Many people in Florida enjoy a glass of wine or beer with their dinner. The problem is that these drinks can interfere with the natural sleep cycle, which leads to poor quality sleep and fatigue during the day. Melatonin helps send signals to your brain that it’s time for bed, so what happens when you drink alcohol?
Alcohol disrupts this signal by making your brain think it’s still daytime. Be sure to talk with your doctor or visit Hangover Hospital Key West if you’re on any other medications or have a medical condition that prevents using melatonin supplements.
Why you shouldn’t combine melatonin and alcohol
Combining alcohol and melatonin can be dangerous. People often think that it’s okay to drink as much as they want if using a natural sleep aid like melatonin. That is not the case. Combining these two substances makes your brain less sensitive to serotonin signals — which control mood and GABA signals which control inhibition. Your mood and inhibitions can become significantly impaired when you drink while taking melatonin supplements.
How does it interact with alcohol?
Melatonin is a natural sedative that can help calm your body, so it’s ready for sleep. Alcohol does the opposite by stimulating the brain and tricking it into thinking it’s still daytime. You’ll likely have trouble falling asleep after drinking, and once your body starts to process the alcohol in your system, it can disrupt sleep even further as you enter deeper stages of REM sleep, the stage where dreams occur.
How to take melatonin for best results
Start taking your supplement early enough in the day so that you won’t need more sleep later. Don’t drink on an empty stomach. It makes it easier for your body to absorb the alcohol and reduces how much you’ll be drinking overall. Don’t drink too much. The more you have, the harder it is for your body to metabolize both substances, which leads to impaired judgment.
Keep in mind that if you’re drinking a lot of alcohol, it will reduce your melatonin supplement dose because it’s harder for the body to metabolize both substances at once. Avoid mixing alcohol and other substances that may impair the central nervous system like:
- Painkillers
- Sleeping pills
- Muscle relaxers
- Antihistamines allergy medicine
These combinations are even more dangerous than drinking while taking melatonin supplements because they’re all sedatives.
Risks and side effects of melatonin supplements
People who are very sensitive to melatonin should avoid using it because the side effects can include
- Daytime sleepiness
- Dizziness
- Headaches.
If you’re taking other medications like antidepressants or if you have a medical condition that weakens your immune system, then melatonin supplements may not be suitable for you. Be sure to talk with your doctor about any medications you’re taking and whether melatonin is a safe alternative.
Melatonin is a great natural sleep aid that can help you get back on track after drinking too much at night. However, it’s essential to keep in mind not to combine these two substances. If you need to drink, limit yourself and take melatonin earlier in the day, so it isn’t still working when alcohol is introduced into your system.