Alcohol’s acute and chronic effects on sleep and its impact on sleep architecture
Alcohol initially reduces sleep onset latency and enhances slow-wave sleep, but later disrupts sleep quality. Chronic alcohol use leads to long-lasting changes in sleep, including increased REM pressure and reduced slow-wave sleep, which persist even in abstinence. Sleep disturbances, especially insomnia, increase relapse risk in alcohol dependence. Treating sleep disorders in alcoholics may improve recovery outcomes. The review also explores neurochemical mechanisms, sex differences, and adolescent vulnerability to alcohol-related sleep disruption.
