Have you ever wondered why alcohol, especially beer, can make you feel incredibly sleepy in a short amount of time? Let’s explore the reasons behind this phenomenon.
If you’ve ever consumed alcohol, you’ve probably experienced the overwhelming urge to sleep after a while. This feeling can become particularly challenging if you’re out and about.
But how does alcohol suddenly induce a sleepiness akin to having not slept for two days? The influence of alcohol on our brains is indeed a reality.
Alcohol begins to affect our brains shortly after consumption. According to A. Leslie Marrow, Professor of Psychiatry and Pharmacology at the University of North Carolina School of Medicine, alcohol has significant effects on the central nervous system.
About 20 minutes after we start drinking an alcoholic beverage, it enters our bloodstream. Being a small molecule, alcohol can easily pass through the blood-brain barrier and affect brain cells.
Alcohol targets protein molecules in the brain. Specifically, it enhances the effects of the most important inhibitory neurotransmitter in the brain, known as “GABA” (gamma-aminobutyric acid).
This increased activity slows down brain functions, leading to intoxication and ultimately, a state of drowsiness. In other words, alcohol suppresses our central nervous system.
It also increases the level of a chemical in the brain. Alcohol elevates the levels of a molecule called “adenosine” in the brain, which regulates and triggers sleep. Normally, adenosine accumulates in the brain throughout the waking hours, leading to an increased need for sleep.
When alcohol is consumed, this process accelerates, causing an increase in adenosine levels and consequently, a greater desire for sleep.
Alcohol even affects hormones. The hormone melatonin plays a crucial role in regulating the body’s sleep-wake cycle, particularly influencing our ability to sleep at night. However, alcohol consumption can disrupt the production of melatonin, leading to increased drowsiness.
These factors combined explain why just a beer or a few glasses of wine can make our eyes droop, induce intoxication, and make us yearn for bed.
