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Alcohol: what the research actually says

Alcohol shortens the time it takes to fall asleep and damages nearly everything that happens afterwards.

All studies · 3

Acute effect of alcohol intake on cardiovascular autonomic regulation during the first hours of sleep in a large real-world sample of Finnish employees: observational studyPietilä J, Helander E, Korhonen I, Myllymäki T, Kujala UM, Lindholm H · JMIR Mental Health 5(1):e23 · 2018In 4,098 people, even 'low' alcohol intake cut sleep HRV by ~9%; high intake by ~40%, more so in fit and young people.Alcohol and sleep I: effects on normal sleepEbrahim IO, Shapiro CM, Williams AJ, Fenwick PB · Alcoholism: Clinical and Experimental Research 37(4):539–549 · 2013Alcohol shortens sleep onset but suppresses REM and fragments the second half of the night.Sleep, sleepiness, and alcohol useRoehrs T, Roth T · Alcohol Research & Health 25(2):101–109 · 2001Review: alcohol's sedative effect fades quickly and rebounds into lighter, more disrupted sleep.

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Resting heart rate: the canary in the coal mineAlcohol: sedative first, saboteur second

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Frequently asked questions

What does the research say about alcohol?

Alcohol shortens sleep onset but suppresses REM and fragments the second half of the night.

How do I track alcohol?

SleepShred logs it in about 20 seconds a day and then compares your nights with and without it, so you see the effect on your own sleep instead of the study average.

Is SleepShred free?

No. SleepShred Pro is $4.99 per month or $29.99 per year, with no free trial and no ads. Everything stays on your iPhone.

Track it, don't guess it

SleepShred turns this research into a 20-second daily habit: log your night, see which of your own behaviours move your sleep, and screen for the disorders nobody diagnoses.

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Educational summary of published research, not medical advice. Screening scores are not diagnoses. If a score is elevated or you feel unwell, talk to a clinician.