The problem with this method is that even though it might help you fall asleep, what happens afterward would not be considered a good night’s sleep. Because it begins on January 1, some people participate in Dry January to what is alcoholism kick-start a New Year’s resolution to cut back on alcohol. Other people use it as a way to reset after lots of holiday drinking. In general, alcohol quickens how fast you’ll fall asleep—and it also makes it harder for noise and commotion to wake you up. I’ve never been a huge drinker, but I’ve definitely imbibed more than usual over the last year and a half.
How Does Alcohol Affect Melatonin
Alcohol is not an effective long-term solution for insomnia and may exacerbate the condition over time. Reducing your alcohol intake, especially in the hours leading up to your bedtime, can help you wake up well-rested and energized in the morning. In addition, since poor sleep can negatively affect one’s health, the benefits of a restful night go beyond feeling alert in the morning. Alcohol-induced snoring can be a minor annoyance for anyone you share a bedroom with, does alcohol help you sleep but alcohol can also cause or worsen a serious health problem called obstructive sleep apnea. In this type of sleep apnea, the upper airway closes while you are asleep. This can impact your sleep quality, leading you to feel more tired and less refreshed the next morning.
Alcohol may help you fall asleep
As the body metabolizes alcohol, it leads to more frequent awakenings, resulting in choppy, low-quality sleep. Alcohol’s diuretic effect often exacerbates this fragmentation, increasing the need for nighttime bathroom visits and further disrupting sleep continuity. Alcohol can initially increase adenosine levels, a neurotransmitter that induces sleepiness. However, as the night progresses, alcohol can interfere with the natural buildup of adenosine, leading to disrupted sleep.
How to get a better night’s sleep
This is not only because of the negative health effects of drinking alcohol, but also because alcohol disrupts sleep later in the night. Being a sedative and depressant of the central nervous system, alcohol can increase feelings of tiredness and sluggishness. One of the side effects of alcohol is drowsiness, so it can make you fall asleep quickly. Even with light drinking, consuming alcohol before bed can decrease sleep onset latency.
- In the long term, frequent disruptions to our natural sleep cycle may alter the homeostatic drive in a more permanent way.
- While that may make it sound like alcohol is a good sleep aid, that is only half of the story.
- If you’re experiencing sleeping issues, whether related to alcohol consumption or not, consider talking to your health care provider or a sleep specialist.
- However, you should seek an addiction specialist if your alcohol use affects your sleep.
However, you may continue to have trouble sleeping for years after you stop drinking. If you notice consistent restlessness or awakenings, try extending your alcohol cutoff window (e.g., four or five hours before bed) and see if your sleep quality improves. Allowing at least three hours between your last drink and when you go to sleep gives your body time to metabolize much of the alcohol. This can reduce the likelihood of sleep disruptions later in the night. For this reason, a person may need to drink increasing amounts to fall asleep, increasing the risk of alcohol abuse and addiction.
Studies have shown that when you get up the next day, you may be less alert because of your drinking the night before, even though you no longer have alcohol left in your body. All of them will improve your quality of sleep the following night. But between the potential to disrupt sleep we’ve already discussed and the fact that what goes in must come out, consuming alcohol in the evenings means you’re going to struggle to stay asleep. Anyone who’s ever had a drink or more understands that alcohol consumption can make you sleepy at night. “When I gave up alcohol for one month, one of the most surprising epiphanies was my quality of sleep,” she says. Before taking the challenge, Sheinbaum says she used to sleep an average of five hours a night, often waking up in the middle of the night.
How alcohol affects sleep
Some studies suggest that alcohol can help extend your sleep if these sedative effects are timed with the early phases of sleep, since you’re more likely to fall and stay asleep sooner. Alcohol initially acts as a sedative, increasing the proportion of deep sleep at the beginning of the night. However, as the alcohol’s effects start to wear off, the body spends more time in light sleep, which is not as sound and may lead to more nighttime awakenings. As a result of these frequent awakenings, people tend to clock fewer hours sleeping after drinking alcohol.
