Alcohol seems to affect Women’s Sleep more

Now volunteering for this research must have been fun! A recent study has revealed that alcohol tends to disturb our sleep pattern and women especially are more prone to this disorder. This finding is a result of an experiment headed by J. Todd Arnedt who is Assistant Professor of Psychiatry and Neurology at the University of Michigan (USA).

For the experiment a group of 93 people out of which 59 were women had been selected. 29 people in this group came from families with a history of alcohol abuse.

In a controlled atmosphere (to ensure that the ‘party’ did not go out of control!), these people were doled out a non-alcoholic drink and an alcoholic drink on two consecutive nights. They had been advised to drink to capacity. After that their sleep patterns were observed by experts and their brain activity was also monitored with the help of EEG and EKG machines. 

After a full eight hour sleep, a survey conducted with all participants revealed that people who had ingested alcohol had problems with sleeping. Moreover, women who had taken alcohol reported that they had spent up to 30 minutes lying awake, whereas their sober counterparts had spent an average of 19 minutes of lying awake. In men however, this gap was not so wide. The sober ones had spent an average of 32 minutes awake after bedtime and the ones who had alcohol had spent 27 minutes lying awake. All the people who had taken alcohol reported sleepiness.

These startling facts are sure to quell the belief that alcohol actually helps us sleep better. So the next time you pick up that drink after a long day at work, think twice! It might just make you stay up all night!

Read more articles on Alcohol Dependence