New publications
Alcohol is not the best remedy for insomnia
Last reviewed: 01.07.2025
All iLive content is medically reviewed or fact checked to ensure as much factual accuracy as possible.
We have strict sourcing guidelines and only link to reputable media sites, academic research institutions and, whenever possible, medically peer reviewed studies. Note that the numbers in parentheses ([1], [2], etc.) are clickable links to these studies.
If you feel that any of our content is inaccurate, out-of-date, or otherwise questionable, please select it and press Ctrl + Enter.
British scientists have reported that a shot of strong alcohol is not the best remedy for insomnia or poor sleep. Many people who find it difficult to fall asleep immediately have a shot or two of strong alcoholic beverages before going to bed. Contrary to popular belief, the positive effect of alcohol is a misconception. Doctors from the University of London studied all available information about the effect of alcoholic beverages on sleep and conducted several additional studies that confirmed that drinking alcohol before bed has a negative effect on human health.
Alcohol actually makes you fall asleep pretty quickly, which you shouldn't fool yourself about: you won't be able to get a good night's sleep during a "drunk" sleep. The mechanism of alcohol's influence on human sleep can be described approximately as follows: alcohol makes you fall asleep too quickly, which causes a shift in sleep phases. Not so long ago, a small dose of alcohol was considered a medicine, and some doctors recommended their patients to drink a glass of cognac or brandy in case of insomnia. In fact, such a habit can be fatal: firstly, you risk becoming addicted to strong drinks and entering the first stage of alcoholism, and secondly, disrupting healthy sleep will also not do any good, especially if you are over 50 years old.
Doctors warn that the game in this case is not worth the candle: despite the fact that alcohol can help you fall asleep much faster, it has a destructive effect on all important functions of the body. After drinking alcohol, processes occur in the human body that lead to a change in the natural rhythms of the brain, which are responsible for deep and healthy sleep. A dangerous problem can be that alcohol disrupts the rhythm of breathing, as a result of which a person begins to snore in his sleep. This feature can not only cause discontent among others, but also lead to fatal consequences. In the history of medicine, there are cases when a person suffocated in his sleep due to snoring, and the original cause was a passion for alcoholic beverages.
A detailed study, according to information provided by scientists from London, showed that alcohol gradually affects three phases of sleep. Firstly, after drinking alcohol, a person can fall asleep instantly. Secondly, alcohol immediately causes a very deep sleep, which is usually characteristic of people taking antidepressants. Thirdly, alcohol disrupts the most “rapid” phase of sleep, which is responsible for rest and restoration of the body’s energy.
It is not for nothing that there is a saying: "an alcoholic's sleep is deep, but short"; after a few glasses of strong alcohol, a person is able to fall asleep instantly, but the sleep will not last the 7-8 hours needed for rest. The initial stage of sleep will be sudden and deep, and then the sleep will be broken: a person will start waking up more often, depressive thoughts, unreasonable feelings of anxiety or panic are possible. Sleep caused by alcohol will show the opposite effect after some time: instead of the expected deep sleep, a person will feel tired and absent-minded.
[