“Sleep is the golden chain that ties health and our bodies together.” — Thomas Dekke
Picture the end of a long, arduous day. Nothing seemed to go right, and the only thing you’d been looking forward to all day was getting to the end and falling into bed. However, as time passes, concern creeps in that you may not be able to fall asleep. As a result, you decide to have a glass of wine to ensure quality sleep.
This is incredibly common! Many believe that consuming a few drinks before bedtime helps them sleep better. However, the popular belief that alcohol positively impacts sleep couldn't be further from the truth! Today, let's dive into how alcohol affects our sleep and learn tips for improving our sleep quality.
When we go to sleep, we wake up in the morning feeling like no time has passed. However, our brain is quite active while we sleep! As we sleep, we move through four individual stages in roughly 90-minute cycles all night long. Each stage is unique, and we must spend quality time in each one throughout the night to wake up rejuvenated and energized.
One of these sleep stages is classified as rapid eye movement (REM) sleep, and the other three fall under the category of non-REM sleep. REM sleep is characterized by dreaming and its essential role in memory consolidation and emotional processing.
Beyond sleep stages, we also have a built-in biological 24-hour clock, known as our circadian rhythm. Our circadian rhythm regulates when we feel sleepy and awake by responding primarily to light changes in our environment. When you start feeling tired, it’s because your circadian rhythm detects low light and releases melatonin, signaling sleep.
Now that we've broadly discussed sleep (if you want to learn more, check out our course “Improving Our Sleep Quality”), let's dig into how alcohol interacts with it.
