Beer And Fatigue: Is Your Daily Drink Making You Tired?

Drinking beer every day can have a significant impact on your energy levels and sleep quality. Alcohol is a central nervous system depressant that affects the sleep cycle by disrupting the REM stage, which is essential for memory, concentration, and mood. Drinking close to bedtime can lead to frequent wakings, dehydration, and reduced sleep quality. Additionally, alcohol inhibits the absorption of vital nutrients, increases the risk of gout, and impairs blood sugar levels. While moderate drinking may not have a substantial impact, excessive consumption can result in sleep disorders and negatively affect overall health.

Alcohol disrupts REM sleep

REM sleep is when dreaming occurs, and it has been associated with improving your memory, concentration, and mood. A lack of REM sleep may lead to frequent waking, restless sleep, and possibly nightmares. This can make you feel tired the next day and may lead to daytime naps, which can make it more difficult to fall asleep at night.

The effects of disrupted REM sleep include:

• Disrupted functioning of circadian rhythms
• Less restorative sleep
• Dehydration and more frequent waking to use the bathroom
• Increased sleepwalking and sleep-eating
• Increased snoring, sleep apnea, and other sleep-disordered breathing activity
• Increased propensity for vivid dreams and nightmares or night terrors, particularly during the second half of the night as more alcohol exits the system
• Tiredness, trouble concentrating, and irritability the following day

The more alcohol you drink before bedtime and the closer to bedtime you drink, the more it will impair your sleep.

It interrupts the circadian rhythm

Drinking beer every day can make you tired by interrupting your circadian rhythm, or sleep/wake cycle. This is due to the effect that alcohol has on serotonin and melatonin, which are neurotransmitters that control the sleep and waking cycle.

Serotonin helps to keep us happy and energised. Regular alcohol consumption lowers serotonin levels in the brain. Low serotonin levels are linked to poor sleep and low mood.

Melatonin is a hormone that is produced at night and plays a key role in adjusting your body clock and helping you to feel sleepy. Alcohol consumption inhibits REM sleep, which may affect your serotonin production, as serotonin is converted into melatonin.

Alcohol also reduces melatonin levels. One study found melatonin levels were down by 15% two hours and 20 minutes after consuming alcohol and down by 19% three hours and 10 minutes after consuming alcohol.

The disruption to the circadian rhythm caused by alcohol consumption can result in you feeling alert when you want to sleep and sleepy when you want to be awake.

Alcohol strips the body of vital nutrients

Alcohol inhibits the absorption of vital nutrients, including vitamin B12, folic acid, and zinc. Vitamin B12 is essential as it aids in the production of red blood cells and helps release energy from food. Folic acid is crucial for growth and development, and it works in tandem with vitamin B12. Zinc is essential to energy metabolic processes. A lack of these nutrients can lead to fatigue and tiredness.

Vitamin B12 deficiency can result in anaemia, which can make an individual feel exhausted. Similarly, a lack of folic acid can also lead to anaemia and negatively impact energy levels. In addition, insufficient zinc levels can cause sluggishness and tiredness.

Alcohol also impairs blood sugar levels. Alcoholic drinks initially raise blood sugar levels, but these levels rapidly decline as insulin is released, potentially leading to hypoglycaemia. Symptoms of low blood sugar may include dizziness, sweating, and fatigue.

Furthermore, alcohol consumption can cause dehydration, which can trigger headaches and impact sleep, resulting in tiredness. Dehydration also causes a build-up of acids in the body, including uric acid, which can lead to gout and disturb sleep, causing tiredness.

It causes dehydration and frequent urination

Drinking beer every day can make you tired due to dehydration and frequent urination. Alcohol is a diuretic, which means it increases urine production. As a result, your body flushes out water faster than usual, leading to dehydration. Dehydration can cause a build-up of acids in the body, which can trigger headaches and impact your sleep, leaving you feeling tired the next morning.

Drinking beer can also disrupt your sleep by increasing the number of times you need to urinate during the night. This interrupts your sleep, causing you to wake up frequently and feel tired the next day. The combination of dehydration and frequent urination can significantly affect your sleep quality and duration, contributing to feelings of fatigue and exhaustion.

Additionally, alcohol lowers serotonin levels in the brain, which are linked to poor sleep and low mood. It also reduces the production of melatonin, a hormone that helps regulate your body clock and makes you feel sleepy. The disruption of these hormones can further contribute to feelings of tiredness.

To mitigate the effects of dehydration and frequent urination, it is important to stay hydrated by drinking plenty of water, especially when consuming alcoholic beverages. It is also recommended to avoid drinking alcohol close to bedtime, as this can increase the likelihood of needing to urinate during the night.

Alcohol impairs blood sugar

Alcohol can have a significant impact on blood sugar levels, particularly for people with diabetes. Alcohol can interfere with blood sugar levels and the hormones needed to maintain healthy blood sugar levels. For people with diabetes, alcohol consumption can affect the body's ability to regulate blood sugar levels, as alcohol can reduce the effectiveness of insulin over time. This can result in high blood sugar levels, also known as hyperglycemia.

Additionally, heavy drinking can lead to a condition called ketoacidosis, which is characterised by high levels of certain acids called ketone bodies in the blood. This condition can be life-threatening and requires immediate medical attention.

It is important to note that the effects of alcohol on blood sugar levels differ depending on whether a person has consumed food along with the alcohol. In the fed state, single episodes of alcohol consumption may not lead to significant changes in blood sugar levels and might even have a slight lowering effect. On the other hand, long-term alcohol consumption in well-nourished individuals can result in increased blood sugar levels.

In contrast, alcohol consumption in the fasting state, where an individual has been drinking but not eating for several hours or days, can induce a profound reduction in blood glucose levels, known as hypoglycemia. This can have serious health consequences, as adequate blood sugar levels are necessary for proper brain function.

The impact of alcohol on blood sugar levels is a complex area, and more studies are needed to fully understand the underlying mechanisms. However, it is clear that alcohol can impair blood sugar regulation, especially in individuals with diabetes or other blood sugar issues. Therefore, it is important for people with diabetes to monitor their blood sugar levels carefully and consult with their doctor to understand the risks associated with alcohol consumption.

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