If you're confused about alcohol and insomnia and whether alcohol can actually help you sleep, the answer is yes, it can, but it may not be the sleep you need. The fact is that alcohol and insomnia really don't make good partners. Many people fight a constant battle with insomnia. Statistics show that at least 28% of people who deal with insomnia turn to alcohol to help them sleep at night. They have a stressful day so they have a drink or two to unwind. They then go to bed, fall asleep and are wide awake a few hours later, frustrated and unable to fall back to sleep again. Having a drink before bed seems so harmless. After all alcohol is supposed to relax us isn't it? So what's the truth about alcohol and sleep? Drinking alcohol does have certain properties that help you relax which often helps you to fall asleep more quickly at night. There is a catch though - this effect usually only lasts for a couple of hours. Yes, you may fall asleep quickly when you drink some alcohol. The problem is that once the alcohol is metabolized by the body, it begins to have another effect. Essentially the body goes into withdrawal from the lack of alcohol once it is gone. Alcohol also dehydrates your body which leads to sleep that becomes increasingly shallow after those first couple of hours. Often awakenings, dreams, and even nightmares can occur. So, you may find yourself awake again in a couple of hours, and it can lead to more sleep deprivation which can lead on to problems staying alert the next day. Although you will find yourself dealing with wakefulness after a few hours of falling asleep, there are more serious problems to be aware of. When you mix insomnia and alcohol together, you may be at risk of sleep apnea as well. Sleep apnea essentially means that you stop breathing multiple times in your sleep, which can be quite dangerous. For those who are already alcoholics, drinking alcohol to avoid insomnia can lead to even more severe sleep problems. In fact, the sleep of most alcoholics is disrupted over and over by awakenings and restlessness. Research also shows that alcohol affects our sleeping pattern especially the deeper sleep cycles not allowing the body to have quality REM or dreaming sleep. Lack of REM sleep has been tied to mental health problems. There is also the problem with mixing alcohol with all of the medications that can be prescribed for insomnia. These medications do not mix well with alcohol and can even be dangerous to the person who drinks while taking them. Although alcohol definitely affects everyone differently, relying on alcohol to sleep can lead not only to problems with daytime fatigue, but it can lead to problems with alcoholism as well. There are many treatments for insomnia out there that do provide safe and effective help. So, find a top natural treatment and avoid trying to use alcohol as an aid to insomnia. Enjoy a drink by all means, just don't depend on alcohol to give you a good night's sleep. It won't.
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