#24 - Alcohol and Sleep: Raise a Glass to Terrible Rest

There may be no topic in sleep that is more studied yet often misunderstood than alcohol.  Even a casual overview of popular media is full of references relating alcohol and peaceful relaxation and easy sleep. Is there truth to this depiction? Can alcohol share a space with healthy sleep? In this episode we will:

• Examine the numbers of people using alcohol to help with sleep and insomnia
• Explore the neurotransmitters affected by alcohol intoxication and how they relate to the chemistry of sleep
• Detail the ways in which alcohol affects sleep architecture
• Compare the differences between the first and second halves of the night, and how they differ in relation to alcohol effects
• Contrast the differences between acute and chronic alcohol use on sleep
• Finds ways that alcohol can be enjoyed and its effects on sleep minimized

Produced by: Maeve Winter

More

• Twitter: @drchriswinter
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• Threads: @drchriswinter
• Bluesky: @drchriswinter
• The Sleep Solution and The Rested Child

Thanks for listening and sleep well!