Why does alcohol wake you up
Why Alcohol Disrupts Your Sleep - Sleep Center
When you're wound up at the end of a long, stressful day, a nightcap may sound like the perfect way to relax before bed. But while a little alcohol may make you feel sleepy, it can set you up for a restless night. Can you unwind with a late-night drink without winding up fatigued in the morning? Probably not.
"Alcohol is a depressant, which can help somebody feel like it's relaxing them and helping them to fall asleep," said Charlene Gamaldo, MD, associate professor of neurology, pulmonary, and critical medicine and director of the Neuro-Sleep Division at Johns Hopkins Hospital. "But alcohol also is rapidly metabolized in your system and, when your body washes the alcohol out, it's more likely to cause what we call a rebound alertness."
Sleep investigators have found that this rebound alertness tends to strike in the second half of the night, which is when you would normally be in the period of rapid eye movement (REM) deep sleep. Missing out on REM sleep can worsen daytime sleepiness — that's why you're likely to feel that you're dragging through the day after a night of drinking. Poor sleep quality can also cause problems with alertness the next day.
Sleep problems due to alcohol get worse over time. Between 10 and 15 percent of cases of chronic insomnia are related to substance abuse, including alcohol abuse.
"For folks who chronically use alcohol, particularly to aid with sleep, it can really mess up their natural cycle of getting to sleep and staying asleep," explained Dr. Gamaldo. "They never get into deep REM sleep because they're waking up when the alcohol wears off."
When you overdo it on the alcohol and drink in excess, it may lead to a morning-after headache, nausea, and the overall miserable feeling of a hangover. But it doesn't take a binge to suffer these effects. If you have a nightly drink, you're likely to wake earlier and earlier. "The more and more you do that, your body gets more and more acclimated to metabolizing the alcohol even faster.
It's a vicious cycle — you feel like you need it to get to sleep because you're waking up so much in the middle of the night, but the behavior is complicating the issue even more," added Gamaldo.
Drinking too much wakes you up for two main reasons, explained Gamaldo. First, alcohol is a diuretic, so your body works hard to metabolize it and creates large volumes of urine to help you get the alcohol out of your body. So, you'll likely need to get up in the middle of the night to use the bathroom. "That sense of a hangover is actually from intense dehydration from your body getting rid of all that alcohol," said Gamaldo.
Second, you'll have the rebound waking as your body bounces back from the depressant effects of the alcohol. Also, too much alcohol can weaken airway muscles, triggering (or worsening) sleep disturbances like sleep apnea or heavy snoring.
When a hangover wakes you up early, it's partly because your body is craving fluids to replace what was lost through the increased urine output.
Have plenty of water or electrolyte replacement drinks.
If you're looking for a solid night of sleep, work on developing good sleep habits instead of reaching for a drink. A Japanese study looked at the impact of cutting out alcohol before bed. Within one month, those who stopped having a nightcap saw the biggest improvements in their sleep; participants felt less sleepy and reported an improvement in the quality of their sleep.
Other smart steps to better sleep include:
- Exercising every day
- Spending time in the sunlight each day
- Making sure your bedroom is comfortable, dark, and quiet
- Avoiding eating and drinking too close to bedtime, and avoiding caffeine in particular
- Creating a sleep/wake schedule
- Developing a soothing pre-bedtime routine
In moderation, alcohol has some benefits, but use caution. "The take-home message is not to resort to alcohol as a go-to sleep aid.
If you're having trouble sleeping, wean off alcohol, especially if you're having problems maintaining sleep," said Gamaldo.
The Latest in Sleep
Valerian Root for Sleep
Valerian has been used as a sleep aid for millennia, but studies on its effectiveness show mixed results.
By Quinn Phillips
Night Owls Have a Higher Risk of Diabetes, Heart Disease
Staying up late at night and sleeping in later in the morning may make people more likely to develop certain chronic diseases, a new study suggests.
By Lisa Rapaport
Can Sex Help You Sleep?
The body responds to orgasm by unleashing hormones that may help you fall asleep faster and log better-quality sleep.
By Moira Lawler
Disparities in Who's Getting Good Sleep for Black, Other Minority Communities
By Sari HarrarEverything You Need to Know About Circadian Rhythms and How They Affect Sleep
By Emma PenrodWhat Happens to You When You Don’t Sleep for Days
Ever wonder how long you can go without sleep? Find out what happens to you, physically and mentally, when you are sleep deprived.
By Mikel Theobald
This Is Why Alcohol Keeps Waking You Up At Night
After a swinging Saturday night at the bars, few things feel better than your head hitting the pillow for a good night's rest. But as easy as it is to fall asleep under the relaxing influence of alcohol, the substance is only creating the illusion of sweet slumber.
As everyone over the age of 30 well knows, once you wake up from an alcohol-induced repose (usually between 2 and 4am) fueled by a deranged level of thirst, it's especially hard to get back to sleep. Being the curious minds we are, we decided to dive into the science behind why alcohol is such a bedtime buzzkill. So read on, and if you find that this happens to you often, consider cutting back on the booze. And if that doesn't work, be sure to memorize these 10 Genius Tricks for Falling Back Asleep in the Middle of the Night.
In reality, drinking alcohol before bedtime is the cause of many a restless night—studies show that an average of 55 percent of alcoholics suffer from insomnia.
Why? As we sleep, our body is working hard to process the alcohol in our system, and once it's out, something signals us to wake up. Doctors aren't quite sure why the body does this, but their theory is that the brain chemicals that stir us awake are triggered once the alcohol is done being processed.
"Depending on your metabolism, alcohol is going to leave your system after a few hours," sleep doctor Damien Stevens explained to Time. "When that happens, you wake up."
Shutterstock"Alcohol is a depressant, which can help somebody feel like it's relaxing them and helping them to fall asleep," Charlene Gamaldo, MD, explained to Everyday Health. "But alcohol is also rapidly metabolized in your system and, when your body washes the alcohol out, it's more likely to cause what we call a rebound alertness."
This rebound alertness, as its known, is precisely what disrupts our REM sleep, the restorative phase of sleep that helps us store memories and even learn new information.
People often forget that alcohol is technically a drug, and our body has to work in overtime to process its effects.
There are also some other, slightly more obvious reasons why alcohol makes us restless. After a few glasses of Chardonnay, the body is working hard to metabolize all that alcohol, which means that your bladder is filling up fast and begs to be emptied. Not to mention that alcohol dehydrates you, so your body will attempt to wake you up for a big glass of water.
ShutterstockIf you do plan on drinking, try to take your last sip well before you hit the hay. Studies have shown that drinking in the evening is associated with increased restlessness compared to drinking earlier in the day. As Michael K. Breus, Ph.D., explained in Phycology Today: "Alcohol consumption, in excess or too close to bedtime, diminishes the quality of sleep, often leads to more waking throughout the night, and lessens time spent in REM sleep and slow wave sleep in later parts of the night.
" And for more great health advice, know that You Can Lose This Much Weight by Getting More Sleep.ae0fcc31ae342fd3a1346ebb1f342fcb
If you do want to drink something to calm yourself right before bed, there is hope yet: Research shows that a drink before bed (capped at just one) can improve sleep quality and duration. So long as you don't overdo it, your REM will be A-OK.
For more tips on sleeping soundly, check out these 70 Tips For Your Best Sleep Ever.
To discover more amazing secrets about living your best life, click here to sign up for our FREE daily newsletter!
How alcohol affects the body and mind
September 30, 2011 Health
Many of us imagine the effect of alcohol not quite correctly and make mistakes that are unforgivable for the body, and then pay with a hangover, headache and social problems. Therefore, we decided to figure out how alcohol actually affects the body, coordination and perception of reality.
This article will not contain advice on "how to drink more and still stay sober" or "how to avoid a hangover." But there will be interesting research data and interesting facts that may come in handy in the future. We read, educate ourselves and try to avoid mistakes.
Alcohol has a different effect on a full stomach, young girls, some Asians and those who have taken aspirin - liver).
The enzyme begins to work actively when alcohol reaches the lining of your stomach.
The production of this enzyme is not the same for everyone: it depends on gender, genetic predisposition and age. That is why men get drunk much more slowly than women. But with age, this ability decreases, and if earlier you could easily outdrink your girlfriend and still remain sober, then by the age of 60 your significant other will get drunk much slower than you.
Studies have also shown that the perception of alcohol by the body also depends on genetics. Asians, due to a certain genetic predisposition, also do not take alcohol very well and get drunk quickly.
The same can apply to people of other races if their genes are affected by a mutation.
If almost everyone in your family on the side of one of the parents does not perceive alcohol well, the probability that you will also not be friends with him is very high.
We also slightly misunderstand the effects of alcohol on a full stomach. It is commonly said that food absorbs alcohol, but this is actually not the case. Yes, food in the stomach helps fight intoxication, but not because it "absorbs" it. When you eat, the valve between your stomach and small intestine closes—the body knows the food needs to be digested well, so the enzyme has plenty of time to work on the alcohol.
If you decide to drink a glass on an empty stomach, alcohol passes through the stomach almost non-stop and enters the small intestine, whose surface area is more than 200 square meters. There are places to roam, right?
Also, don't mix alcohol and aspirin unless you're a hangover lover.
Aspirin reduces the production of the enzyme.
Studies conducted in the 1990s showed that the blood alcohol level of those who took a couple of aspirins before drinking was 26% higher than those who did not take the medicine.
To some extent, alcohol prolongs life
Of course, this does not apply to chronic alcoholics. Almost every month, new studies appear that prove that moderate alcohol consumption prolongs life.
Everyone at least once came across in magazines advice to drink a glass of dry red wine a day or at least a couple of times a week (if there are no contraindications).
Experimental results have shown that mortality among those who abstain completely from alcohol is higher than among those who drink moderately and even among those who drink quite a lot (69%, 41% and 61%, respectively).
Popular theories are based mainly on the antioxidants and resveratrol compounds found in wines, as well as increasing the body's production of good cholesterol (HDL).
Of course, the relationship between alcohol and longevity is not direct, but indirect. For shy people, it acts as a kind of social lubricant and relieves mild stress (in moderation, of course).
Recently, sociologists and epidemiologists have been conducting research on long-term loneliness and its impact on life expectancy. Loneliness in the truest sense of the word is dangerous to life, since a person is by nature a social being and is used to living in a group (with the exception of special cases).
Alcohol doesn't kill brain cells, it suppresses them
The 100% alcohol used to sterilize instruments really kills brain cells and neurons and everything else.
If you drink a standard dose, only 0.08% of alcohol will reach your brain with blood, and if you attend a large party, then your brain will receive 0.25%. These percentages do not affect the brain cells in any way (chronic alcoholism and its effect on the cells of the liver and other organs is a completely different story).
An example of a study in 1993 can be cited as evidence. Brain cell samples were taken from two people, an alcoholic and a teetotaler, who died from causes unrelated to drinking. As a result, there were no special differences between them in the structure and density of cell groups.
Alcohol is like a hand grenade.
When you drink alcohol, your brain receives signals from glutamate (an excitatory acid). Penetrating into your receptors, it disrupts their ability to transmit signals normally, which ultimately affects your speech, coordination, perception of reality, etc.
Substances such as cocaine and LSD act exclusively on certain areas of the brain and work like sharpshooters. Alcohol in this case can be compared to a hand grenade.
Under the influence of alcohol, people tend to perceive all the actions of others as deliberate
Since drinking alcohol changes your perception of reality, you may think that people's random actions were not accidental at all, but deliberate.
That's why companies that have already warmed up so often have heated debates.
An interesting experiment was carried out: 92 men were forced to walk a certain distance for 3 hours without food. Then they were given juice to drink in unlabeled glasses (just juice and juice with alcohol). After that, after 30 minutes, they were asked to rate the actions (she accidentally deleted an email, she tripped on a skipping rope, she was looking for her keys, etc.) - whether they were intentional or accidental.
Almost all participants, regardless of the dose of alcohol taken, if the effect was unambiguous, determined it correctly. But once the actions became ambiguous, the participants who drank the juice with alcohol tended to believe that the action was intentional.
Alcohol is a terrible sleep aid
Quite a few people believe that alcohol is an excellent sleep aid. In fact, it's not like that at all. Especially if you drank caffeinated drinks before taking alcohol.
In fact, drinking alcohol can lead to a disruption of REM sleep (your brain will actively adapt to the effects of ethanol molecules), and as a result, you will either wake up constantly or not be able to fall asleep at all.
Your brain will not be able to fall into deep sleep and rest normally.
No sex
Another common misconception: After drinking, your sex will be wild. Yes, alcohol awakens desire, but the show itself may not take place.
If you drink in moderation, everything will be fine. But if you miscalculated a little, don't expect something great and unforgettable.
Alcohol dilates the arteries and "relaxes" the body as a whole, and for some parts of the body in this case it is not very good. About inadequate perception and problems with coordination will not be repeated.
Scientists have found out what emotions are caused by different alcohol
Science
close
100%
Consumption of different types of alcohol causes different emotions in people, British researchers have found.
They hope that the findings will be useful in the fight against alcohol addiction.
People often associate the use of alcohol with a change in the emotional background - someone feels more relaxed and peaceful, someone after drinking, on the contrary, is drawn into a fight, for some, alcohol causes bouts of blues and tearfulness. Researchers from Health Wales found out exactly what kind of emotions people experience when drinking certain types of alcohol. The data obtained are supposed to be used in the fight against alcohol addiction. The results were published in the journal BMJ Open .
Researchers analyzed data from the Global Drug Survey, the world's largest online survey of legal and illegal drug and alcohol use among adults. The survey includes items related to alcohol consumption at home and outside and the emotions that beer, wine and other alcoholic beverages evoke.
Scientists have looked at feelings such as arousal, relaxation, sexuality, confidence, fatigue, aggression, soreness, anxiety, and tearfulness.
About 30,000 people aged 18-31 from 21 countries took part in the survey. As the results showed, different alcoholic drinks evoked different feelings in the participants. In particular, strong drinks were more likely to lead to negative emotions.
50% of study participants associated feelings of relaxation with beer. Spirits were found to be the least likely to lead to this feeling - only 20% of participants indicated that gin, vodka or whiskey made them feel relaxed and calm.
“For centuries, rum, gin, vodka and other spirits have gone hand in hand with violence,” said Professor Mark Bellis, one of the authors of the study. “Research shows that even today they lead to the manifestation of aggression more often than other drinks.”
Almost a third of the participants linked strong alcohol with a tendency to aggression. Participants wanted to cry after drinking strong alcohol in about a quarter of cases. Red wine produced a similar effect in 17% of cases, white wine and beer in 9%.
%.
“Gin, rum, vodka and other spirits contain more alcohol and are usually consumed quickly, resulting in high blood alcohol concentrations. In addition, people may drink them specifically to feel drunk, while other alcoholic beverages are more likely to be consumed slowly or with food. A surge in blood alcohol levels reduces the brain's ability to suppress impulsive impulses or think about their consequences, ”explains Bellis. Gin is especially often associated with tearfulness.
The gender of the participants and the degree of alcohol dependence also influenced the results — women more often associated alcoholic beverages with any emotional states.
However, men, as the researchers note, "are significantly more likely to associate a tendency to aggression with any type of alcohol, and those who suffer from alcohol dependence do so six times more often than others."
In addition, alcoholics were five times more likely to report feeling more energized after drinking any alcohol than non-alcoholics.
“Positive emotions from alcohol consumption may be partly related to the imagery used in advertising and the media,”
, the researchers emphasize.
Although the study did not establish a clear relationship between certain types of alcohol and specific emotions, it did show that there are correlations. The authors hope that the data obtained can be used in healthcare practice to rethink patterns of alcohol consumption and fight alcohol addiction.
Subscribe to Gazeta.Ru in News, Zen and Telegram.
To report a bug, select the text and press Ctrl+Enter
News
Zen
Telegram
Picture of the day
Russian military operation in Ukraine. Day 283
Online broadcast of the military special operation in Ukraine — Day 283
The Kiev-Pechersk Lavra was not given to the Ukrainian Church. Bye
The Ukrainian authorities denied the transfer of the Kiev-Pechersk Lavra under the control of the OCU
"Process started.
" Dozhd may be expelled from Latvia
TV channel Dozhd was fined for the map of Crimea as part of Russia and they are trying to expel it from Latvia
Elon Musk revealed part of the documents on hiding the Twitter story with Hunter Biden's letters
An air raid alert has been declared in two regions of Ukraine
An explosion occurred in a residential building in the Astrakhan region
Head of the Ministry of Culture of Ukraine: there is no talk of transferring the Kiev-Pechersk Lavra to the OCU
News and materials
Reuters: the largest refinery in Venezuela has suspended the production of gasoline
Analyst Zuborev explained the reason for the rise in the rate of bitcoin over $17 thousand after the fall
UN: Promoting gender equality will boost the economy by $12 trillion
Deprived driver for 9 years drove on an invalid license
Energy company: emergency power outages are underway in Kyiv
902.
gr: NATO armored train derails in northern Greece
Karina Kross broke her leg on the set of Comedy Club
The Russian Ondua, who plays for Cameroon, spoke about the praise from Neymar at the World Cup
Restaurateur Lamberti named an Italian dish that will decorate the New Year's table
Britney Spears showed how her husband congratulated her on her birthday
Senator Abramov said that the Russian Federation will not sell oil at a price with a ceiling of $60 per barrel
Evgenia Kryukova spoke about the death of her ex-husband from a heart attack after covid
A resident of Moscow threw a husky out of the window and received six years in prison
Science Advances: Laser therapy improves short-term memory by 25%
The authorities of Blagoveshchensk called for the return of the mask regime at enterprises
The head of the National Guard Zolotov checked the units in the LPR and presented state awards
Opera singer Quentin Oliver Lee dies at 34
Hartley has no plans to become Ak Bars coach
All news
"$3,000 worst case.
" An IT specialist who left for Thailand - about work, housing and attitude towards Russians
An IT specialist from Moscow told what salaries should be expected in an Asian IT company
Give birth or go for an abortion: what to do if a pathology is found in the fetus
Psychologists: it is up to the woman to save the child or have an abortion in case of fetal pathology
Test: Guess the famous nannies and tutors
Pushkin's nanny, the main Victorian adventurer and other famous educators
Poland defeated: the EU has found a ceiling for Russian oil
The EU has agreed on a ceiling for oil prices, it will be $60 per barrel
"This is the theater of the absurd." Novak on Poland's plans to buy Russian oil next year
Nowak called Poland's plans to buy Russian oil in 2023 "a theater of the absurd"
A veteran from Donetsk had to be evacuated during a video conference with Putin
Ex-Somalia battalion fighter thanked Putin for joining Donbass to Russia
"The Beast from the Future". Tesla ships first
electric trucks to customersDidn't read, but tore. In Khabarovsk, the circulation of books was destroyed, which were accused of promoting LGBT
Activists of the “Council of Fathers” in Khabarovsk said that the West has gone crazy and tore books about LGBT
Lost citizenship, factories and status. Kolomoisky flew out of the list of billionaires
Forbes: Ukrainian oligarch Igor Kolomoisky lost the status of a dollar billionaire
"Bloody bags with animal eyes." What is known about terrible parcels to Ukrainian embassies
Several Ukrainian embassies in different countries received bloody parcels
"Rocket strikes on Ukraine is a response to the Crimean bridge." What Putin discussed with Scholz
Russian President Putin discussed the situation around Ukraine with German Chancellor Scholz
"Of course he's happy." Edward Snowden swore allegiance to Russia
Former CIA officer Edward Snowden received a Russian passport
