On the day I promised to do better, after admitting my early Dry January setback, work kicked into high gear. A never-ending stream of tasks landed on my lap, each pulling me in a different direction, requiring a special kind of mental agility, as well as 100% of my attention. They were not the kind of task you can juggle — they each required a different skillset! — and they came in fast. Next-level busy, I could only carve out a 20-minute lunch break past 2pm before I went back to the circus of the workday. It was exactly the kind of day that would see me pop open a bottle of beer or have a glass wine after dinner. Like most people, I am convinced the nightcap would help me relax and get sleep. Not only would it wash the day’s stresses away, it would also give my stressful day an element of fun (and maybe rebellion?) because then, I would indulge in things like mixed nuts, or chips and dip, or an extra helping of dark chocolate if I was having red wine. A 2013 study published on PubMed explains why: Alcohol can and does wreck havoc on sleep. “At all dosages, alcohol causes a reduction in sleep onset latency, a more consolidated first half sleep and an increase in sleep disruption in the second half of sleep,” it said, adding the reduction in total night REM sleep is among the most recognizable efforts of alcohol. No wonder I’ve been sleeping so good — and because sleep is so important to mental health, I’ve been feeling good, too. I would wake up ahead of my alarm, feeling refreshed, rested, and the biggest surprise of them all, not dreading the day. I still struggle with reaching for a tipple, especially these days when the cool weather is red wine-perfect and there are a few bottles to choose from within reach. But good sleep? Good sleep is hard to argue with.
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Wednesday, March 19, 2025