Experts have claimed that a particular type of drink could be stopping you from having a good night's sleep. Whilst we have all been told avoiding caffeine is important to help you fall asleep, some warn that alcohol should also be avoided.
Although you may feel sleepy after having a glass of wine or a pint of beer, drinking alcohol is a potential cause of insomnia according to sleep experts at Bed Kingdom. Unlike having the window open or eating kiwis before bed, which some people say can help you fall asleep faster reports The Daily Mirror.
The sleep expert explained: "While alcohol can often make you fall asleep faster, drinking it close to bedtime can cause fragmented sleep and can be the cause of frequent waking throughout the night. Studies have found that drinking alcohol within four hours of bedtime can negatively affect sleep continuity and duration, leading to longer 'wake after sleep onset' (WASO), where you wake up during the night and struggle to get back to sleep.
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"If you are having trouble staying asleep after an evening drink, try to have your last drink around four hours before you go to bed to ensure that your body has had ample time to digest and metabolise the alcohol before you try to fall asleep." Studies also show that consuming nicotine before bedtime can be related to insomnia, because it impacts the body's ability to fall and stay asleep.
The experts explained: "Caffeine works by blocking the effects of adenosine, a neurotransmitter that naturally builds up in the body during the day and creates pressure to sleep." According to a study published in the National Library of Medicine, caffeine was found to have a half-life of five hours in healthy individuals, which means it can take around five hours for half of the caffeine to leave your body.
The experts said: "While it may sound extreme, if you are having trouble drifting off in the evening, consider cutting off caffeine eight to 12 hours before your bedtime. If you typically go to bed at 11pm, this could mean having your last caffeinated drink at around 1pm in the afternoon and opting for decaffeinated options for the remainder of the day."
If insomnia impacts your daily life and has been a problem for longer than a month, and isn't related to a factor such as alcohol and nicotine consumption, the experts recommend you make an appointment to see your GP.
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