Even in moderate amounts, alcohol consumed in the hours before bedtime can cost you sleep and leave you feeling tired the next day. Based on data from roughly 160,000 Sleep Foundation profiles, nearly 90% of respondents who regularly consume alcohol in the evening have reported at least one sleep-related problem. Before we look at the effects of alcohol on sleep in detail, here’s the basic bottom line. The more you drink, and the closer your drinking is to bedtime, the more it will negatively impact your sleep.
Normally, the body’s gag reflex helps protect against choking by expelling foreign substances from the airway. However, alcohol significantly impairs this reflex, making it harder for the body to clear the airway if vomiting occurs during sleep. This impairment can lead to aspiration, where vomit is inhaled into the lungs, potentially causing a severe condition known as aspiration pneumonia. If you feel pretty drunk, you’ll probably fall asleep quickly but have a restless night.
The Dangers of Vomiting While Asleep
Research suggests that confusional arousal happens when different regions of the brain fail to fully communicate with each other. As a result, some parts of the sleeper’s brain stay asleep while others suddenly awake. Those who work the night shift tend to have reverse schedules than the rest of the world. They’re up in the middle of the night, and they rest during the day. Not only does this wreak havoc on their internal clocks, but it can also lead to confusional arousals.
If you observe any of these symptoms, it’s crucial to seek emergency medical attention immediately. Designating a sober friend to monitor intoxicated individuals can be a lifesaving precaution. This person can ensure that the intoxicated individual is placed in a safe sleeping position, is not at risk of choking, and can seek medical help if necessary. The role of a designated sober friend extends beyond just being a designated driver; they serve as a crucial safety net for those who may be too impaired to care for themselves.
It’s important to note that while some report difficulty getting to sleep after drinking, others have no problem. Ultimately, the decision to drink should always be made with full awareness of the potential consequences, both immediate and long-term. By prioritizing our health and safety, and that of those around us, we can enjoy social occasions without putting ourselves at unnecessary risk. Remember, a good night’s sleep is invaluable for our overall well-being, and it should never be compromised by excessive alcohol consumption.
- Or you might have an undiagnosed sleep disorder or other health condition that needs care.
- While this initial sedative effect might seem beneficial, it ultimately leads to disrupted and poor-quality sleep.
- This article covers the causes and symptoms of confusional arousals along with how they are diagnosed and treated.
- Here, eye movement stops completely and heart, breathing, and brain activity reach their lowest point of all four stages.
The typical sleep cycle begins with three non-rapid eye movement (NREM) stages of sleep and ends with rapid eye movement (REM). During sleep, the body cycles through all of these stages every 90 to 120 minutes, with NREM sleep dominating the first part of the night and REM increasing during the second part of the night. Each stage is necessary for sleep to feel refreshing and for vital processes like learning and memory consolidation to occur.
People who struggle with this often have no memory of the episodes, so you may have sleep drunkenness and be completely oblivious. People with this sleep disorder often lack awareness and control over their behavior and movements, so the issue can potentially be dangerous. In fact, a preexisting mental health condition, such as anxiety, is one of the main risk factors for sleep drunkenness. Your friends liquid marijuana mix drink or your partner may tell you that you’ve acted strangely upon waking up, but you might not remember.
Can you ‘sober up’ from sleep drunkenness?
In rare cases, people have harmed themselves or others while sleep drunk. Some people have tried jumping out of a window, and others have shown violent or aggressive behavior. And when your partner mentions your behavior later, you have no memory of it. And you’re not alone — this condition affects at least 1 in 7 people. Alcohol can lead to fragmented sleep and waking up during the night, as it disrupts the sleep cycle.
The diuretic effects of alcohol increase as your blood alcohol concentration rises, meaning the more you drink, the more you’ll wake up at night to pee. Alcohol’s diuretic effects can also contribute to dehydration, as your body expels fluids faster than you replace them. And though it may help in the short term, drinking alcohol before bed can actually lead to a night of horrible, restless sleep. Hydration plays a crucial role in mitigating the effects of alcohol. Alternating alcoholic drinks with water throughout the night can help prevent dehydration.
Snoring and Sleep Apnea
People don’t remember these episodes, so your only clue will be if you’ve been told you seem confused or behave aggressively or act hostile when you wake up and that this behavior happens regularly. When sleep is interrupted, we sometimes need a minute to come to; however, there’s a difference between waking up sleepy and waking up disoriented. Contrary to how it sounds, sleep drunkenness has nothing to do with alcohol intoxication. Instead, it relates to feelings of confusion and disorientation when an individual is woken from a deep sleep.
Once it becomes acetic acid, it’s ready to break down into carbon dioxide and water. This taxing process breaks down about 90 percent of the alcohol you consumed to clear it out of your system (2, 3). Anyone who’s ever indulged in a drink or two knows that alcohol can make you real sleepy, real fast. Alcohol may be consumed in beer, wine, and hard liquors like vodka, rum, gin, and whiskey.