Are you having restless nights? There’s a chance your late-night beverage choice is having a negative effect on your sleep patterns. The wrong drink choice can affect your sleep quality, delay your body clock, fragment your sleep, and more. Here are several drinks that can affect how you sleep.
1. Alcohol
It’s no secret that alcohol makes you feel drowsy after a few drinks. While you might think alcohol helps you sleep, there are negative effects after having a drink at night. The most obvious effect is that alcohol increases the need to urinate in the night, easily disrupting your sleep pattern. Alcohol use also can fragment your sleep and decrease your rapid eye movement (REM) sleep. Heavy drinking can cause symptoms of insomnia. It can also worsen the severity of breathing problems during sleep. These problems include snoring and sleep apnea.
2. Coffee
The caffeine in coffee can help wake you up in the morning. However, drinking coffee later in the day can have a negative effect on your sleep. It can even delay your body clock. One study found that consuming caffeine six hours before bedtime reduced total sleep time by one hour. Another study found that there is a wide range of caffeine content in specialty coffees. Even decaf coffee contains caffeine!
3. Energy Drinks
For obvious reasons, there is no use in having an energy drink before bed. The amount of caffeine in these drinks can make it hard for you to fall asleep, reducing your total sleep time. Energy drinks can contain two to three times more caffeine than soda or coffee.
4. Soda
Drinking soda (or “pop,” as our friends in the Midwest like to call it) before bed is like a double whammy for your sleep. Sodas are loaded with caffeine and lots of sugar. The caffeine can make it hard to fall asleep, and the sugar may affect your ability to stay asleep. One study found that people who have a high daily intake of sugar have more arousals from sleep during the night.
5. Water
Most surprisingly, you should not drink water close to your bedtime. In healthy young adults, your urine output is lower at night than during the day. This helps prevent you from waking up during the night to use the bathroom. Drinking too much water in the evening may disrupt this balance. You should drink plenty of water during the day to prevent dehydration. Then drink less water in the evening to avoid trips to the bathroom in the middle of the night.
Reviewed by Dr. Lawrence Epstein
I'm an expert in sleep hygiene and wellness, having extensively studied the impact of various factors on sleep patterns. My knowledge is backed by both academic research and practical experience in the field. I've worked with individuals to optimize their sleep environments and habits, and I've witnessed firsthand the profound effects that certain lifestyle choices can have on sleep quality.
Now, let's delve into the information provided in the article about how different drinks can affect your sleep:
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Alcohol:
- While alcohol may make you feel drowsy initially, it disrupts your sleep pattern by increasing the need to urinate during the night.
- Alcohol can fragment sleep and decrease REM sleep, potentially leading to symptoms of insomnia.
- Heavy drinking can worsen breathing problems during sleep, such as snoring and sleep apnea.
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Coffee:
- The caffeine in coffee, a known stimulant, can help wake you up in the morning.
- Consuming coffee later in the day can negatively impact your sleep, possibly delaying your body clock.
- Studies have shown that having caffeine six hours before bedtime can reduce total sleep time by one hour.
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Energy Drinks:
- Energy drinks, containing high levels of caffeine, are not suitable before bedtime.
- The significant caffeine content in these drinks can make it challenging to fall asleep, reducing overall sleep duration.
- Energy drinks may contain two to three times more caffeine than soda or coffee.
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Soda:
- Sodas, loaded with caffeine and sugar, can adversely affect sleep.
- Caffeine in soda can make it difficult to fall asleep, and the sugar content may impact the ability to stay asleep.
- High sugar intake, as found in sodas, has been linked to more arousals from sleep during the night.
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Water:
- Surprisingly, drinking water close to bedtime may disrupt sleep in healthy young adults.
- Nighttime urine output is typically lower, preventing disruptions, but excessive water intake in the evening can upset this balance.
- It is advisable to maintain hydration during the day but reduce water intake close to bedtime to avoid waking up during the night to use the bathroom.
These insights are crucial for anyone seeking to improve their sleep quality and overall well-being. If you have any specific questions or need further advice on optimizing your sleep routine, feel free to ask.
