Sleep & Alcohol

How mindful drinking can help you get a better night’s sleep!

Sleep is essential, we know that, and yet too often we comprise it for one more episode on Netflix, or one more drink out with friends.

We’ve all engaged in the conversation on sleep: what is considered “enough” or “too much”… Often 8 hours is quoted as the ‘magic number’, but this varies from person to person and according to time of life- a new born versus a teenager versus an adult etc.

One thing we can all agree on is the damage of sleep deprivation to our physical and mental health.

An important & often overlooked fact to take into consideration is the quality of your sleep. We’ve all experienced a night tossing and turning, then felt restless in the morning despite having been “in bed” for hours! Quality of sleep is so important when it comes to regenerating our body and mind and many things impact this quality of sleep: your physical, emotional and mental state; what you’ve eaten; and of course what- or should I say how much- you have had to drink...

Alcohol has a huge impact on our sleep! It might even seem positive- since drinking alcohol can cause you to fall into a deep sleep quicker; while in reality it messes with our circadian rhythm by promoting more time in this deep sleep and less than usual in the more restful, Rapid Eye Movement (REM) stage… leading to waking up in the morning feeling restless, regardless of the numerous hours you spent in bed! This is all without mentioning the potential dehydration, sore head, achy body, higher levels of anxiety and just not feeling refreshed the day after!

It can feel a bit like a catch 22 as at first changing your relationship with alcohol might disturb your sleep, but we promise in the long run it will absolutely make it better! Not just because you remove and moderate a substance that disturbs your sleeping pattern; but because on the journey of becoming a mindful drinker you will learn about listening to yourself and how you can support yourself better. From stress and anxiety management, to processing emotions and knowing what’s good for you!

Here are some of our tips for a better night of sleep…

Conscious consumption:

What you put in your body has an impact on your body and your mind, so just be aware of what you consume and when and try to make the decision that serves you best. This may mean watching your caffeine intake more carefully, or avoiding sugar close to bedtime. If drinking alcohol in moderation make sure that you give your body time to process it before going to bed (general rule says it takes an hour to process one unit) and increase your water consumption to help your body stay hydrated and flush things out.

You can also look into ingredients that helps with sleep such as chamomile, CBD, magnesium and such (see some great Mindful Cocktails below).

Rituals:

Having rituals like morning and bedtime routines with regular times to get up or go to bed is important in building a good sleep hygiene as they send information to your brain that it is time to sleep or rise. For a bedtime routine it can be having a soothing herbal tea (a couple of hours before bed to avoid having to go to the bathroom in the middle of the night!), or maybe a warm bath with some essential oils or some magnesium flakes. It is important to slow things down before bed, to reduce the stimulus and allow your body and mind to process what you’ve been exposed to during the day. Instead of binging on Netflix, maybe read a few pages of your book to send you off to sleep and (we know it’s tempting but) try avoid screens! Especially phones as the blue light reduces melatonin production (an essential hormone) and studies have shown that just having the device in the bedroom can disturb our sleep!

Home sweet home :

From non-alcoholic spirits and sparkling wine to beer, cider and cocktails, there are loads of options out there already and many more to come.

Events like the Mindful Drinking Festival are a great opportunity to try them out. You can also check out other sections of this website to see a wealth of healthy recipes, as well as listings for my Healthy Hedonist events.

Don’t panic :

if you can’t sleep don’t start stressing about it as this will only makes things worse. Allow your mind and nervous system to calm down with some practices like conscious breathing or listening to yoga nidra can help you drift off to sleep peacefully.

Live like a Healthy Hedonist :

A balanced lifestyle is key in living well and therefore sleeping well.
As always eating well with loads of fresh ingredients, moving everyday even if its 10min stretching in the morning , daily mindful practices to manage stress & anxiety are of course essentials but you know that healthy hedonists.

There is something incredibly empowering in waking up everyday with a clear mind and a deep connection with ourselves and that’s what being a mindful drinker allows us to do so enjoy Healthy Hedonists and live well!

Delicious Mindful Cocktail recipes :

How about if a cocktail moment could also help you relax and find ease and space within your body and your mind. Enjoy these alcohol free cocktails made with delicious and powerful ingredients to help you feel good while celebrating the everyday life.

Camille VidalMarch 5, 2023