Alcohol and poor sleep: why this isn't a good combination

To help you fall asleep, people sometimes drink a glass of alcohol. This is affectionately called a nightcap. And it does have a positive effect: alcohol calms the nervous system, making it easier to fall asleep[ 1 ]. It also supposedly helps you sleep more deeply during the first half of the night.

Wait a little longer before pouring a large glass of wine before bed tonight. The nightcap will have a less positive effect the rest of the night, and your sleep quality will decrease. Alcohol, in other words, will make your sleep worse .

This article explains why this is so and offers alternatives to the nightcap. We'll also provide tips on how to sleep better after drinking alcohol. Besides a nightcap, alcohol is often consumed for other reasons. Afterward, you want to sleep well and wake up feeling refreshed the next morning.

While one person can fall asleep after two glasses of wine, another can sleep soundly after ten beers. So, the extent to which alcohol affects your sleep is a personal matter. While the impact varies, there are clear negative effects of alcohol on sleep. These are discussed below.

You might recognize this: after drinking some alcohol, you sleep like a log for the first part of the night. Then you wake up constantly in the early morning, or you can't fall asleep at all. It's really the alcohol that wakes you up more often and therefore shortens your sleep time.

In addition, you'll experience less REM sleep. This is deep sleep, during which the brain processes impressions from the day. You'll wake up tired the next day[ 2 ].

So, alcohol reduces the quality of sleep. According to the Sleep Foundation[ 3 ], it even reduces your sleep to this extent:

• At low levels of alcohol with 9.3%
• At average alcohol levels of 24%
• With high amounts of alcohol at 39.2%

An average amount of alcohol for a woman is one glass and for a man two glasses. A low/large amount is less/more than one or two glasses.

This is more of a long-term effect, for example, when you've been drinking alcohol for several days in a row. Because you've had less REM sleep, your brain becomes tired.

You can't properly process daytime impressions. When you do sleep well again, your brain catches up on the missed processing (and therefore dreams). This can lead to more intense dreams and more nightmares.

Another reason why alcohol can make you sleep poorly is that it increases your heart rate, even during sleep. Your heart has to work harder, and you feel alert. As you can imagine, this doesn't promote restful sleep, and you lie awake with a restless body.

Research suggests that alcohol can worsen snoring and sleep apnea[ 1 , 4 ]. If you've ever slept next to a snorer who's been drinking, you don't need to read any scientific proof: a few drinks will make snoring much worse.

According to the study, this is because alcohol relaxes the muscles, including those in the throat and tongue, causing the airways to narrow. It's not only unpleasant for the partner; it can also affect the snorer's sleep.

Alcohol also impairs melatonin production[ 5 ]. Melatonin is the hormone that regulates your sleep cycle. When it's produced properly, you sleep more deeply and wake up less frequently during the night. Whether a glass of alcohol significantly reduces melatonin production remains to be seen, but it certainly won't be beneficial.

A nightcap isn't the only reason people drink alcohol. It could also be simply because you're having a fun party or a cozy dinner, and you're enjoying one or more glasses of alcohol. Afterward, you want to avoid the alcohol interfering with your sleep. Use the following tips.

Tips to sleep better after alcohol:

• Plan social gatherings earlier - You don't have to pop open the bottle at 11 a.m., but planning your social gatherings earlier can reduce the impact on your sleep. Not only will you go to bed earlier, but your body will also have more time to break down the alcohol you consume.
• No alcohol 3 hours before going to bed - So try to stop drinking at least three hours before bed. This gives you enough time to process some alcohol and drink some water.
• Drink water - That's also the third tip. We all say we'll drink a glass of water between every glass of alcohol, but who actually does? Still, it's a good idea. Not only will it make you feel fresher that evening and the next day, it also keeps you less dehydrated, especially during the night. At least you won't wake up thirsty.

If you're drinking alcohol to help you fall asleep, you might want to explore other methods. While it's tempting to have a nightcap, alcohol can actually make your sleep worse. We've written a whole bunch of articles about sleeping better.

For example, see the following articles:

• Better sleep when restless - You may be stressed and therefore drink a glass of alcohol to relax before bed, but there are other ways to deal with the anxiety and fall asleep with a relaxed mind.
• Improving sleep hygiene - And by that, we don't mean a clean bed (although that's important too), but improving sleep habits. Think screen time, a good sleep environment, and appropriate nutrition.
• The 3-2-1 method - This is a method to fall asleep faster and improve the quality of your sleep.
• Magnesium for sleep - As a boost for better sleep, you can also take a supplement. Magnesium, for example, has several benefits for sleep.
• Breathing exercises - Breathing exercises never hurt, but they're especially helpful before sleep. They have a calming effect on both body and mind.