Alcohol disrupts sleep quality throughout the night, leading to less restful and restorative sleep.
Once the body’s systems slow down, this can quickly turn into drowsiness.
Promotes Vivid Dreams
Drinking alcohol before bedtime may cause more vivid, sometimes unpleasant dreams.
Photographer, Basak Gurbuz Derman / Getty Images
Research shows that alcohol consumption is associated with more action-filled, aggressive dreams.
Worsens Snoring
Alcohol slows your breathing and causes you to take more shallow breaths.
It also relaxes the airway muscles, narrowing the airways.
Adverse Effects of Disrupted Sleep
Sleep disruptions from alcohol consumption can harm your overall health and well-being.
Stress Hormones
Disrupted sleep can increase the production of stress hormones likecortisol.
Heart Rate
Fragmented sleep can negatively affect your heart health.
Learning and Memory
Sleep is essential for consolidating information learned throughout the day and performing daily tasks.
Sleep disturbances disrupt hormonal balance, which affects body temperature regulation.
How Much Alcohol Does It Take to Affect Sleep?
Even a small amount of alcohol can disrupt your sleep quality.
Experts recommendavoiding alcohol at least four hours before bedtimeto prevent adverse effects on sleep.
Alcohol has other effects on your body that contribute to feeling tired and sluggish the following day.
Dehydration also decreases oxygen and nutrient delivery to your body’s organs and contributes to fatigue.
Nutrient deficiencies can further contribute to low energy levels.
Chronic or heavy alcohol consumption can worsen these effects and contribute to long-term health problems.
Avoiding alcohol altogether is recommended for a truly restful and restorative night’s sleep.
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