ALCOHOL AND SLEEP
Not wishing to be dependent on pills, many people who have difficulty sleeping take a drink of liquor, beer, or wine before going to bed, a remedy that, Geriatrics (41#6:81) reports, can be counterproductive.
While alcohol is definitely a sedative and can be counted upon to make one quickly fall asleep, this effect can wear off after just a few hours and be replaced by a phase of stimulation and irritability that keeps one awake. It is also true that while small to moderate amounts of alcohol are sedative in effect and make one feel drowsy, larger amounts taken over a prolonged period can, in some cases, actually interfere with sleep.
Alcohol at bedtime may also increase the effect of other medications, such as those that lower blood pressure, antihistamines, heart medicines that relax the arteries, sedatives and tranquilizers The combined effect may produce dizziness and falls, with the risk of a fractured hip or other broken bones, when the person gets out of bed during the night. Alcohol as a sleep aid, therefore, is not a very good idea.
*164\143\2*
Related Posts:
April 28, 2009 - 11:25 AM