Dr. Ch. Nicholas, University of Melbourne, Australia and his team discovered a further aspect, why alcohol is a sleep disturber and no sleep supporter.
With 24 male and female College students the effects of alcohol consumption as well as of no alcohol consumption were tested in comparison directly before sleeping. The evaluation of data revealed a huge difference: In EEG it got evident that alcohol was not only strengthening the expected signs of deep sleep in early sleeping stages. At the same time, in the frontal area of the brain increased alpha-waves were discovered. This can be described as relaxed wakefulness resp. the transitional stage from alertness into sleeping. So, by no way deep sleep and according to Nicholas a sign for sleep disturbances. Similar changes of the alpha-wave-activities were noticeable with consciously used sleep disrupting stimuli.
The team draws the conclusion that, even if it seems, that you better relax and fall asleep with alcohol, it still is no good sleeping aid. The two different brain activities shown in the EEG indicate that recreational sleep with alcohol is impossible and negative effects on the activities of the following day likely.
This post is also available in / Diesen Beitrag gibt es auch in: German
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