Alcohol And Insomnia: Why You Should Avoid Excessive Alcohol Before Bedtime

After a hard day at work many people like to put their feet up and relax with a glass or two of wine to help them unwind.

This is fine in moderation, but drinking excessively can cause problems not only with your health but can also lead to insomnia.

Alcohol and insomnia are certainly not a good combination! Initially alcohol will make you feel very tired and sleepy but after it’s effects have worn off you may find that you feel wide awake and unable to sleep.

Alcohol is a depressant but is also a stimulant so although you may initially fall asleep for a couple of hours you will soon find your sleep disrupted, and as a result you won’t feel refreshed and ready to face the next day. You may feel groggy and suffer from day time tiredness.

Drinking alcohol suppresses the body’s natural production of melatonin, a chemical that helps to regulate sleep. It’s secreted into the body during the hours of darkness and a lack of it can result in poor sleep causing you to remain in the light stages of sleep and disrupting the body’s REM stage of sleep.

Drinking alcohol excessively can cause you to wake frequently during the night with the need to visit the bathroom. It can also make you snore, as your muscles will be very relaxed.

This may seem a good thing if are trying to sleep, but when you are lying on your back the soft tissues in the throat collapse down into the airways.

This results in a partial blockage creating a narrow passage which forces the air through and causes these tissues to vibrate against each other, making the familiar snoring noise.

Alcohol dehydrates the body so if you do drink you should always make sure that you drink plenty of water as well. This will help prevent the symptoms of a hangover such as a headache. It will also help the body to rid itself of toxins.

Before you go to a party, or after work drink, make sure you eat something so that you aren’t drinking on an empty stomach.

If you suffer from stress at work and can’t sleep properly, rather than trying to unwind with alcohol, try natural remedies instead such as Valerian or chamomile tea.

Find out how you can cure insomnia naturally without the need for drugs, and get a good night’s sleep. Wake up feeling refreshed and full of energy, instead of groggy and tired!