Does Alcohol Help You Sleep? Why a Nightcap Hurts Your Rest

Alcohol helps you fall asleep faster, but it makes the rest of the night worse. As your body clears it, sleep in the second half of the night gets lighter and more broken, and REM sleep drops. You wake more, sweat more and use the bathroom more. Over time you need more alcohol for the same effect.

Why does alcohol make me sleepy?

Alcohol is a depressant. It slows brain activity, so you feel relaxed and drowsy. A review of sleep studies found that alcohol shortens the time it takes to fall asleep and deepens sleep early in the night (Ebrahim et al., 2013). That is why so many people feel like it works. A lot of my clients have told me they use or used a drink or two to get to sleep.

Why is sleep after drinking poor quality?

The same review found that alcohol disrupts sleep in the second half of the night, and that REM sleep goes down, especially at higher doses. REM sleep matters for memory, learning and mood. Your brain uses sleep to process memories and your body uses it to repair, so cutting it short costs you.

Other things that happen after drinking:

• More trips to the bathroom
• Night sweats, because alcohol widens blood vessels
• Snoring and worse breathing, since alcohol relaxes throat muscles
• Waking up early and not getting back to sleep
• Poorer blood sugar control the next day

Can I become dependent on alcohol for sleep?

Yes. Your body adapts, so the sleepy effect gets weaker and you need more to get the same result. Using alcohol to cope with stress or sleep is a pattern worth taking seriously. If you cannot sleep without it, talk to a doctor. The NIAAA has facts and resources on drinking.

What can I use instead of alcohol to sleep?

Start with habits, because they work and cost nothing:

1. Same bed and wake time every day
2. No caffeine after early afternoon
3. Dark, cool, quiet room
4. Screens off 30 to 60 minutes before bed
5. A wind-down routine such as a shower, reading or slow breathing

I used to recommend melatonin, GABA and L-theanine as a stack. My take now is more careful. Melatonin modestly helps people fall asleep faster and is most useful for jet lag or shift work (Ferracioli-Oda et al., 2013). L-theanine improved sleep quality in a small trial of healthy adults (Hidese et al., 2019). Evidence for GABA supplements is limited. Never take any of these with alcohol, and check with your doctor if you take medication.

How long before bed should I stop drinking?

If you drink, finish at least three to four hours before bed and keep it to one or two drinks. The less alcohol in your system at bedtime, the less it disrupts your sleep.

For more, read why sleep is important for recovery and does alcohol weaken your immune system. If you want a plan that covers sleep, food and training, take the XPL quiz.