularly, you may experience withdrawal symptoms when you stop drinking or reduce your alcohol intake.
• More research needs to be done, however, so for now, it’s recommended you eat all your meals within a 12-hour window.

Regular exercise, ideally outside, can boost your overall energy levels and concentration. If you’re also suffering from fatigue, it’s important not to overdo exercise – this can lead to a rebound effect with worsening symptoms for several days. If your bed is old, it may be uncomfortable and leading alcohol brain fog to disturbed sleep, so it’s worth thinking about investing in a new bed. Keep the temperature comfortable – layers of bedclothes will let you adapt to feeling too hot or cold. Avoid ticking alarm clocks or digital clocks in the bedroom – the blue light from digital devices can disrupt your sleep.

Why Do I Have Brain Fog After Drinking Alcohol?

Even if you find a health condition is behind your fuzzy thinking, these treatments will help boost your energy and mood while you seek treatment. Patients who are depressed or under severe stress often describe the same sensations. Some medications – particularly strong painkillers (so-called opioid-based medication) and medicines used for mental health conditions – can also lead to brain fog. In general, there aren’t any known medications or treatments that correct brain fog directly.

These could be online brain training games, sudokus, trying to remember names or other memory games. HangoverCure.org is dedicated to providing quality information on the subject of hangovers, alcohol and the products and solutions available to support a healthy lifestyle. The best way to combat this issue is to reduce or eliminate alcohol consumption. This can be done by setting limits on how much you drink, avoiding drinking in situations where you may be tempted to overindulge, and seeking advice from others. Your body will heal, and you will be able to think freely again.

How to Identify What’s Causing Your Brain Fog

Medications such as Naltrexone and Acamprosate can help reduce cravings and prevent relapse, offering a powerful tool in the fight against addiction. Alcohol wipes out the deep sleep we need to feel refreshed, which can leave you feeling tired during the day. This is due to dead neurons that alcohol kills in the process of methanol poisoning. Alcohol also steals your sleep by triggering snoring, disrupting REM sleep patterns, or keeping you from falling into a sound slumber. Alcohol is a popular substance, especially in polydrug use such as cocaine and benzodiazepines.

There are several popular apps for a brain workout, including Fit Brain, which features exercises that target emotional intelligence and self-awareness. Therefore, it’s important to make getting quality sleep a priority to avoid more brain drain. Make sure that your bedroom is maximized for restful sleep by designating it for sleep and intimacy only. That means no computers or TV’s since they emit blue light, a known suppressor of melatonin production. Also, sleeping with an essential oil diffuser provides soothing aromas and low, rhythmic noise to help lull you to sleep.

See a Functional Medicine Doctor

However, brain fog doesn’t progressively worsen in the way conditions like dementia do, and you can use the RISE app to rule out things like sleep deprivation (more on how to do this soon). A recently released study by the RAND research group revealed the many ways that sleep deprivation negatively affects brain function. Consistently running on lack of sleep decreases the brain’s ability to solidify memory and clear out toxins, as well as lowers your ability for higher cognitive functions, such as basic multitasking. In addition, ongoing research is abundant in the area of neuroplasticity—the amazing ability of the brain to rewire following injury or disease—and its relationship to addiction recovery.

• While it’s not technically classified as a medical condition, brain fog refers to cognitive difficulties, such as trouble with focus, memory, and thinking.
• These exercises are all excellent for brain health as they help reduce stress and improve brain function.
• They should continue to seek counseling and move into a sober living facility.
• “All of these factors can also contribute to brain fog,” he says.
• Your experience should be similar, and you can always ask the staff at the treatment center if your challenges with thinking are normal.

While it’s well recognised that caffeine can increase alertness, you may find that this is followed by a drop in energy. It’s worth a trial of a couple of weeks off caffeine (found in energy drinks, some colas and tea as well as coffee) to see if it helps. Cut yourself off from caffeine by six hours before bedtime, and drink plenty of water and other hydrating beverages. Set aside 30 minutes before retiring to engage in a wind-down routine, such as taking a warm bath or meditating. If possible, be consistent with the time you go to bed and what time you get up in the morning. This will cause your brain to automatically begin to wind down near bedtime.