Alcoholism Alcoholism is a medical disorder that can cause sleeping problems.Alcohol's effects take place after about 30 minutes of drinking. Alcohol increases the sense of sleepiness, and this continues for about 4 hours. The alcohol causes frequent awakenings, and this makes the sleep fragmented. Unfortunately when an alcoholic goes without alcohol, this also disturbs the sleep. When they can get to sleep it is often short, and the alcoholic often suffers from nightmares and other anxiety dreams. See also Alcohol-dependent sleep disorder. This disorder is a medical sleep disorder, which means that it is a sleep problem associated with a medical disorder. | 
