30 Days to Better Sleep: Avoid Alcohol Near Bedtime

<p><img class="alignnone" src="http://0.tqn.com/h/sleepdisorders/1/9/7/2/-/-/Woman_Red_Couch.jpg" alt="Getty Images" /></p> <p>With few<a href="http://clk.about.com/?zi=1/1hc&zu=http://sleepdisorders.about.com/od/sleepdisorderstreatment/a/Sleeping-Pills-Overview.htm"> sleeping pill</a> options historically, difficulty falling asleep has been helped with home remedies, including a shot of alcohol. These "nightcaps" seem to make it easier to fall asleep, but with a better understanding of the effects, they are now discouraged. It seems to be a contradiction: alcohol makes you feel sleepy, but it worsens your sleep. Why should you avoid alcohol near bedtime?</p> <p>Alcohol comes in myriad forms: beer, wine, and spirits or hard liquors such as rum, vodka, whiskey, tequila, brandy, and so forth. No matter its form, it all works the same. Alcohol acts as a depressant of the central nervous system, specifically the brain. It can affect behavior, concentration, and attention. At higher blood alcohol levels, increasing sleepiness and even depressed levels of consciousness can occur. Someone who is highly intoxicated may "pass out," becoming unresponsive to the environment and appearing to be asleep.</p> <p>In light of these experiences, it would seem to be logical to use alcohol to increase sleepiness and aid the transition to sleep. For people who suffer from <a href="http://clk.about.com/?zi=...
Source: About Sleep Disorders - Category: Sleep Medicine Source Type: news