Here’s an Olympian who has her priorities straight.

Today, we’ll be diving into the last pillar of good sleep hygiene: alcohol.

Table of Contents

1. A Common Myth: Alcohol Helps Me Sleep

2. Why Is Alcohol Bad for Sleep?

3. The Trade-off: More Alcohol = Less Sleep

4. Summary & Action Items

Myth: Alcohol helps me sleep

Unfortunately, alcohol does anything but help your sleep.

Are you sure, Ben?

Then, why do I fall asleep so much easier after a drink or two?

It’s because of a commonly-made misconception:

You are mistaking sedation for sleep.

Sedation may quickly cause you to fall unconscious. It may also slow your breathing and calm your thoughts.

But, a state of sedated unconsciousness is not the same as being asleep.

Your body is not undergoing the crucial restoration sleep provides.

So, be careful. Sedation is not sleep.

Why Is Alcohol Bad for My Sleep?

There are 2 main ways alcohol poorly affects your sleep.

1) Alcohol fragments your sleep.

You will wake up much more throughout the night with many of those not being something you remember.

This causes you to not feel restored by your sleep.

2) Alcohol blocks REM sleep.

Okay, that sucks.

But, why should I care about my REM sleep?

Sleep scientist Matthew Walker calls REM sleep “overnight therapy.”

This is because REM sleep is like a reset button for our emotions, helping restore us to balanced hormonal levels from one day to the next.

These hormones don’t just include emotionally-related hormones but also growth hormones as well.

In one study on alcohol & sleep, people with near the illegal BAC for driving (.08) in their system before sleep had 50% less growth hormone release.

So, unless you want to be in a grumpy mood and have lower-than-average testosterone, stay away from nighttime alcohol as much as possible.

Trade-off: More Alcohol = Less Sleep

With all the above in mind, the frustrating truth is that there is no healthy way to drink alcohol.

But, sometimes it may still be completely worth it.

Going out for a drink with an old friend who’s in town for the night?

Yeah, have a drink or two.

Celebrating after a big achievement or milestone reached?

Go for it. Crack open a cold one.

Just remember, you will not sleep as well after, and you will feel worse tomorrow.

My point?

Before having alcohol, remember this trade-off.

If it’s worth being in a worse mood tomorrow, have 1 or 2 drinks.

If it’s not worth it (which most likely is the majority of the time), consider having something non-alcoholic instead.

Summary

While it might feel like alcohol helps you fall asleep faster, this could not be farther from the truth.

Alcohol is a sedative, so it may help you fall unconscious faster

But, sedation is not sleep.

No matter which way you cut it, alcohol hurts your sleep in two main ways:

1) It fragments your sleep, causing you to have worse quality sleep and less sleep all around.

2) Alcohol blocks REM sleep, which will cause you to be in a significantly worse mood the next day and have lower-than-average testosterone levels.

Action Item:

The next time you are about to have an alcoholic drink, remember the trade-off you are making with your sleep.

And, ask yourself:

Is this drink worth feeling tired and groggy tomorrow?

Occasionally, the answer might be yes.

But, more often than not, stay away from the alcohol.