While it cuts the time it takes to first nod off and sends us into a deep sleep, it also robs us of one of our most satisfying types of sleep, where dreams occur. Used too often, it can cause insomnia.
Many advocate a nightcap - nursing homes and hospital wards have even been known to serve alcohol - but Dr Irshaad Ebrahim and his team advise against it.
Dr Ebrahim, medical director at the London Sleep Centre and co-author of the latest review, published in the journal Alcoholism: Clinical & Experimental Research, said: “We should be very cautious about drinking on a regular basis. ”If you do have a drink, it’s best to leave an hour and a half to two hours before going to bed so the alcohol is already wearing off.“ He said people could become dependent on alcohol for sleep.
In addition, it could make sleep less restful and turn people into snorers. ”With increasing doses, alcohol suppresses our breathing. It can turn non-snorers into snorers and snorers into people with sleep apnoea - where the breathing‘s interrupted.“
From the hundred or more studies that Dr Ebrahim’s team looked at, they analyzed 20 in detail and found alcohol appeared to change sleep in three ways.
Firstly, it accelerates sleep onset, meaning we drop off faster. Next, it sends us into a very deep sleep. However, the third change - fragmented sleep patterns the second half of the night - is less pleasant.
Alcohol reduces how much time we spend in rapid eye movement (REM) sleep - the stage of sleep where dreams generally occur. Consequently, the sleep may feel less restful.
The Sleep Council said; ”Don‘t over-indulge. Too much food or alcohol, especially late at night, just before bedtime, can play havoc with sleep patterns. “Alcohol may help you fall asleep initially, but will interrupt your sleep later on in the night. Plus you may wake dehydrated and needing the bathroom.”
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Park Sae-jin
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