While drinking alcohol before bedtime may help you feel relaxed and sleepy, enjoying a nightcap puts you at risk of experiencing repeated wakings and low-quality sleep later in the night. Many people experience a wave of sleepiness after consuming alcohol. As a central nervous system (CNS) depressant, alcohol has a sedative effect that may cause you to fall asleep more quickly than usual. However, the initial drowsiness alcohol causes can be deceiving. Alcohol disrupts sleep quality throughout the night, leading to less restful and restorative sleep. Even though you may not physically wake, or even remember waking up in the morning, alcohol, like other drugs, has been shown to fragment the stages of sleep (7).
- If it appears you’re having confusional arousals because you have some type of sleep disorder, treating that will likely put an end to them.
- Although there’s no evidence that alcohol can cause narcolepsy (sleepwalking), it does disrupt REM sleep, which may make the onset of sleepwalking more likely.
- It can also interfere with your relationships if it bothers your partner or family members.
- Many people experience a wave of sleepiness after consuming alcohol.
Getting a good night’s sleep can sometimes be a challenge when you’ve had one too many. You can improve your chances of waking up feeling rested and recharged by taking a few simple measures before you start knocking them back. Eat a balanced meal to help your system process all the alcohol that will soon be flowing through you, and make sure you’re getting plenty of water in between harder drinks. Once you get home, keep your room as dark and quiet as possible so you can sleep peacefully and without interruption. Most importantly, don’t forget to lie on your side in case you get sick in the middle of the night. Experts recommend avoiding alcohol at least four hours before bedtime to prevent adverse effects on sleep.
Can you ‘sober up’ from sleep drunkenness?
Because the liver can only process so much alcohol at a time—about one standard drink per hour—as you drink, alcohol builds up in the bloodstream and eventually makes its way to the brain. Let’s look at the science behind how sleep is affected by drinking alcohol and better tactics for truly restorative sleep. If you’re among the two-thirds (66 percent) of Americans that consumed alcohol in the last year (1), then you may have turned to the occasional nightcap for a little help falling asleep. Eating food before or while drinking can slow the absorption of alcohol and help maintain more stable blood sugar levels. If you’re already intoxicated, consuming a light snack before bed might help alleviate nausea and provide some nutrients to aid in alcohol metabolism. Recognizing the signs that someone may be at risk of throwing up in their sleep is crucial for preventing these dangerous scenarios.
Everything You Need to Know About Sleep Drunkenness
According to British researchers, drinking alcohol before bed reduces your quality of sleep. What is consistent from one person to the next, is the science of how alcohol diminishes sleep quality (5)—regardless if you struggle to fall asleep or not after drinking it. It’s important to note that while some report difficulty getting to sleep after drinking, others have no problem. When you drink alcohol, it goes through the same process as any other food or drinks you consume.
If bothered by persistent or recurrent confusional arousals, consider consultation with a board-certified sleep physician. It may be possible to identify techniques or treatments to reduce their frequency. If all else fails, your healthcare provider may prescribe medication such as an antidepressant or a sleeping pill. These medications may disrupt sleep depth, reducing the likelihood of waking from a prolonged period of slow-wave sleep. In addition, there are devices such as the Lully Sleep Guardian that can prompt awakenings in children.
Even moderate amounts of alcohol in your system at bedtime alters sleep architecture—the natural flow of sleep through different stages. It also leads to lighter, more restless sleep as the night wears on, diminished sleep quality, and next-day fatigue. Dehydration is another critical Family Therapy Recovery Research Institute concern when sleeping off a night of heavy drinking. Alcohol is a diuretic, meaning it promotes increased urine production and fluid loss.
Drinking Water Before Bed
It’s common to experience grogginess and perhaps an initial difficulty with getting out of bed right away. If you drink, practice moderation and prioritize your health with strategies like staying hydrated and maintaining good sleep hygiene to minimize the negative effects on your sleep. Avoiding alcohol altogether is recommended for a truly restful and restorative night’s sleep. Poor sleep quality impairs your body’s ability to regulate body temperature. For menopausal women, in particular, disrupted sleep can trigger or worsen hot flashes. Sleep disturbances disrupt hormonal balance, which affects body temperature regulation.
Sleep disruptions from alcohol consumption can harm your overall health and well-being. Replenish vitamins and minerals with a low-sugar electrolyte drink or tablet and a B-complex vitamin. But, contrary to popular belief, you should actually avoid painkillers like Tylenol or Advil, because they further tax your hard-working liver. So, what do you do if you need to ensure a good night’s sleep after one too many beverages? Here are some simple tips to mitigate alcohol’s effect on sleep.
Alcohol often does reduce sleep onset latency—the time it takes to fall asleep. Depending on how much alcohol is consumed, however, what seems like falling asleep may be something closer to passing out. And we quickly build a tolerance for the sedative effects of alcohol, which means you may need to drink more to have the same initial sleep-inducing effects.