How Sugar and Alcohol Affect Sleep
Sleep is one of the most important assets to our health. It's when our bodies and minds rebuild to be ready for the next day. Even with proper nutrition and a solid exercise routine, progress will be slow and uncomfortable if you don't give your body sufficient time to recover. This is one of the reasons why people can fall off a program if they feel they're doing everything right.
Taking a look at quality and amount of sleep is a good idea for anyone wanting to feel and look better. When doing so, take into account the levels of sugar and alcohol in your diet, as well as the timing of when you have them. They both can have a detrimental effect on your sleep. Here's how!
First, sugar. As you probably know, sugar causes an increase in energy. This is because, when consumed, insulin is used by the body to break down sugar and transition it to a short-term energy supply. With a diet high in sugar these short-term bursts in available energy stores cause blood sugar level to zigzag throughout the day, causing huge spikes and drops in energy levels. People with inconsistent levels tend to dip later in the day, eating more food to get some energy back, and forcing their body to break down that food. The body needs to be actively working to break down food, which doesn't allow it to rest and sleep when it needs to. The overall result is trouble falling asleep, poor quality of sleep, and a vicious cycle of more sugar and less sleep. The best way you can combat this is to start limiting sugar (and food overall) after your last meal of the day. This will allow your body to digest and metabolize most of the food in your system and allow you to sleep well. From there, start decreasing your sugar intake little by little. Even making small changes can benefit you greatly!
For alcohol, there is a common misconception that needs to be addressed. Alcohol is a depressant, which means it slows down the central nervous system. Effects of this do include relaxation and sleepiness, but that doesn't mean you'll sleep well. One study found that slow/medium/high consumption of alcohol lead to decreases in sleep quality of 9/24/40%, respectively. The reason for this is that alcohol takes a long time to be metabolized in the bloodstream. Much like sugar, this metabolization causes disruptions in sleep that can last all night. Additionally, alcohol has been shown to disrupt the natural sleep cycle, further decreasing sleep quality. So, take this into account the next time you're thinking of having a nightcap to fall asleep. Sure, it'll make you feel drowsy and you'll probably fall asleep quicker, but the costs far outweigh the benefits.
