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Even a small amount of alcohol before bed can make a big difference in sleep quality.
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There has been a lot of discussion lately about the link between alcohol and an increased risk of cancer. But what about the link between alcohol and sleep? Let’s take a moment to look at how drinking affects our ability to rest.
More than two-thirds of Americans drink alcohol, and I know that I have enjoyed a drink before bedtime. While some of us may find that a drink helps us fall asleep more easily, alcohol actually has a negative effect on sleep. In a recent survey of 160,000 participants, nearly 90% of participants who regularly consume alcohol in the evening reported at least one sleep-related problem.
How alcohol impacts sleep:
- Alcohol alters the sleep cycle. Alcohol impacts how our bodies cycle through the four stages of sleep. During healthy sleep, our bodies move through three non-rapid eye movement (NREM) stages followed by a rapid eye movement (REM) stage every 90 to 120 minutes. These are necessary for sleep to feel refreshing and for processes like learning and memory consolidation to occur. But when we drink before bed, this pattern is disrupted and we can move through this cycle in a disordered manner, leading to waking frequently and fragmented, low-quality sleep.
- Alcohol aggravates sleep apnea. For those of us who snore or have sleep apnea (a disorder that causes repeated pauses in breathing during sleep), drinking alcohol tends to worsen symptoms. This is due to the effect that alcohol consumption has on the tissues of the throat and tongue, as well as signals being sent out by our brains.
- Alcohol increases the risk of insomnia. Heavy alcohol use can also contribute to the development of insomnia (a sleep disorder characterized by difficulty falling and staying asleep), and as many as three-quarters of people with alcohol dependence experience insomnia when they drink. People with insomnia also have an increased risk of developing alcohol use disorder, possibly because they may turn to alcohol as a sleep aid. This can create a viscous cycle.
How can we enjoy a drink without losing sleep over it?
For most of us, it means avoiding alcohol for at least three hours before bedtime. However, we may need to stop drinking more than three hours before bedtime if we:
- Consume multiple drinks over a short time
- Drink on an empty stomach
- Are especially sensitive to the effects of alcohol
- Are sleep deprived
- Take any medications that intensify the effects of alcohol
By becoming more aware of how alcohol affects us as individuals and being more mindful of how and when we are using alcohol, we can enjoy a cocktail and a healthy night’s sleep.