Author: James Anderson

Why Does Alcohol Mess With My Sleep? The New York Times

However, consuming alcohol can also cause sleep disruption and other adverse effects on people’s health. People who have this condition are also more likely to experience confusional arousal[7]. Another theory is that waking up multiple times could increase the likelihood of an episode, leading to a higher probability of waking up disoriented, or waking up and not remembering anything. Those with this condition may wake up in the middle of a sleep cycle or in the morning feeling disoriented.

1. People who experience sleep drunkenness are also more likely to have longer periods of deep sleep.
2. Finally, going to bed with alcohol in your system increases your chances of having vivid dreams or nightmares, or sleepwalking and other parasomnias.
3. Alcohol can lead to fragmented sleep and waking up during the night, as it disrupts the sleep cycle.
4. Contrary to how it sounds, sleep drunkenness has nothing to do with alcohol intoxication.

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It can also interfere with your relationships if it bothers your partner or family members. “Some people end up sleeping in separate rooms, and that can have a negative impact on you and your partner,” says Dr. Martinez-Gonzalez. You’re sound asleep when your alarm goes off or your partner tries to wake you. You open your eyes and get out of bed, but you’re not fully awake. You wander around, say strange things or give blunt answers when someone talks to you. What’s more, when you’re at the bar, you can even ask the bartender for a low ABV drink, says Dr. Greuner.

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People with alcohol use disorders commonly experience insomnia symptoms. Studies have shown that alcohol use can exacerbate the symptoms of sleep apnea. To understand how alcohol impacts sleep, it is important to understand the different stages of the human sleep cycle.

In the first half of the night, when the body is metabolizing alcohol, studies show people spend more time in deep, slow-wave sleep and less time in REM sleep. It may sound like a good idea to spend more time in deep sleep. Sleep architecture is biologically driven and finely calibrated to meet the body’s needs during nightly rest—changes to the natural, typical structure of sleep aren’t generally good for health or well being. REM sleep, which gets shortchanged in the first half of the night under the influence of alcohol, is important for mental restoration, including memory and emotional processing.

Other general adverse effects

Research has found that people’s ability to remember, pay attention, and carry out cognitive functions declines with a lack of sleep. Adrienne Santos-Longhurst is a Canada-based freelance writer and author who has written extensively on all things health and lifestyle for more than a decade. If you turn to booze to help you snooze, you could be messing with the quality of your sleep. Information from your device can be used to personalize your ad experience.

“If it happens once a year and no one gets hurt, you probably don’t need treatment,” says Dr. Martinez-Gonzalez. Sleep drunk episodes may last for just a few minutes or up to an hour. “It’s best to stick with beverages with lower amounts of alcohol that take longer to drink.

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The reason is that once those are under control, confusional arousal usually dissipates on its own. When you’re stressed out, it affects your ability to relax, and it’s not always easy to quiet your mind. Anxiety could lead to fitful sleep and increase the possibility of waking up disoriented. In addition, anxiety may increase your sleep latency (the time it takes to go to sleep), even leading to sleep deprivation.

While they might’ve tasted great going down, you might suffer the consequences after hitting the sheets. You might find yourself tossing and turning, or running to the bathroom every hour or so. What’s more, because alcohol can interfere with your ability to sleep soundly, you typically wake up feeling groggy and fatigued. Alcohol can cause sleepiness and may initially have a sedative effect. This is because it depresses the central nervous system and enhances the effects of the GABA neurotransmitter, which slows brain activity.

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The substance causes sleepiness by increasing the functioning of the gamma-aminobutyric acid (GABA) neurotransmitter. The GABA’s main function is to slow down body and brain activity. If you’re planning on heading out for a night that will involve some drinks, there are some things you can do to help you sleep afterward. Drinking a light to moderate amount of alcohol (one or two standard drinks) before bed may not have much of an impact. Alcohol has a diuretic effect that causes your body to release more water in the way of urine.