6 reasons why alcohol could be ruining your sleep
During isolation, many people are drinking more. However, if you’re someone who already struggles with sleep, or the lockdown has made your sleep suffer, this could be compounding the issue.
Alcohol is a sedative, which is why those who have issues with sleep onset often find it a ‘useful’ way to drop off to sleep. However, this is not a healthy habit and while it may help us fall to sleep more easily, it actually negatively impacts the quality of our sleep. Why?
Alcohol alters the quality of our sleep so it becomes non-restorative. This means that even if you do get to sleep faster, you won’t feel much better, as you’ll struggle to get deep and refreshing sleep under the effects.
Alcohol disrupts our circadian rhythm. You may fall asleep quicker, but you will also wake earlier or in the middle of the night. As your hangover starts to kick in, dehydration or needing to use the toilet will wake you and it can be really hard to get back to sleep. You may then feel more tired during the day, so it tempting to go to bed early which can lead to further sleep issues as your body clock gets further out of sync.
During alcohol-induced sleep, REM sleep is reduced. This is considered to be the most restorative sleep phrase, so without this you may feel groggy and lacking in concentration when you wake.
Alcohol can make sleep apnea worse. Most of us are likely to snore if we have drunk too much alcohol, but for those with sleep apnea it can make the snoring and difficulty to breathe even worse.
Drinking too much alcohol can negatively impact our diet too. The more we drink, the more likely we are to eat too much and indulge in hangover food. This leads to further tiredness and weight gain.
Alcohol might stop you exercising. When we drink too much, it’s harder to motivate ourselves to workout. No one wants to exercise with a sore head! However, exercise is vital if we want to keep our energy levels up.
My advice? Try to avoid alcohol daily, and if you do drink cut down as much as you can and ensure it is as far away from bedtime as possible so you don’t go to bed under the effects.
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