Alcohol's Effect on the Sleep Cycle

Many people usually associate alcohol with sleep and sleepiness. However, the effects of alcohol on sleep are mostly negative, and these two things should not be interrelated at all. In order to understand how these two things are related, one must explore the depths of two different topics: alcohol and sleep ( Santrock, 2005, p.252). Alcoholism is an illness involving the excessive use of alcoholic beverages, whether it is a can of beer or other sources that contain alcohol (Santrock, 2005, p.254). Just like consciousness, sleep is a very active process during its cycle (Santrock, 2005, p.240). Sleep is controlled largely by nerve centers in the lower brain stem, where the base of the brain joins the spinal cord (Santrock, 2005, p.252). It is here that certain nerve cells produce chemicals which control and regulate the REM (Rapid Eye Movement Sleep) state of sleep, where the eyes move very rapidly (Santrock, 2005, p.239). Alcohol consumption can affect the function of these chemical messengers that appear to influence sleep (Brower & Hall, 2000, p.335). Alcoholism can affect the body in many ways; it causes major disturbances in sleep and awareness.

Alcohol consumption can contain many short-term effects (Santrock, 2005, p.260). The first and most apparent effect is the desire to consume more alcohol. This obsession sets in shortly after constant abuse of alcohol begins. The obsession will only grow stronger and more desperate as more alcohol is consumed, shaping into an endless cycle of addiction (Santrock, 2005, p.254). Shortly after the obsession has developed, the damage begins. The first thing it affects directly is the individual's concentration levels (Santrock, 2005, p.253). The alcohol abuser becomes more scattered in his cognitive thinking process as time goes on, this being the first sign of short-term memory loss. Another well known effect of alcohol abuse are symptoms known as blackouts. Blackouts are occurrences where the user loses their sense of time, as if the abuser is in a dreamless sleep, but to everyone else, he/she is awake and acting as if fully conscious (Santrock, 2005, p.252-3). During these times the alcoholic under "blackouts", can do many activities and not be able to even remember events that happened.. Many effects due to alcoholism can cause wakefulness during the sleep cycle, such as: dizziness and nausea, and can slow one's behavior or sense of reaction to see subliminal messages the next day (Smith & Rogers, 1994, p.867). These short term effect are only short term, the effects of alcoholism get dramatically worse as time goes on.

Some users may not see the harmful and long-term effects that alcohol can cause. Not only does alcohol create sleeping disorders, but it also worsens existing sleeping disorders one may have. Obstructive sleep apnea is a sleeping or breathing disorder affected by alcohol consumption before sleep (Brower & Hall, 2005, p.335). Many Americans suffer from obstructive sleep apnea, a disorder in which the upper air passage narrows or closes during sleep (Santrock, 2005, p.243). The resulting episode of interrupted breathing wakens the person, who then resumes breathing and returns to sleep. Recurring episodes of sleep apnea followed by arousal can occur hundreds of times each night, significantly reducing sleep time and resulting in daytime sleepiness (Santrock, 2005, p.243). The tiresome feeling due to daytime sleepiness can block a person's visual outlook to which he/she would not be aware of what is happening on a television screen (Smith & Rogers, 1994, p.869). A common disorder is Periodic Limb Movement or PLM, but it is not always associated with alcohol in the body (Brower & Hall, 2000, p.335). This disorder is characterized by repetitive jerking of the legs and sometimes arms during sleep. These movements can cause multiple arousals during the night, which can result in insomnia or daytime sleepiness, especially in men (Brower & Hall, 2000, p.336). Another major sleep problem is insomnia, a well known and common sleeping disorder among the public today. (Brower & Hall, 2000, p. 335). Insomnia can involve problems of falling asleep, waking up during the night, or waking up too early, especially in women (Santrock, 2005, p.241). These concerns can cause people to develop stress and to fall into a state of depression, also causing need for them to take medications that can affect sleep even more negatively (Brower, 2000, p.337).

Although the evidence may be mixed, many studies call into question the old clinical adage: "No one ever died from not sleeping well" (Brower & Hall, 2000, p.342). Alcohol has extensive effects on sleep and daytime sleepiness. Not only does it change sleep patterns and promote sleeping disorders, it strengthens existing ones. The average adult sleeps 7.5 to 8 hours every night, but most people sleep even less than that (Santrock, 2005, p.236). Despite some improvement after withdrawal subsides, sleep patterns may never return to normal in those with alcoholism, even after years of abstinence (Brower & Hall, 2000, p.336). Nevertheless, as drinking continues, sleep patterns again become disrupted, causing the person to have less energy and awareness the next day to focus on any kinds of activities.