Alcohol disturbing sleep

just give up the drink and find another way to relax...maybe some meditation or just listening to calming relaxing music would help.I rarely drink and never more than 2 drinks in an evening but when I do I always have sleeping problems .Not an issue as its so rare but if its was weekly or more I'd change to soft drinks on evenings out with friends

I had to give up alcohol in the evenings. I started having reflux. Spirits are not as bad as wine, so I have an occasional G&T in the evening. I think abstinence is the way to go, sorry.

Poppy red, you are not alone. It has been well documented that alcohol can be bad for your sleeping patterns.

I have a glass a night. Doesn’t affect me at all. But if out with friends where I may indulge a tad, it definitely affects my sleep.

Sympathy poppy alcohol affects me in the same way. I think our difficulties are the same we enjoy alcohol. The thing is I rarely over indulge but I do like everything about alcohol. It’s almost the only remaining adult thing I do and I’m loath to give it up completely.if you find the answer that isn’t absence let me know.

I can no longer drink alcohol, causes reflux and I am wide awake after a couple of hours. DH snores like a warthog after a drink so I am in a no win situation.

Sorry to say this but alcohol sends me into a deep sleep!

As I have become older, my body seems to be less tolerant of wine and it gives me restless legs, so 2 is max for me. Such a waste as both my daughter and SIL are in the wine industry so we have gallons of the stuff ???????

Sorry to tell you, but the solution for me was to give up alcohol. I would only have one or two glasses of wine anyway, but I began to realise that those were the nights when I couldn't sleep - I'd keep being aware of my heart beating. It's the same with coffee, but now I only have decaff where possible. I don't find it a problem though; it was just a question of making the decision that I don't drink, and that was it.

Whenever I'm having problems sleeping I have a small shot of whisky just before going to bed. I sleep through the night then. My parents had a small shot every night for years and they lived to be in their 90s. If I'm sleeping OK I don't bother, it's just when I have disturbed nights.

I used to be able to drink several glasses of wine and be ok sleeping,but as others have said,,I am less tolerant now,and find the only way to enjoy wine (for me )is to dilute it as a spritzer for rose and white wine,or follow a glass of red with a glass of water,,and find i can sleep ok,Spirits give me palpitations !!

I have gradually cut down on alcohol, just don't seem to fancy it very often these days. I find I feel and sleep so much better. If I do have a glass of wine now it's one of the old style small glass, not one of the buckets that so many people use these days, and I only enjoy one or two through an evening.
When I think back to going out for an evening with friends and we used to buy a bottle rather than a glass! One of my friends still manages to drink a bottle through an evening, most days of the week, though now at home rather than the pub.

If I have a glass of wine in the evening I find I wake too early. Sometimes I'm wide awake two hours before DH. I only have wine at weekends so during the week I'm fine. I'm beginning to think it's not worth it. I don't even finish a glass. Och!

Drink in the daytime

I think it’s something to do with a huge dip in blood sugar Poppyred known as a sugar crash, usually about 5 hours after the last drink. Alcohol is loaded with sugar (fermentation process) and then the dip. Moderate amounts (say half a bottle - 2 glasses) you should sleep okay. Hopefully.

Apparently alcohol prevents your rapid eye movement sleep cycles happening and that isn’t good for your mental health

Sorry Poppyred, but you will have to give up the evening drinking. It does affect quality of sleep. If you cant give up then try just one small glass early in the evening. If you are retired and not driving perhaps you could have a glass with your lunch instead.

Thanks everyone, think I will have to give it up if I want a good nights sleep, easier said than done though!

Drugs do it for me. Goodnights sleep guaranteed!!!

Yes. red wine worse than white. Although if I stop drinking by about 8pm I’m usually fine (so glass with lunch or dinner fine).

Typical pattern I'm afraid and I so love the nights sleep when I haven't had a drink. Def reduce amount or stop

I find Valerian helps with sleep. It's a natural product so no 'hangover' type affect in the morning. I buy them cheaply in B&M or Home Bargains.
I don't use them every night & I recommend holding your nose whilst swallowing them as they smell vile!

Too much red wine and I wake in the night with my brain racing. Frantic worrying about all sorts of random stuff. Puts me off drinking until the next time

Poppyred - my experience of giving up drinking was that it was not hard. I thought it would be, but it wasn't. I gave up a few months after my husband had to go into a home. We had split a bottle of wine at dinner every night for years, but I realised I was drinking his share too. I was sad and lonely, and I realised I might be on a slippery slope, so I just stopped. The only problem is people saying "Oh what are we going to give you?" - to which I reply, "Water would be very nice, thank you". Warning - some take it as implied criticism. It isn't. I still use alcohol in recipes, no problem there. Good luck, whether you cut down, or cut it out.