AssetID: 54478266
Headline: UNCAPTIONED: Expert reveals how alcohol affects our sleep
Caption: Expert reveals how alcohol affects our sleep. If you are struggling to get a good night's sleep, one effective lifestyle change you can make is to cut out alcohol. Dr Lindsay Browning, psychologist, neuroscientist and sleep expert at And So To Bed, explains how sobriety can improve your sleep. ”As alcohol metabolises, it promotes wakefulness, meaning you wake more frequently in the latter half of the night.” "Alcohol also affects the normal progression of the sleep stages, meaning that any sleep you get after drinking is not as restorative.” The expert explains that if you drink alcohol regularly, your instinct may be to reach for a drink to help you doze off, but you should resist this as it will make your sleep quality worse. "When you initially stop drinking, your brain overcompensates for the absence of alcohol, which may lead you to feel that your sleep has gotten worse as it can cause temporary insomnia or more vivid dreams.” "Your sleep may feel disrupted in the first week as your brain adapts to the absence of alcohol.” "Lighter sleep and trouble falling asleep are common in this period as well as a rebound in REM sleep causing intense and vivid dreams.” However, rest assured that your sleep will start to stabilise once you've gone two to four weeks without booze. ”REM sleep begins to even out leading to less disruptive dreams, and you will notice that your deep sleep will also improve. Your balance of neurotransmitters and cortisol regulation also improve, reducing restlessness and disrupted sleep.” Dr Browning goes on to explain that the less alcohol you drink, the better the quality of your sleep. ”Therefore, during periods of alcohol abstinence, you could see great improvements in your sleep quality but you will need to stick with it for several weeks to really feel the benefit.” Instructions: THIS VIDEO MUST NOT BE EDITED FOR LENGTH TO COMBINE WITH OTHER CONTENT
Keywords: Sleep,Insomnia,Alcohol,Drinking,Disrupted sleep,Psychologist,Sobriety,Abstinence,Drink,Sleep quality
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