Alcohol interferes with body's ability to regulate sleep

Drinking alcohol to fall asleep interferes with sleep homeostasis, the body's sleep-regulating mechanism, researchers have found. Sleep homeostasis balances the body's need for sleep in relation to how long a person has been awake. If an individual loses sleep, the body produces adenosine, a naturally occurring sleep-regulating substance that increases a person's need for sleep. When a person goes to sleep early, sleep homeostasis is shifted and he or she may wake up in the middle of the night or early morning.

Read the whole article on Science Daily

More from Science Daily