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Weekly UpdatesByline: HELEN RAE
DRINKERS in the North East are losing valuable sleep and disrupting vital brain functions without knowing their boozing is the cause, research for the Government's Know Your Limits campaign has revealed. Six out of 10 drinkers in the region surveyed by YouGov didn't realise that drinking above the recommended daily limits can cause sleep problems.
Almost half of those surveyed admit to experiencing tiredness the day after drinking over the recommended daily limits, but it seems many people don't realise this could be due to alcohol-induced sleep deprivation.
Did you know? Alcohol can be a headache in various ways, including its impact on sleep: Too many loo breaks: Alcohol stops the brain from releasing an important chemical, called vasopressin, which normally regulates the amount of water in your body. This dehydrates the body and sends you running to the toilet all night.
Dehydration: Alcohol encourages too much water to be flushed out of your body, which will dehydrate you and put your body under strain and contribute to a headache that can stop you sleeping. Your brain can't hurt: However, while you may feel as if your hangover headache is caused by your brain hurting, your brain actually can't feel pain because it has no pain receptors. The pain is actually coming from the lining of the skull and the blood vessels.
Contrary to popular opinion that dozing off after a couple of glasses of wine is the start of a deep sleep, the Know Your Limits campaign reveals that drinking just before you go to bed is actually far more likely to prevent you getting the quality of sleep your body needs.
Instead, you could be upsetting your sleep patterns, encouraging dehydration and altering the blood pressure of the brain, leaving you far from fresh the next day.
Sleep Council spokeswoman Jessica Alexander said: "Although many people may feel alcohol helps them get off to sleep, it is also a major culprit for disrupting your night as it can interfere with the body's chemical processes needed for sound sleep.
"Waking up deprived of the vital sleep your body needs will leave you feeling drained and, if experienced night after night, can seriously affect your health and wellbeing." Colin Shevills, director of North East drink charity Balance, said: "The YouGov survey highlights the 'secondhand effects' of alcohol misuse.
"Reduced sleep brought about by regularly exceeding daily recommendations is proven to alter normal behaviour, causing irritability or even an inability to deal with the pressures of daily life. This can have a huge impact on our relationships with, and commitments to, others.
"In effect, this is another way the families, friends or colleagues of those who regularly misuse alcohol can pay the price for alcohol excess."
The so-called 'drinker's false dawn' is caused by the way alcohol disrupts the crucial Rapid Eye Movement (REM) stage of sleep, which is essential for a deep, satisfying night's sleep.
Alcohol stops you reaching this stage early in the night, meaning your body has to catch up later in the night. REM sleep is also believed to be important for the creation of memories, which is one reason why heavy drinkers can sometimes wake up unable to remember parts of their evening. The NHS recommends women do not s regularly drink more than two or three units a day (a large 250ml glass of 12% wine is three units) and that men do not regularly drink more than three to four units (a pint of 5.2% beer is three units).
Standard glass More than 10 million adults in England regularly exceed these limits, affecting their general day-today health, but also increasing their risk of serious illnesses such as heart disease, stroke, liver disease and various cancers.
Large (wine Pint of = 2.3 Pint of = 2.8 Pint of 4.7 Standard measure Jessica said: "If you find yourself drinking above the recommended daily limits most days of the week, your body may be constantly trying to catch Alcopop 1.4 up and then it's likely you'll never feel fully alert or equipped to deal with the stresses and strains of daily life."
The chemical processes of sleep are not the only function of the brain that are disrupted by alcohol, according to neuroscientist Dr Barry Gibb, author of the Rough Guide to the Brain.
Alcohol He said: "Anyone who enjoys alcohol knows that after a few drinks, they start to need more frequent trips to the loo.
"But many don't realise this is actually a sign that they are starting to dehydrate.
content (175ml) wine = 2 units glass of 3 units standard lager units premium lager units strong cider = units (25ml) of spirit = 1 unit (1 bottle) = units.
"This can seem strange when you're taking on more liquid than normal, but what is actually happening is that alcohol stops the brain from releasing an important chemical, called vasopressin, which normally regulates the amount of water in your body. "With this chemical turned off, your body starts misbehaving and gets rid of the liquid in your body more quickly than it should.
"Water makes up about 80% of the brain and is an essential element in keeping it working smoothly, so dehydration doesn't just cause headaches but can put stress on all of the brain's normal processes - not helpful at a time when the body is working extra hard to get rid of toxic chemicals."
While some people in the YouGov survey thought alcohol makes the brain swell, shrink or even pickle, Dr Gibb explained that this isn't the case at all.
He said: "People might be surprised that the brain itself cannot feel pain.
"While the thumping, pulsing hangover headache may feel as if the brain is pressing against the skull, the pain is actually coming from the inner lining of the skull, which contains numerous blood vessels with all their associated pain receptors."
Regular drinkers keen to cut back on their intake and get a better night's sleep - and a happier brain - should visit www.nhs.uk/units, where an interactive units calculator can help you keep track of how much you're really drinking.
Tips to drop off THE Sleep Council's top tips for sound sleep: Avoid drinking in the evening. Whether it's a hot toddy or a bottle of beer, even a moderate amount consumed in the few hours before you go to bed can affect your sleep. Try a hot milky drink or herbal tea instead. This will help you to calm down and prepare for sleep. Try not to have a heavy meal, spicy food or fizzy drinks before bedtime either.
Stick to your recommended alcohol limits - 2-3 units for women, 3-4 for men - so as not to let alcohol stand in your way of sound sleep.
Your room should be dark, cool, quiet and clear of gadgetry - a haven for rest and relaxation, not work and play. Check out your bed. How comfortable it is will affect how you sleep and how you feel the rest of the time.
Develop a bedtime routine or ritual that does not involve a tipple - the aim is to create an almost unconscious association between bedtime and the sensations of drifting off to sleep.
Listen to your body. If you feel tired you probably are and will need more alcohol-free sleep. Pay off your sleep debt by going to bed half an hour earlier for a few weeks.
is three 10 He enjoys that Alcohol content Standard (175ml) glass of wine = 2 units Large (250ml) glass of wine = 3 units Pint of standard lager = 2.3 units Pint of premium lager = 2.8 units Pint of strong cider = 4.7 units Standard (25ml) measure of spirit = 1 unit Alcopop (1 bottle) = 1.4 units.
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CAPTION(S):
ADVICE - Jessica Alexander, the Sleep Council WARNING - Colin Shevills EXPLANATION - Neuroscientist Dr Barry Gibb with his book A Rough Guide to the Brain HARM - Too much alcohol causes the body to lose water, which makes up 80% of the brain. It also blocks a vital type of sleep
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