The 1 Thing This Doctor Would Never Use as a Sleep Aid — Even Though It Works

TODAY’s Never Have I Ever series offers guidance about procedures and practices our trusted health experts would never participate in. Discover why they should be avoided and which healthy practices you should turn to instead.If you rely on alcohol to help you sleep, you’re onto something. “Alcohol does help people fall asleep quicker,” Dr. Saema Tahir, board-certified physician specializing in sleep disorders, pulmonary disease and critical care medicine, tells TODAY.com. When alcohol binds to the neurotransmitters responsible for creating a calming or sedating effect in the brain, it helps you drift off. Unfortunately, that’s where the benefits end. That nighttime glass (or glasses) of wine won’t help you stay asleep or feel rested the next morning, Tahir explains. So if you develop a long-term reliance on alcohol at bedtime, you’ll likely find that it’s done you more harm than good.Never Have I Ever: Used Alcohol as a Sleep AidAlcohol “tricks you” into thinking it’s a sleep aid, says Tahir, because it reduces the amount of time you waste tossing and turning before falling asleep. But, “as the alcohol metabolizes throughout the night, it breaks down the type of sleep you have later on,” she says.Once you’re asleep, the body goes through various cycles and stages of REM sleep — the rapid eye movement that happens when you dream — and non-REM sleep. Both are essential for restorative rest. Alcohol disrupts REM sleep, says Tahir. Even if you were technically asleep all night long, it won’t have been the kind of sleep you needed to function at your best, instead leaving you feeling groggy, irritable and depressed. What to Do InsteadIf you haven’t used alcohol to help you get some shuteye, says Tahir, don’t start. Instead, Tahir recommends cutting off your alcohol intake three to four hours before bedtime. And for an even more restful night’s sleep, make sure you have a consistent sleep schedule, where you sleep and wake at the same times daily, and sleep in a cool, totally dark room.If you rely on alcohol before bed and find that it works for you, it’s likely because you’ve already tried all the other tried-and-true sleep hygiene advice that’s out there, says Tahir, like taking warm showers before bed and avoiding screens.But these habits may not be working for you because you may have a sleep disorder that requires professional assistance, says Tahir. Also, relying on alcohol to help you fall asleep could be a sign of alcohol use disorder, she adds. In either case, consulting a medical professional is critical.Weaning off a reliance on alcohol is an involved process that requires supervision, says Tahir. For example, it may involve medications to prevent the sometimes-deadly effects of withdrawal.And sleep disorders also should be treated by a specialist — your primary care doctor can help refer you, Tahir says. Once you see one, you may encounter one of the following diagnoses:Insomnia, whether it keeps you from falling asleep, staying asleep or waking up earlier than intendedSleep apnea, a breathing-related sleep disorderRestless leg syndrome, a movement conditionCircadian rhythm disorder, which disrupts your body’s natural sleep and wake cyclesAlcohol tends to impact sleep apnea, insomnia and periodic limb movement disorders most. But even those with sleep disorders including hypersomnia or narcolepsy, says Tahir, will find that alcohol exacerbates the degree of sleepiness they’ll feel throughout the day.The next step is treatment, which can mean medication, sleep devices or treating another issue that’s causing the sleep disorder.No matter what, “alcohol is never a solution,” says Tahir.