Does Alcohol Make You Sleepy? What We Know

Sleep drunk episodes may last for just a few minutes or up to an hour. “It’s best to stick with beverages with lower amounts of alcohol that take longer to drink. Some examples include break the cycle of addiction with these strategies to keep dopamine in check some wines, ciders, and beers, as opposed to hard liquor, says Dr. Kansagra. And it’s best to drink liquors with mixers that are caffeine-free, rather than straight, he says.

Sleep drunkenness is when a person wakes up confused and disoriented, so much so that they are unaware of their behavior. Alcohol can worsen sleep apnea, a condition where a person’s breathing stops and regularly starts while they sleep. However, researchers do not agree on how alcohol interferes with REM sleep. Research from 2020 states that alcohol reduces sleep quality, and while it may not significantly reduce REM sleep, there is dysregulation.

And you’re not alone — this condition affects at least 1 in 7 people. And, try to avoid drinking two to three hours before bedtime to give your body sufficient time to metabolize the alcohol, he suggests. Think of this as a “curfew for adults,” one you’ll be thankful for a few hours later. On average, some people might be sweatier sleepers than others, and when drinking, those effects are only exacerbated, he explains.

Explore Sleep Foundation

Alcohol disrupts the sleep cycle[6], increasing the number of arousals and limiting the time that someone spends in deeper phases of rest. Even one drink could increase the chances of a person waking up disoriented or confused. Drinking alcohol before bed can increase the suppression of REM sleep during the first two cycles. Since alcohol is a sedative, sleep onset is often shorter for drinkers and some fall into deep sleep rather quickly.

1. Insomnia, the most common sleep disorder, is marked by periods of difficulty falling or staying asleep.
2. The fourth stage, REM sleep, begins about 90 minutes after the individual initially falls asleep.
3. The substance causes sleepiness by increasing the functioning of the gamma-aminobutyric acid (GABA) neurotransmitter.
4. For someone who’s trying to get some rest, your body is actually pretty active.
5. However, it’s been found that by getting to the root cause of the disorder and fixing the underlying problem, the other conditions tend to go away as well.
6. Contrary to how it sounds, sleep drunkenness has nothing to do with alcohol intoxication.

The result is a lot of trips to the bathroom and a (mostly) sleepless night. REM sleep has a restorative effect and plays a role in memory and concentration. Poor or insufficient REM sleep has been linked to not only grogginess the next day, but also a higher risk of disease and early death. Your heart rate is elevated by 11 beats, and you know it’s going to be a long day ahead. You’re out cold, but your heart rate is elevated by 13 beats. For someone who’s trying to get some rest, your body is actually pretty active.

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Yes, confusional arousals occur in toddlers and kids as well. However, they’ll usually outgrow the condition as they enter their teenage years and adulthood. However, when confusional arousals continue as an adult, treatment may become necessary. To receive an official alcohol use abuse and depression diagnosis, you’ll need to be seen by a doctor who specializes in sleep. The first step is often a sleep journal to record y ourlseep patterns. The doctor may evaluate your entries and look for potential causes that could be responsible for confusional arousal.

Information from your device can be used to personalize your ad experience. Adrienne Santos-Longhurst is a Canada-based freelance writer and author who has written extensively alcoholic denial how to help an alcoholic in denial on all things health and lifestyle for more than a decade. If you turn to booze to help you snooze, you could be messing with the quality of your sleep.

Alcohol may also result in suppressed REM sleep in the short term. Although alcohol can initially have a sedative effect, it can lead to problems in the sleep cycle. Even though confusional arousal is common, with approximately 15 percent of the population experiencing it, it is not normal.

Dr. Abhinav Singh,

Obstructive sleep apnea (OSA) occurs due to physical blockages in the back of the throat, while central sleep apnea (CSA) occurs because the brain cannot properly signal the muscles that control breathing. Insomnia, the most common sleep disorder, is marked by periods of difficulty falling or staying asleep. Insomnia occurs despite the opportunity and desire to sleep, and leads to excessive daytime sleepiness and other negative effects.

But the truth is, drinking regularly—even moderate drinking—is much more likely to interfere with your sleep than to assist it. Sleep drunkenness is when your brain has a particularly challenging time waking up, leading to feelings of confusion and grogginess. The symptoms can be so disorienting that it feels as if you are drunk even if you didn’t drink any alcohol the night before. Instead, you may act on automatic behaviors instead of rational thoughts.

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“Some people end up sleeping in separate rooms, and that can have a negative impact on you and your partner,” says Dr. Martinez-Gonzalez. You’re sound asleep when your alarm goes off or your partner tries to wake you. You open your eyes and get out of bed, but you’re not fully awake.

Sleep drunkenness, however, bypasses the sleep inertia phase, so your brain and body don’t get the opportunity to transition into the awakened phase. Read on to learn more about sleep drunkenness and how to deal with it. What’s more, your sheets might get a little damp, as your body is primed to sweat. Because alcohol causes your blood vessels to dilate and heart rate to increase, your body gets hotter, he explains.

Unusual Behavior

Yet while snoring isn’t serious, it is possible to lose your gag reflex when sleeping drunk, and this can be pretty scary, says Greuner. Dr. Greuner says that while alcohol can depress your nervous system, helping you sleep soundly during the first half of the night, it can cause you to wake up a few hours later feeling alert. During sleep, a person’s heart rate should slow and drop to below 60 beats per minute. A racing heart may disrupt sleep or cause someone to fully awaken. Alcohol causes a higher production of the stress hormone cortisol, which regulates the body’s stress response and initiates wakefulness. Disruptions to this hormone can lead to reduced quality sleep and cognitive difficulties.