There are many ways that cutting back or cutting out alcohol can make a positive impact on our mental health and overall wellbeing.
Sleeping well is essential to good health and wellbeing. When we sleep, our body and brain remain busy:
If you miss a night or two of good sleep, you may feel tired or irritable. You might also have trouble concentrating, remembering and making decisions.
Poor sleep over the long-term can lead to a range of health problems. It can affect your metabolism, immune and cardiovascular systems.
It can also impact your mental health and increase the risk of developing a mood disorder.
Avoiding alcohol for at least four hours before going to bed will help you maintain a normal sleep cycle. If you regularly drink alcohol, cutting back or cutting out alcohol can improve your sleep in the short and long-term.
The Australian guidelines to reduce health risks from drinking alcohol advise that to reduce the risk of harm from alcohol-related disease or injury:
Insomnia refers to a combination of sleep problems which occur on a regular basis. These include:
Most people have some symptoms of insomnia at some time. Around 10 per cent of people experience mild insomnia at any given time.
Drinking alcohol can cause insomnia and worsen existing insomnia. Other causes of insomnia include stress, depression, anxiety and discomfort or pain.
If you have insomnia, it’s important to not drink alcohol in the hours before you go to bed.
If insomnia persists, you can see your GP or a sleep specialist.
Having some physical exercise every day will help your sleep, as well as many other aspects of your health and wellbeing. Other things you can do to help improve your sleep include:
Cut back or cut out alcohol, which affects sleep in the short and long-term.
Avoid alcohol for at least four hours before going to bed.
Avoid or limit caffeinated drinks for at least four hours before going to bed, for example coffee, tea, or hot chocolate.
Work with your body clock. Go to bed and get up at around the same time every day. Being out in the sun for a while in the early mornings will help to set your body clock.
Avoid screen time before you go to bed.
Have a mattress and pillow that you find comfortable, and have your room darkened and at a comfortable temperature.
Wear comfortable earplugs or sleep earphones if you are disturbed by noise that you can’t control.
Use the last hour or so before sleep to relax your mind. For example, have a warm bath or shower or read a book. Avoid mentally stimulating activities during this time.
If you’ve had poor sleep for a long time, when you start making changes it might take a while to notice improvements.
If you continue to have poor sleep despite having good sleep habits, you can seek help from your GP or a sleep specialist.
Each night, our sleep consists of four to six cycles, each with four phases. Moving smoothly through these stages multiple times each night is vital for high-quality sleep.
The four sleep stages are (hover over each stage to toggle):
A short phase of falling asleep, also known as N1 sleep, is when your body starts to relax and brain activity slows. You may not have much of this type of sleep. It usually lasts for 1 to 7 minutes.
A period of light sleep, also known as N2 sleep, is where your body becomes more subdued, with less brain activity.
(REM) In rapid eye movement (REM) sleep, your body is temporarily paralysed. Brain activity increases and vivid dreaming occurs.
Deep sleep, or N3 sleep, is where your body is deeply relaxed and your brain activity has slowed. Most deep sleep happens in the first part of the night. Deep sleep is when restorative functions that clear waste, repair cells and regulate the immune and other systems occurs. It also contributes to memory consolidation, creativity and insightful thinking. This deep sleep lasts 20 to 40 minutes per sleep cycle.
In rapid eye movement (REM) sleep, your body is temporarily paralysed while brain activity increases and vivid dreaming occurs. This phase of sleep is important for cognitive functions like learning, memory and creativity. REM sleep lasts from 10 to 60 minutes per sleep cycle.
*’N’ refers to Non-REM sleep
There are many ways that cutting back or cutting out alcohol can make a positive impact on our mental health and overall wellbeing.
There are lots of changes you can make to help you manage life’s stresses without alcohol.
Alcohol can cause “hangxiety” and contribute to the development, or worsening, of anxiety.
Be Nice to Brain is a project developed by the Foundation for Alcohol Research and Education (FARE), endorsed and funded by the Tasmanian Government.
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