Alcohol’s detrimental impact on our health is a well-established fact – backed by science and medical experts for decades now. In a recent Instagram upload, celebrated nutritionist Pooja Makhija shared how an alcohol-induced hangover messes up our sleep cycle
“That next-day blah after drinking? It’s not just the alcohol — it’s your brain paying for fake sleep. Alcohol sedates you, suppresses REM, and messes with your circadian rhythm — leaving you tired, moody, and craving more the next night,” she mentioned in the caption of her Instagram post. And when it comes to chronic use? Makhija shared that it raises cortisol, disrupts emotional regulation, and trains your body to depend on an external off-switch.
Indianexpress.com reached out to a health expert to understand the long-term effects of alcohol abuse on sleep patterns.
Deepti Khatuja, head clinical nutritionist at Fortis Memorial Research Institute, Gurgaon explained that alcohol consumption can have a detrimental impact on one’s sleep.
Quoting studies that have revealed numerous neurotransmitter systems and other substances to be involved in the regulation of sleep and various sleep stages, she said, “Both acute and chronic consumption alter the activity of many of these neurotransmitters such as – serotonin, norepinephrine, GABA, Glutamate and noradrenaline- as well as affect other sleep factors. These alterations may contribute to sleep disturbances observed both in alcoholics and in people undergoing alcohol withdrawal.”
Does alcohol impact sleep? (Source: Freepik)
She added that studies have suggested that some sleep problems observed among alcoholics may persist despite sustained abstinence and the three possible explanations can be:
- Some sleep disturbances could precede the development of alcoholism and thus persist into abstinence.
- Chronic alcoholism may cause either slowly reversible or irreversible damage to brain systems that regulate sleep.
- Chronic alcoholism may be associated with persisting medical and psychiatric disorders that disrupt sleep during abstinent periods.
Why does Makhija call it a ‘fake sleep’?
Although many people believe alcohol facilitates sleep, Dr Arpan Chaudhuri, consultant (internal medicine) and intensivist at Manipal Hospitals in Kolkata’s Salt Lake told indianexpress.com that alcohol use is actually shown to impair sleep quality and the amount of dream sleep a person gets. This can affect memory and concentration. Alcohol use can also make sleep apnoea worse.
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“When alcohol is consumed just before bedtime, its percentage remains high in blood and that leads to instant sleep. But as the liver starts to metabolise the alcohol, it eventually disrupts sleep, especially the REM stage, and one tends to wake up soon after falling asleep owing to alcohol consumption just before bedtime. This is what is called as a fake sleep,” he further explained.
“Shorter sleep duration and more sleep interruptions may be the results of this imbalance, which lowers total sleep quality. Obstructive Sleep Apnea (OSA) also contributes to daytime sleepiness and exhaustion. People frequently use caffeine-containing products such as coffee and cigarettes to help them remain awake during the day, fueling an unhealthy cycle,” he added.
DISCLAIMER: This article is based on information from the public domain and/or the experts we spoke to. Always consult your health practitioner before starting any routine.
