An occasional series on urban lifestyle choices and their impact on sleep
If you’ve been in an Urban Mattress store lately, you might have sampled a cold brew while you browsed various bedding choices. The two seem to pair quite nicely or so our customers tell us.
While we find the occasional libation delightful, when it comes to sleep, we are professionally compelled to advise no compromises. Quality sleep is without a doubt one of the best, and cheapest (unlike diet pills, personal trainers, and doctors) ways to stay healthy. We readily admit, though, that a drink late in the evening can be a relaxing way to end the day. So we took a look at what experts think about the relationship between alcohol and sleep and found, not surprisingly, that moderation is the word of the day when it comes to the ol’ nightcap.
An April 2013 review of 20 studies in the journal Alcoholism: Clinical & Experimental Researchfound that alcohol in any amount speeds up falling asleep and deepens the first half of sleep, but causes a more disrupted second half as effects wear off.
During deep (or slow-wave) sleep, our bodies repair tissue, build bone and muscle and bolster immune function. REM sleep is when we dream and store memories, and lack of it can mean poor concentration and motor skills. Our bodies and minds need both kinds of sleep to regenerate.
While smaller amounts of booze, like one or two drinks, deepen the first half of sleep without significantly impacting REM (rapid eye movement) sleep, heavier drinking reduces REM sleep (which may explain why you couldn’t remember that night in college that otherwise would’ve proved quite memorable) and may result in breathing problems like sleep apnea and snoring, the review concluded.
So, while excessive drinking helps us fall asleep, it doesn’t help us sleep better overall. The moral of the story is that alcohol can be a pleasant treat, but it’s not a sleep aid and is better sipped than chugged, at least in most cases. Drink safely Urbanites!