Alcohol and Sleep

I am sure that a lot of people on WSO like to drink beer, wine, etc. I regularly drink beer but certainly not excessively. Aside from college days, my limit is one or possibly two beers. Drinking beer tends to make me tired and sleepy. As much as beer might be good for helping one get to sleep, it probably has a negative impact on one's ability to stay asleep. This past week, I have been performing an experiment by not drinking beer at all. Even though I usually only drink one beer at night, I thought that I might experience some withdrawal but that did not happen, In fact, this is the first week in a long time that I woke up as a result of my alarm clock buzzing. I am sure it is well documented in the literature about how alcohol is bad for sleeping but like the saying goes: seeing/experiencing is believing. I am still going to drink beer in the future but it is good to know that if I experience any sleeping issues, I know how to fix the problem.

I

 

Every night before I go to bed at 2 am, I whip out my beer funnel and down a 12 pack of La Croix. I then wake up at 5:30 am and down a 12 pack of White Claw. I then start my day by peeing for seven minutes straight. Breakfast is the most important meal of the day bitches!

 

You're reducing your sleep quality drastically and thereby reducing your performance and healthspan.

This two beers a night shit is cute. I used to drink 4 bottles of red or most of a handle of tequila 4-5 nights a week, pass out at 1am, wake up at 5, and do my day. All the time for years. I know you can drink, sleep little, and perform. But compared to what? You don't know sober, well-rested you. You only know your current self. Like, what conclusion are you drawing here even? That alcohol makes you pass out. We know this. Nobody is saying it doesn't.

When it's time to level up, you'll ding.

Also, beer is peasant swill. filthy casual

heister: Look at all these wannabe richies hating on an expensive salad. https://arthuxtable.com/
 
GoldenCinderblock:
You're reducing your sleep quality drastically and thereby reducing your performance and healthspan.

what conclusion are you drawing here even? That alcohol makes you pass out. We know this. Nobody is saying it doesn't.

My comments did not imply anything about passing out. There is nothing cryptic about what I wrote. It is what it is.

 

And the reason you get up early when you drink is GABA rebound. It is no indicator is being well-rested. Go track heart rate variability if you actually wanna do an experiment.

heister: Look at all these wannabe richies hating on an expensive salad. https://arthuxtable.com/
 

Yes, that is what should happen and the point is that at least for me, the alcohol was having a negative impact on the sleep cycles. I think that alcohol consumption may reduce melatonin production, which is important for sleep.

 
financeabc:
I think that alcohol consumption may reduce melatonin production, which is important for sleep.

Alcohol alone doesn't cause damages, but if you're above .08% BAC, your body treats it as poison and there might be malefffects.

"If you always put limits on everything you do, physical or anything else, it will spread into your work and into your life. There are no limits. There are only plateaus, and you must not stay there, you must go beyond them." - Bruce Lee
 

Drinking throws your sleep off. I used to drink quite a bit. I stopped completely one day and had withdrawals. Now I only drink socially, so maybe 2-3 drinks in one night every 2-3 weeks. I'm a lot more alert, have a lot less stomach problems, and overall feel much better.

“The three most harmful addictions are heroin, carbohydrates, and a monthly salary.” - Nassim Taleb
 

Beer doesn’t sit well with me. I like liquor, namely rum tequila and vodka. Scotch if I’m in the mood. But it always messes with me sleep, hence only one day I drink per 14-21 days I don’t.

“The three most harmful addictions are heroin, carbohydrates, and a monthly salary.” - Nassim Taleb
 

How do people go from getting fucked up every night in college (like I am currently) to working intense jobs like IB and MBB consulting? I will probably have to adjust my lifestyle substantially and am curious how this went for others.

"Truth is like poetry. And most people fucking hate poetry."
 

I was drunk / high for 80% of my college experience. By your senior year drinking is laborious, parties with new people don't appeal to you and the euphoric feeling of getting drunk starts to dissipate. By the time you start a new job there is almost a sense of relief that you are no longer getting obliterated 3-4x a week. Of course bad habits die hard and you'll drink heavy on Friday night, all Saturday and for the right girl, maybe even a Sunday brunch, but even this level of drinking will taper off as you move into your late twenties.

Drinking for the sake of drinking loses it's luster as you get older. There used to be a message at the end of every bottle but now I can feel every drop of bodily damage (it sucks). I get so much more of a rise out of performing at a high level at work, compounding physical workouts, my girlfriend and my hobbies. A lot of my friends who did the bulk of their drinking early on in life are in this same place.

 
aphenophilia:
How do people go from getting fucked up every night in college (like I am currently) to working intense jobs like IB and MBB consulting? I will probably have to adjust my lifestyle substantially and am curious how this went for others.

When you get older, the recovery hits you like a freight train. I've been hung over for days from one night of drinking. Days.

Commercial Real Estate Developer
 
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