Say No to the Nightcap

Quick Win

Cutting down — or eliminating — evening alcohol may improve your sleep.

Try This Today

• Replace it. Consider the purpose evening drinking serves, and go for a healthier habit instead: an after-dinner walk, listening to music you love or taking a warm shower or bath.  
• Time it right. If you do drink, do so in moderation (no more than one drink for women, two for men, says the Centers for Disease Control and Prevention), and leave at least a few hours between your drink and bedtime.
• Get support. Talk to your doctor if you find that changing your alcohol habits is difficult, and check out the National Institutes of Health’s Rethinking Drinking site for information about alcohol and health.

Why

Alcohol is a sedative, so it’s no surprise that wine, beer or cocktails can cause drowsiness and hasten sleep. But the resulting shut-eye isn’t ideal: Initially, alcohol suppresses the rapid-eye-movement (REM) phase of sleep, the dream-filled time thought to play a role in problem-solving and memory formation. Later in the night, as the body metabolizes the alcohol, sleep is often fragmented and poor-quality. These effects are greater when people drink large amounts of alcohol, but research suggests that small amounts can disturb sleep, too. Regular drinking is associated with poor sleep quality, according to data from more than 13,000 twins in a 2022 report in Sleep Advances. For optimal sleep, the Global Council on Brain Health recommends avoiding alcohol several hours before bedtime in its 2016 report “The Brain-Sleep Connection.”