Wine Insomnia

Why Does Wine Cause Insomnia?

If you have problems falling asleep, or wake up often during the night, you may suffer from insomnia.  Many things can cause insomnia including drinking wine before you go to bed. 

Drinking a few glasses of wine may help you fall asleep at first, but it doesn’t mean you’ll stay asleep.  Since wine is an alcoholic drink, it can make you sleepy or have a sedative effect.  The reason you won’t stay asleep is because in a few hours your brain will become more active, as the alcohol level in your blood decreases.  Your body’s arousal mechanism is stimulated, so normal sleep patterns become impaired.  Wine contains tyramine, which increases the brain stimulant norepinephrine which causes insomnia. 

Sometimes, people drink wine as a way to calm down anxiety before going to bed.  Then, after a few hours, they have bad dreams and keep waking up.  Wine and other alcoholic drinks consumed in the evening may interrupt the second half of the sleep period called the REM cycle.  Withdrawal from any kind of alcohol occurs in the last half of the night, which disrupts sleep.  Sleep patterns are affected by wine or other alcohol by interfering with the monoamine neurotransmitters.  Monoamine neurotransmitters control your body’s ability to sleep restfully or peacefully.  Only a small amount of an alcohol drink such as wine can cause wakefulness or insomnia.  Your body won’t get the rejuvenation that it needs which can negatively affect your health.

Wine or any alcohol can also cause insomnia because it can act like a diuretic.  It can also make you dehydrate quickly.  Extreme thirst can wake you up continually during the night.  Wine can also make an insomnia problem worse because of the sugar content.  The sugar ferments and turns into the alcohol.  Sugar can be stimulating and keep you from maintaining a deep sleep.