If you turn to booze to help you snooze, you could be messing with the quality of your sleep.
We’ll tell you why and give you tips for getting better sleep after a night out.
Why it makes you sleepy
Anyone who’s ever indulged in a drink or two knows that alcohol can make you real sleepy, real fast.
That’s because alcohol depresses the central nervous system. It has a sedative effect that helps you relax and makes you drowsy, so you fall asleep faster.
Researchers have found that the sedative effect only lasts for the first part of the night, though. People who consume alcohol before bed don’t wake up as often during the first few hours of sleep. If they do, it’s for shorter periods.
Once that effect wears off, alcohol starts having the opposite effect.
Why it also keeps you up
Alcohol may help you fall asleep faster, but that’s it.
Research shows that alcohol actually has a disruptive effect on your sleep the rest of the night and messes with sleep quality and quantity.
Alcohol before bed has been shown to lead to fragmented sleep and frequent waking. There are a few reasons for this.
