The Nuance
The Case for the Nightcap
Why the occasional drink before bed may help your sleep
Every week, the Nuance will go beyond the basics, offering a deep and researched look at the latest science and expert insights on a buzzed-about health topic.
At least since Shakespeare’s day, people have recognized that alcohol has curious and often contradictory effects on sleep. One character in Macbeth remarks that while alcohol can promote sleep, too much of it leads to restless nights. Ask a sleep scientist today whether booze helps or harms sleep, and you’ll get a similar reply. “What alcohol gives, it takes away,” says Timothy Roehrs, director of research in the Sleep Disorders and Research Center at Detroit’s Henry Ford Health System.
Roehrs has been studying alcohol’s effects on sleep since the 1980s and says drinking has a “paradoxical effect” on slumber. While there’s no doubt heavy drinking is a recipe for tossing and turning, there’s a case to be made that judicious amounts of alcohol can both promote and bolster sleep.
For people who drink sparingly, a little alcohol before bed can promote restful sleep at least in the short term. “After you consume alcohol, it actually enhances sleep,” says Roehrs. “So you fall asleep faster, and for at least three to five hours, your…
