Category

Alcohol & Sleep

As Matthew Walker said in episode #49, “Alcohol is probably the most misunderstood sleep aid.” Like sleeping pills, alcohol is a sedative. You might lose consciousness more quickly, but you’re not ‘falling asleep’ faster. 

Anyone who has gone to bed after drinking alcohol can likely relate to the associated sleep disruptions. In addition to being a sedative, which seems beneficial to sleep, alcohol both fragments your sleep as well as reduces REM sleep. Meaning, you wake up more often during the night and will likely feel unrefreshed and unrestored when you get out of bed.

Below is a collection of audio clips and podcasts discussing how alcohol impacts your sleep, the mechanism of disruption, and metrics to track this impact. For more information on alcohol consumption in general, check out AMA #31 where we break down the latest science on alcohol and its impact on healthFor more information on sleep, I would strongly recommend listening to our 7-part series with sleep expert, Matthew Walker, Ph.D. where we discuss everything you need to know about sleep, its impact on your health, and how to improve your sleep.

Alcohol & Sleep

The impact of alcohol on sleep

This audio clip is from our “Ask Me Anything” episode #31 – Heart rate variability (HRV), alcohol, sleep, and more,…

hangover cure

A “miracle pill” for hangover prevention?

A quick search for “hangover prevention” will send you down a rabbit hole of advice. While staying hydrated and not drinking too much are obvious solutions, there’s a new hangover pill called Myrkl that’s garnering much attention. In this article, you’ll find out exactly what is in these pills, whether they might actually work (or not), and potential downsides. 

Alcohol, sleep, and stress: A self-fulfilling prophecy

This audio clip is from our sleep series with Matthew Walker, Ph.D., episode #126 — Matthew Walker, Ph.D.: Sleep and…

How alcohol disrupts sleep and contributes to Alzheimer’s disease

This audio clip is from our “Ask Me Anything” with sleep expert, Matthew Walker (Part I of III), originally released…

The efficacy of THC and CBD as ‘sleep aids’

Do THC and CBD help you sleep?

This audio clip is from our sleep series with Matthew Walker, Ph.D., episode #49 — Matthew Walker, Ph.D., on sleep…

#193 – AMA #31: Heart rate variability (HRV), alcohol, sleep, and more

In this “Ask Me Anything” (AMA) episode, Peter and Bob first answer a variety of questions related to heart rate…

#126 – Matthew Walker, Ph.D.: Sleep and immune function, chronotypes, hygiene tips, and addressing questions about his book

“It’s not time that heals all wounds. It’s actually time during REM sleep and dreaming that provides this emotional convalescence.” — Matthew Walker, Ph.D.

#58 – AMA with sleep expert, Matthew Walker, Ph.D.: Strategies for sleeping more, sleeping better, and avoiding things that are disrupting sleep

“[Sleep] is like that master volume button on a mixing deck that you see in the studio. You can manipulate each one of those dials, or you can go to the far left and just move that one dial…and all of the other levers seem to move with it.” — Matthew Walker

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