Skip the Booze to Get to Sleep
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iStock/Thinkstock(COLUMBIA, Mo.) — A bottle of beer, a glass of wine or a shot of whiskey is not going to help you sleep better in the long run.
Mahesh Thakkar at the University of Missouri School of Medicine says about 20 percent of Americans have tried this method in an effort to get some shuteye.
While it might put them to sleep faster, Thakkar says many will also find their sleep interrupted at some point and that makes it even more difficult to doze off.
The study author explains the problem is that alcohol interferes with “sleep homeostasis — the brain’s built-in mechanism that regulates your sleepiness and wakefulness.”
The other downside to using alcohol is that it also acts a diuretic, meaning, more trips to the bathroom at night.
While it’s tempting, Thakkar recommend people skip the booze and if problems persist, talk to a health professional about what’s keeping you awake, which can be addressed with individualized treatments.
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