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The holiday season is full of parties and good cheer. But, as always, make sure to participate in holiday mirth responsibly-both for the safety and your health.
According to one study, consuming alcohol before bed includes a negative effect on sleep. The research, published in Alcoholism: Clinical & Experimental Research, found that drinking results in faster sleep, but additionally to more disruption in the later stages of sleep-stages in which the body repairs tissue, builds bone and muscle and strengthens the defense mechanisms.
“The higher the [alcohol] dose, the greater the effect on increasing deep sleep,” said Irshaad Ebrahim, medical director at the London Sleep Centre, in which the study took place. “This effect on the very first 1 / 2 of sleep might be partly the main reason some people with insomnia use alcohol like a sleep aid. However, the result of consolidating sleep within the first half of the night is offset with more disrupted sleep within the second half of the night.”
The study also discovered that alcohol can increase certain sleep-related issues such as sleepwalking or anti snoring in those people who are predisposed.
According towards the Dietary Guidelines for Americans, moderate alcohol consumption is defined as having up to 1 drink per day for ladies and as much as 2 drinks each day for males. This definition is talking about the amount consumed on any day and isn’t should have been a typical over a few days.
Sleep patterns aside, it’s wise to limit your holiday drinking for some of these other health reasons:
- Chronic diseases such as liver cirrhosis (harm to liver cells); pancreatitis (inflammation from the pancreas); various cancers, including liver, mouth, throat, larynx (the voice box), and esophagus; high blood pressure; and psychological disorders
- Unintentional injuries, for example motor-vehicle traffic crashes, falls, drowning, burns and firearm injuries
- Violence, such as child maltreatment, homicide, and suicide
