Don’t sleep on alcohol. Or with it. Look, you know what I mean.
Twenty percent of adults use alcohol as a sleep aid.
Bad strategy.
Even just one drink in the evening does far more harm to our sleep than good.
Forget about fat-burning while you sleep
When you drink, your body makes breaking down the alcohol job one. So much for the benefits of a fast (such as burning fat) as your body diverts energy to remove the booze.
You lose REM sleep
In REM sleep, our brains are active and dreaming. REM sleep has been linked to better mood stabilization, memory retention, and learning capability.
Alcohol can shorten REM sleep cycles. When we miss out on REM, we’re cheating our brains out of restorative processes.
Increased chance of sleep apnea
Sleep apnea—the temporary loss of breath during sleep—causes a whole host of issues over time. It’s even been linked to memory loss and dementia. Alcohol use can increase the likelihood of of sleep apnea by 25%.
Increased chance of insomnia
Because alcohol use inhibits deep sleep, it causes us to wake more frequently and can increase bouts of sleeplessness for those who already suffer from insomnia.
And while a few drinks may initially help you get to sleep faster, even this effect fades after a few days of use.
My n=1 experience
I used to have a glass or two of red wine with dinner most nights. Since cutting that out (I still have some wine on the weekends) I’ve found that:
•My energy and concentration is much better in the evenings
•I fall asleep sleep more—not less—easily
•When I do drink, I drink less than before
When it comes to sleep, dry is for dozing.