Alcohol and Sleep Disruption
Thursday, August 14th, 2008
There are several ways to attempt a good nights rest. Trying various sleep aids, both natural and conventional, taking a relaxing bath, exercising later in the day, or perhaps having a glass of wine or two before bed. You may think the last alternative would be of help because of its sedating effects on the body. However, studies show that consuming alcohol close to bedtime can interfere with getting quality sleep.
If you are one of those people who enjoy a regular nightcap about an hour or so before bed, you may want to think again. Consuming alcohol one hour before bed has been shown to disrupt the second half of your sleep state. In fact, consuming alcohol even 6 hours prior to bed can still cause unwanted awakening during the night. The closer you drink alcohol to your bedtime the more you feel its effects such as increased fatigue the following day, difficulty breathing at night, decreased alertness, or a decrease in mood or depression.
Anyone who already suffers from a sleep disorder such as insomnia or sleep apnea is at a greater risk of exacerbating their condition or perhaps increasing their risk of other health related issues. Nursing mothers are sometimes advised by their physicians to have a drink to stimulate breastfeeding this may not be the best advice though because what they may not realize is this can interfere with their sleep and disrupt the sleep of their newborn infant as well. Those who suffer from alcoholism may find once they relinquish their dependence on alcohol their body may return to somewhat normal sleeping patterns or they may never experience normal sleep again. In some cases this can cause a relapse to alcoholism.
Even though drinking prior to bed may induce a faster deeper sleep, the worn off effects can actually do more harm and lead to sleep deficiency, sleep disorders, and even alcohol dependence.