How to get great sleep even after drinking
Despite the popularity of nightcaps, alcohol is actually a pretty big sleep disruptor. Sure, a drink can help you feel calm and even make it easier to fall asleep, but as you break down booze, it leads to a response in your body known as the “rebound effect.” Similar to your dating life, you want to minimize the rebound effect whenever possible.
To completely avoid alcohol-related sleep issues, you can opt to skip booze within 3-5 hours of bedtime. But, how about those evenings when you’ve had a late drink and still want good sleep? There’s a plan for that. Keep reading to get out expertly vetted 5 step program for getting a good night’s sleep after you’ve been drinking.
1. Help your Body Break Down Booze to boost your sleep
Alcohol gets metabolized by your liver, and byproducts from this process are responsible for the unwanted side effects of booze. You can decrease alcohol’s negative impacts on your sleep by taking supplements that help your liver break down alcohol faster and more efficiently.
Around 30 minutes before you drink, or right before bed, try taking either dihydromyricetin (DHM) or red ginseng. Both of these substances help your liver more efficiently break down booze due to their beneficial impact on liver enzymes. They can both also block some of the harmful side effects of alcohol that disrupt sleep and may even protect you from a hangover!
2. Don’t get Depleted
Drinking alcohol depletes your body of important nutrients such as B-complex vitamins. Although it may not sound like a big deal, these imbalances can slow down alcohol metabolism and lead to an increase in side effects such as headaches and sleep disruptions. Try taking a multivitamin before you begin drinking or supplement with B12 or a B-vitamin complex before drinking or before you go to bed.
3. Water yourself for good sleep
Alcohol is extremely good at causing dehydration. Along with side effects such as headache and fatigue, dehydration can also seriously lower your sleep quality and cause more awakenings. Try drinking a glass of water for every alcoholic beverage and chug some electrolytes in the evening before bed. Replenishing your electrolytes can help reduce side effects such as a racing heart and nausea, commonly associated with drinking.
4. Boost your sleep stability
Alcohol leads to more frequent awakenings and lower quality sleep. You can help offset some of these issues by playing pink noise as you drift off to la-la land. Pink noise, such as ocean waves and the rain, has been shown to boost your sleep stability–meaning you sleep more deeply.
5. Don’t see the light for great sleep
The final step in your sleep well after drinking plan is to find darkness (no, not in your soul). If you don’t have blackout curtains, opt for a sleep mask. Alcohol can disrupt your natural melatonin production, an important chemical for keeping you asleep. By creating an extremely dark sleep environment, you can offset any more disruptions and keep the good stuff flowing through the night.
The extras
If you’re a person who occasionally snores, you should also prop yourself up on nights you’ve boozed. This is because alcohol makes snoring and sleep apnea worse, which is disruptive to sleep. If you wake up in the middle of the night and have trouble falling back to sleep, you can try out some of these awesome grounding techniques to ease your mind back into relaxation.
Bottom Line
Although you won’t get an ideal night of sleep after drinking alcohol, there is plenty you can do to help your body get the sleep it needs after a few drinks. Remember to drink in moderation because there’s no plan to offset excessive alcohol consumption. However, with a few supplements and a little planning, you can set yourself up for a good night of sleep even after you’ve indulged in a little fun!
