People who consume alcohol before sleep often encounter whimsical dreams. These dreams can cause anxiety, interfering with restful sleep, or even prompt a return to alcohol consumption to sleep more soundly and avoid their return. Let's explore why this happens.
There is an opinion that alcohol promotes quick falling asleep. However, this is not entirely true. It does have a sedative effect, which allows a person to fall asleep faster.
On a molecular level, alcohol increases the level of a neurotransmitter known as gamma-aminobutyric acid (GABA), which enhances slow sleep (including deep sleep) and suppresses rapid eye movement (REM) sleep, when the main dreaming occurs.
However, as the level of alcohol in the blood decreases (along with GABA), the reverse process occurs: slow sleep weakens, while rapid sleep intensifies. This leads to vivid and memorable dreams, as well as nightmares. Additionally, the disruption of neurotransmitter function can make sleep fragmented, causing a person to wake up periodically.
In fact, strange vivid dreams are not a direct consequence of alcohol. It merely fragments sleep, increasing the likelihood of remembering dreams.
To avoid a decline in sleep quality, specialists recommend refraining from alcohol before bedtime, as well as eliminating nighttime consumption of caffeine and other stimulants.
