Many people believe that alcohol helps them sleep. One survey found that 15% of people drink specifically to improve their sleep. What, however, does the research have to say on this topic. What’s the relationship between alcohol and sleep?
The Studies on Alcohol and Sleep:
One review analyzed every study ever done on alcohol and sleep. Here’s what they found:
- Alcohol helps you fall asleep.
- Alcohol causes you to wake up more frequently throughout the night.
- Alcohol increases slow wave sleep, especially during the first half of the night. The more you drink the more slow wave sleep you have. Bedwetting, sleepwalking, snoring, and poor breathing become more common during this phase. A recent study found that alpha waves are also increased during this first part of sleep, which is a pattern seen that leads to less refreshing sleep and poor daytime functioning. It’s also a pattern seen in those suffering from chronic pain.
- Finally, alcohol reduces total REM sleep and increases the time it takes to fall into REM sleep. Lack of REM sleep can impact concentration, motor skills, and meldonium.
Conclusion:
Alcohol can help you fall asleep, but it significantly disrupts sleep quality. As we all know how important sleep is for us to function properly throughout the day, some people who find it hard to get to sleep may decide to check out sites like Serenity Store – Buy CBD Products Online, to find CBD products to help improve their quality of sleep. As CBD is said to have calming properties, this could be the answer for many people to finally get a good night’s sleep. With this being said, mixing anything with alcohol is never good. Look back and think how rested you feel in the morning after a night of drinking. So, if you’re having trouble sleeping cut back on your alcohol intake and give your body time to remove the alcohol from your body. It takes roughly an hour for your body to remove a drink from your system (depending on your weight). So if you have two drinks, try to stop 2 hours before hitting the sack.
If you’re trying to get someone else to stop drinking before they sleep, you might want to look into an etg test as a deterrent to the consumer of the alcohol, testing every now and then may make them think a little more about how much they’re drinking, hopefully decreasing their consumption.
Citations:
Chan, Julia KM, et al. “The Acute Effects of Alcohol on Sleep Electroencephalogram Power Spectra in Late Adolescence.” Alcoholism: Clinical and Experimental Research (2015).
Ebrahim, Irshaad O., et al. “Alcohol and sleep I: effects on normal sleep.”Alcoholism: Clinical and Experimental Research 37.4 (2013): 539-549.