The impact of alcohol on sleep can vary depending on several factors, including the amount consumed, the timing of consumption, and individual differences in metabolism and tolerance levels. While a moderate amount of alcohol may initially help you fall asleep faster, it can also lead to fragmented sleep, frequent awakenings, and decreased time spent in the restorative stages of sleep. It takes on average one hour to digest one alcoholic beverage, so stop drinking at least three hours before bed. Otherwise, you risk your cortisol levels rising and disrupting a healthy sleep cycle.
Based on data from roughly 160,000 Sleep Foundation profiles, nearly 90% of respondents who regularly consume alcohol in the evening have reported at least one sleep-related problem. Alcohol consumption significantly alters the normal progression through sleep stages, disrupting the natural sleep architecture. In the early part of the night, alcohol tends to increase deep sleep (N3 stage) while reducing REM sleep. This might initially feel like more restful sleep, but it’s actually a disruption of the natural sleep cycle.
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And even though alcohol might make you feel sleepy at first, it can disrupt sleep later in the night. Alcohol can contribute to the development or worsening of PLMD, a condition characterized by involuntary limb movements during sleep, leading to disrupted sleep and daytime fatigue. Alcohol can relax the muscles in the throat, increasing the risk of obstructive sleep apnea, a condition characterized by repeated episodes of breathing interruptions during sleep. Alcohol consumption can disrupt the production and release of melatonin, a hormone that regulates the body’s circadian rhythms and promotes sleep. Unsurprisingly, studies of people with insomnia have also found that heavy alcohol use exacerbates insomnia.
What is sleep apnea, what are the symptoms, and how to take action
Clinical studies confirm that alcohol quickly loses its effectiveness as a sedative, but retains its sleep disturbing qualities. When taking a whole night’s sleep into account, the restful and reinvigorating sleep we all need and rely on, instead deteriorates and over time disrupts our body clock. OSA is recurrent episodes of airway obstruction resulting in disruptions in sleep. With sleep onset, relaxation of the muscles of the jaw, tongue, and throat occurs, leading to a narrowing of the upper airway diameter. Essentially changes in the brain’s regulation of upper airway musculature lead to OSA. Alcohol aggravates OSA as it can increase the time between the breaths you take as you sleep.
Delayed melatonin release
In summary, alcohol misuse (heavy alcohol use and AUD) appears to be linked in a bi-directional fashion to sleep-related problems such as insomnia and circadian rhythm abnormalities. The recommended treatment for insomnia disorder in the community, as well as those with AUD, is CBT-I. Alcohol is one of the most commonly used psychoactive substances alcohol and sleep connection in the community. Alcohol also increases breathing-related sleep events such as snoring and oxygen desaturation, especially in those with pre-existing problems. Emerging data demonstrate that insomnia may co-exist with SSD and circadian abnormalities. Future studies should unravel these tentative associations in individuals who misuse alcohol.
How alcohol affects the sleep stages of your sleep
Following the Dietary Guidelines for Americans, limit your alcohol consumption to moderate levels—up to one drink per day for women and up to two drinks per day for men. For most people, alcohol induces a deeper-than-usual sleep in the first half of the night, followed by disrupted sleep in the second half of the night. Our circadian rhythm is sometimes called our “biological clock”—the process that regulates the way our bodies function during each 24-hour daily cycle. If you’re having sleep-related problems, consider cutting back or giving up alcohol. “I’ve had many patients who came back to me after curtailing alcohol use entirely and their sleep disorders resolved,” shares Dr. Foldvary-Schaefer. The simplest way to keep alcohol from interfering with your sleep is to just not drink.
Consider natural sleep aids
The concentration of alcohol hits most organs equally, except for the liver, which receives a higher “dose” due to its proximity to the small intestine and stomach. The process for alcohol to cross the blood-brain barrier occurs in approximately 5-10 minutes. Our reviewers go through an internal sleep health training course to insure that they are able to provide the most helpful and accurate information they can.
Each cycle lasts around 90 minutes total, which adds up to between six and nine hours of sleep. Dr. Abhinav Singh, board certified in Sleep Medicine and Internal Medicine, is the Medical Director of the Indiana Sleep Center, which is accredited by the American Academy of Sleep Medicine. He is also a Clinical Assistant Professor at Marian University College of Medicine in Indianapolis, where he developed and teaches a Sleep Medicine rotation.Dr. Singh’s research and clinical practice focuses on sleep disorders, including excessive daytime sleepiness, narcolepsy, sleep apnea, chronic snoring, insomnia, and sleep education. Furthermore, alcohol slows and shallows breathing, relaxing the muscles of the throat and further causing the upper airway to collapse.
Aim to finish your last alcoholic beverage at least 3–4 hours before your desired bedtime. One of the most significant impacts of alcohol on sleep is fragmentation, particularly in the latter half of the night. 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’s relationship with sleep onset is complex and often misleading.
While your internal clock regulates the kidney’s release of electrolytes and works to filter fluids, alcohol inhibits these processes. It is recommended you increase your daily water consumption and avoid drinking alcohol before bed to prevent its dehydrating effects. In the short term, these alterations to our sleep pattern can lead to a restless second half of the night. In the long term, frequent disruptions to our natural sleep cycle may alter the homeostatic drive in a more permanent way. People who consistently drink too much alcohol may eventually build up a tolerance to its initial sedative effects. Studies of chronic alcohol users have found that these individuals typically experience disrupted sleep patterns with less slow wave sleep and more REM sleep.
If your sleep problems persist, consider consulting a healthcare professional to identify and address the underlying causes of your sleep difficulties. People with alcohol use disorders commonly experience insomnia symptoms. Alcohol can exacerbate the symptoms of sleep apnea, a common condition where the airway collapses or becomes blocked during sleep.
- People who typically snore or who have obstructive sleep apnea tend to display more severe snoring and lower blood oxygen levels after drinking alcohol, especially when they drink close to bedtime.
- Hot flashes or the need to go to the bathroom (as alcohol is a diuretic) fragment sleep and, therefore, more chances to suffer insomnia.
- As the body metabolizes alcohol, it leads to more frequent awakenings, resulting in choppy, low-quality sleep.
People who wake up feeling unrefreshed may be more likely to rely on alcohol again to help them sleep the next night, leading to a counterproductive pattern of alcohol use. That’s because alcohol interferes with the ability to stay asleep and to get high-quality, deep sleep. Nearly half of adults over age 65 report having consumed alcohol in the past year, according to NCOA guest author and alcohol use researcher Paul Sacco. And sometimes, they say they’re drinking to cope with a challenging symptom like insomnia. “Almost every category of sleep disorders can be adversely affected by alcohol use, specifically chronic alcohol use,” says Dr. Foldvary-Schaefer. Light sleep tends to be more prevalent in the first few hours after hitting the sheets.
Pay attention to what you eat and drink
- A hint –alcohol and sleep simply don’t mix well – read on to understand why.
- While alcohol may initially help you fall asleep faster, it can disrupt your overall sleep quality and lead to frequent awakenings throughout the night.
- Alcohol acts as a sedative, inducing sleep and in some promoting a tranquilizing effect.
- Alcohol use and dependence appear to interfere with circadian rhythms—biological patterns that operate on a 24-hour clock.
- “I’ve had many patients who came back to me after curtailing alcohol use entirely and their sleep disorders resolved,” shares Dr. Foldvary-Schaefer.
That’s followed by a deeper cycle of snoozing known as rapid eye movement (REM) sleep. In particular, avoid heavy or large meals within a couple of hours of bedtime. The recommended amount of sleep for a healthy adult is at least seven hours. Here are the ways alcohol can impact sleep and what you can do to mitigate it. Alcohol is a central nervous system depressant, meaning it slows down all of the functions of your brain, ranging from thinking to breathing and other automatic functions.