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Does alcohol affect your sleep?
Yes, in two directions. Alcohol helps you fall asleep faster and deepens the first half of the night, but in most studies at moderate and higher doses it cuts REM sleep, and it delays your first REM period.
Updated October 1, 2026 · 2 sources, listed at the end
What the studies show
A 2013 review in Alcoholism: Clinical and Experimental Research pulled together all known studies of alcohol before bed in healthy volunteers. The extra deep sleep early in the night showed up across doses, ages and sexes; the REM effects depended on the dose:
| Part of the night | What alcohol does |
|---|---|
| Falling asleep | Faster, at every dose studied |
| Deep sleep, first half of the night | More |
| First REM period | Delayed, at every dose |
| REM sleep across the night | Less, in most studies at moderate and high doses |
| REM sleep at low doses | No clear change |
| Second half of the night | More broken sleep |
Why it can feel like it helps
Falling asleep faster and sleeping heavily early on are the parts you notice. The review also found more broken sleep in the second half of the night, when you’re less likely to notice, and, at moderate and high doses, less REM sleep across the night.
That’s why a nightcap can seem to work even as it changes the shape of the night. The review found the REM effect grows with the dose, so the size of the drink matters, not just whether you had one.
It shows up in your nutrients too
The NIH notes that magnesium deficiency is common in people with chronic alcoholism. The interaction pages below cover alcohol with magnesium and with B vitamins, each with its own source.
More: Does Alcohol Deplete B Vitamins?
More: Does Alcohol Deplete Magnesium?
See what it does to your nights
- Log drinks with the time you had them, not just the day.
- Rate how rested you feel each morning, or let your watch fill in the night through Apple Health.
- After two weeks, compare the mornings after a drink with the mornings after none.
Aurelo Health makes that comparison for you, says whether it’s a pattern or only a hint, and shows the dates behind it.
Log drinks with the time, rate the morning, and Aurelo shows what your evenings do to your nights.
Get started freeRelated questions
- Does Alcohol Deplete B Vitamins?Yes. Chronic heavy drinking drains thiamin, so it is a reason to keep thiamin covered.
- Does Alcohol Deplete Magnesium?Magnesium deficiency is common in people with chronic alcoholism.
- Does Caffeine Cancel Out Melatonin?Evening caffeine can delay the body’s own melatonin rhythm.
Sources
- Ebrahim et al., Alcohol and sleep I: effects on normal sleep, Alcoholism: Clinical and Experimental Research, 2013
- NIH Office of Dietary Supplements, Magnesium fact sheet for health professionals
General information from the cited sources, not medical advice. If you take medication or are concerned about how much you drink, talk to a doctor.