One activity ruins healthy sleep. Many people think it helps them fall asleep
A good one is a guarantee of well-being and health. However, there are things that prevent the body from making optimal use of the time allocated for night rest.
We’re talking about drinking alcohol. Even a small amount drunk before bed prevents the body from getting adequate rest. What happens when you drink alcohol before bed?
How does alcohol affect sleep?
Alcohol may seem to make it easier to fall asleep. After a glass of wine, a drink or a beer, you feel relaxed and slightly sleepy. However, this is a very misleading feeling, because even if you actually fall asleep quickly, it will not be a good and healthy sleep that will allow you to fully regenerate.
Drinking alcohol before bed can be compared to switching modes on one device. At the beginning, alcohol actually has a calming, intoxicating and relaxing effect. You go to bed and fall asleep, but you still have a high level of alcohol in your blood. The body has to deal with this and it effectively interferes with normal sleep. When the level of alcohol in your blood drops, your brain returns to “normal” tracks, which means that you may even wake up and wake up several times. Alcohol intoxication can also cause stressful and unpleasant dreams, which is also not conducive to rest.
A study conducted a few years ago by scientists from Florida Atlantic University with the help of specialists from other universities gave interesting results. Researchers focused on evening alcohol, caffeine and nicotine consumption among 785 people over 5,164 days. It turned out that alcohol and nicotine have a more destructive effect on sleep than caffeine, which stimulates the body. Scientists also concluded that heavy alcohol consumption can permanently damage genes responsible for healthy sleep and wake-up cycles. To summarize: if you drink alcohol before bed, you tend to sleep less and your sleep is of poorer quality.
How to reduce the negative effects of alcohol on sleep?
If you decide to drink alcohol, it is worth remembering a few rules that will help minimize its impact on the quality of sleep. If you’re at a party, replace every other drink with a non-alcoholic one. Also avoid drinking shortly before bed – give your body a chance to digest the alcohol before you go to bed. If you drink alcohol, don’t forget to drink other fluids and stay adequately hydrated.
