Effects of Alcohol on Sleep
Alcohol is the most consumed form of drink around the world. It is well-known for its effects, both positive and negative. However, the negative impacts on one’s health surpass the positive ones. According to research, over 20 percent of American adult citizens consume alcohol to fall asleep. However, few people are aware of the dire effects alcohol has on their patterns of sleep. Sleep is a vital complex but necessary behaviour of human beings (Colrain, Nicholas, & Baker, 2014). The nervous system of a mammal has two states of sleep: The Rapid Eye Movement (REM) and the Non-Rapid Eye Movement (NREM) sleep. These states depend on the neurotransmitter release and neurological activation patterns with other functions. Neurotransmitters involved in wake-up regulations are direly affected by alcohol. Therefore, it has been proven that alcohol affects sleep patterns in various ways. For example, alcohol affects the coordination of the circadian rhythm activity of the body.
Alcohol has catastrophic effects on the production of melatonin. Melatonin is a hormone released by the pineal gland. It is used in the regulation of the sleep-wake cycle of the body. Alcohol is an extensive suppressor of melatonin. According to various pieces of research, an intake of a moderate unit of alcohol an hour before sleeping reduces the production of melatonin by approximately 20 percent. Therefore, a drinker’s body sleep-wake regulator is negatively affected, and this explains why a drinker may wake up late and still feel like they did not have enough sleep. The alcohol has effects on the biological clock; it diminishes the clocks ability to respond to light cues that synchronize the body to wake or sleep.
Additionally, alcohol intake alters the natural sleep-wake pattern by raising the levels of adenosine chemical production in the body. Adenosine chemical is responsible for the regulation of sleep the body gets. It lowers the production of other substances in the body responsible for stimulating wakefulness. Therefore, the drinker’s sleep times are affected by the adenosine-boosting effects caused by alcohol consumption; it affects the natural sleep-wake cycle.
The sleep of an individual is defined by the changes in the electroencephalographic (EEG) activity amplified by the postural muscle tone and the eye movements to enhance the REM differentiation from wakefulness. Movement from deep sleep to wakefulness largely depends on the EEG frequency continuum. Consequently, the consumption of alcohol causes a change in the manifestation of the EEG in the body, which interferes with the sleeping patterns (Conroy et al., 2012).
Alcohol has proved to have profound negative impacts on an individual’s sleep and sleep patterns. While most people take it a sedating substance, it results in a disturbed and fragmented sleep mostly in the second bit of the night. Frequent use of alcohol causes significant problems on the circadian and ongoing sleep features of the drinker.
References
Colrain, I. M., Nicholas, C. L., & Baker, F. C. (2014). Alcohol and the sleeping brain. Handbook of Clinical Neurology Alcohol and the Nervous System, 415-431. doi:10.1016/b978-0-444-62619-6.00024-0
Conroy, D. A., Hairston, I. S., Arnedt, J. T., Hoffmann, R. F., Armitage, R., & Brower, K. J. (2012). Dim Light Melatonin Onset in alcohol-dependent Men and Women Compared with Healthy Controls. Chronobiology International, 29(1), 35-42. doi:10.3109/07420528.2011.636852