Penza explained why a glass of wine before bed does not replace a full rest

Many people perceive a glass of wine before bed as a reliable way to relax and fall asleep faster. Indeed, alcohol has a sedative effect and allows you to “disconnect” after 15-20 minutes. However, sleep from this does not get better – on the contrary, alcohol literally takes it away from the brain. During the week of mental health, clinical psychologist of the Regional Narcological Hospital Irina Maksimova told how alcohol affects the phases of REM sleep and why even minimal doses deprive the brain of quality recovery.

According to the expert, the result of such a “rest” is familiar to many: in the morning a person feels a heavy head, irritability, inability to concentrate and a feeling that he did not sleep at all. To understand the reason, we need to remember that sleep is not just a shutdown of consciousness, but a complex cyclical process.

Full night rest consists of alternation of two phases. Slow sleep is a deep stage during which the body recovers physically and the brain is cleared of metabolic waste. REM sleep is the dream phase where emotion processing, memory consolidation, and psychological reset occur. As Maximova notes, sleep is an active process controlled by nerve centers, and alcohol consumption disrupts the production of neurotransmitters and leads to an imbalance between phases.

At the beginning of the night, alcohol suppresses the central nervous system, artificially deepening slow sleep, but at the same time practically blocks the rapid phase. The brain literally shuts down without doing its main night job of emotional regulation and sorting out memories. After about 4-5 hours, the body begins to process ethanol, the level of alcohol in the blood drops, and the so-called rebound effect takes effect. The brain tries to compensate for the lack of REM sleep by dramatically increasing its proportion, which leads to intermittent, nightmare dreams and frequent awakenings. Sleep becomes sensitive and restless, and any rustle or light can wake up completely.

According to the doctor, the higher the dose of alcohol, the more disturbed the phase of REM sleep in the second half of the night. The quality of sleep noticeably deteriorates even with the alcohol content in the blood at the level of 0.2 to 0.3 ppm. Even if a person slept for eight hours, their sleep patterns were disrupted. Due to the lack of deep slow sleep, the brain does not have time to remove toxins accumulated during the day. Without proper REM sleep, the nervous system does not process negative emotions, so after evening alcohol, morning anxiety and irritability only increase. In addition, alcohol suppresses the production of melatonin, which often leads to “morning insomnia”: a person wakes up at 5-6 am and can no longer fall asleep, although he falls from his feet with fatigue.

Chronic disruption of sleep architecture is associated with risk of depression, anxiety disorders, and cognitive decline. Memory fails, reactions are inhibited, and the nerves pass - this is not just a bad mood, but a signal that the nervous system did not have time to recover. The only way to fix the architecture of sleep is to abandon the idea of sleeping pills in a glass. Experts advise to observe sleep hygiene: go to bed at the same time, sleep in a cool and dark room. Alcohol should be replaced with an evening ritual - herbal chamomile or mint tea, a warm bath or reading a paper book.

Maximova warns: if a person uses alcohol to fight insomnia, this is a direct path to addiction. With persistent sleep disorders, persisting even after giving up alcohol, you should consult a doctor. Quality rest is not the number of hours in bed, but the correct operation of all phases of sleep.