Alcohol and Sleep

Booze.
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While it can help you dance, research has shown it doesn’t help you sleep.

Approximately 1 in 5 American adults uses alcohol as an evening “nightcap” to help them drift off.

After all, alcohol is a nervous system depressant that promotes relaxation.

How could that be bad for sleep?

Alcohol CAN help you fall asleep faster, but…

The narcotic impact of the drug bypasses the normal process of falling asleep.

When you sleep, your brain doesn’t simply “turn off.”

It cycles through four distinct 90-minute phases throughout the night. Each phase is essential for recovery and restoration, ensuring you wake up feeling refreshed.

Alcohol, however, acts as a foreign intruder, disrupting these phases and compressing the most restorative rapid eye movement (REM) sleep into a shorter time frame.

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The result?

• Less restorative sleep
• Greater fatigue the next day
  
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If you’re one of the estimated 10% of adults in the United States with sleep apnea, alcohol exacerbates this condition by further relaxing the muscles in your throat.
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• Louder snoring
• Reduced breathing
• Poorer sleep

What can you do?
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If having a drink or two in the evening is a part of your lifestyle and culture, space the drinks as far away from bedtime as possible.
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Consider 2 hours as the minimum, preferably 3-4.

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If falling asleep remains a challenge, try:
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• Deep breathing exercises
• Magnesium supplementation
• Regular daytime exercise
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These strategies support both better sleep and overall health.

If you want to wake up truly rested, save the drinks for the dance floor and keep your sleep time sober.