Does Alcohol Really Affect Your Sleep?
Alcohol helps you fall asleep but worsens the second half of the night — here's why.
It's a real effect for many people: a nightcap can help you fall asleep faster, but it tends to worsen sleep quality in the second half of the night. As alcohol wears off, it can fragment sleep, suppress some restorative stages, and leave you waking more often — which is why you can sleep eight hours after drinking and still feel unrested.
That doesn't mean you can never have a drink, but if you're chasing better sleep, the timing matters. Finishing alcohol a few hours before bed, and keeping the amount modest, softens the second-half disruption. If you've noticed you wake at 3 a.m. after evening drinks, this is often why. More on light, temperature, and routine in our wind-down guide.
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