It’s common knowledge that an alcoholic drink before bed can help you drift off. In fact, according to Sleep Hub, 28 per cent of Australian insomniacs have used alcohol as a sleep aid.
But while a boozy drink might lull you into the land of nod, experts agree that on balance, alcohol and sleep do not mix well. Here’s how booze is messing with your Zzzzs.
How alcohol affects your circadian rhythms
Your body’s circadian rhythm is a biological process that regulates everything from sleep/wake cycles to cognitive functions and mood over a period of 24 hours.
Studies show that alcohol disrupts the circadian rhythm, directly interfering with the body’s master biological clock. The bad news is that this disruption doesn’t just mess with a good nights sleep. It can also compromise liver function, the gut and microbiome. Ditch the booze for a well oiled biological clock.
How alcohol affects your Melatonin
Melatonin is a key hormone that helps regulate sleep/wake cycles. Research from the US found that alcohol suppresses melatonin – a unit of alcohol an hour before bedtime can reduce melatonin production by nearly 20 per cent!
The relationship between alcohol and sleep?
After drinking alcohol you may find that it is easier to fall asleep, but the down side of this is that the body becomes tolerant to the sedative effect of alcohol, so over time you may need to drink more to produce the same effect.
During the first half of the night, when your body is busy metabolising alcohol, you will spend more time in deep, slow-wave sleep and less time in REM sleep. Although ‘deep sleep’ sounds good, REM sleep is vital for mental restoration, including memory and emotional processing. But ease in dropping off at the start of the night is where any benefit of drinking alcohol ends.
You are more likely to wake up feeling refreshed if you stick to zero-alcohol products.
In the second half of the night, the sedative effect of the alcohol wears off. The body then experiences a ‘rebound effect’ – a move from deeper sleep to lighter sleep – with more micro-awakenings.
On top of this – if you go to bed with alcohol in your system you are much likely to wake up early and will have trouble going back to sleep.
All this adds up to a day of fatigue, irritability and poor concentration. And even if you didn’t drink enough alcohol to give yourself a hangover, alcohol induced sleep loss can definitely impact your mood in a negative way.
There’s more…
There are several other ways that drinking alcohol messes with your sleep.
You’re likely to wake more to visit the bathroom, particularly in the second part of the night. And you’re likely to snore more and experience sleep-disordered breathing.
Plus, if you already suffer from a sleep disorder such as insomnia or sleep apnea, alcohol is likely to make it worse.
Why non-alcoholic alternatives is the solution
A lot of my Sans Drinks’ customers tell me that since switching to alcohol free alternatives they are sleeping better than ever. It’s a massive win/win - you can enjoy a glass of zero-wine before bed without compromising your beauty sleep!
