Hi, I'm Kaitlin, and I LOVE being active. Surfing, hiking, diving, all of the things that require energy. Unrelatable? Then keep reading.
"That could never be me. I love lying on my sofa."
A common thing I hear from people is that they don't have the energy, strength or motivation to live an active life. But here's the thing - but that makes you exactly the right person for it. I would never say I'm too active, but I have the drive to always be moving and doing things, and that makes me more susceptible to burn out than you. It sounds counterproductive but a person who knows how to rest is a person who knows how to be active.
Tired, all the time?
I loved to prioritise my health because the goal is to be in the right mental and physical capacity to go on my adventures. I truly believe that energy begets energy. Wellness is my middle name (well, maybe not, but it's in my Instagram bio. Same thing, right?) But there were two blind spots I had that was causing fatigue:
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Sleep
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Alcohol
And I guarantee you, these two things are impacting you way more than you think too.
I cannot tell you how much easier everything else became once I prioritised my relationship with both. It's not just about the hours, but the quality of your sleep is essential. Understanding how alcohol impacts sleep was eye opening and motivating for me. So hopefully the below is useful for you too.
Alcohol impacts your...
1. Sleep latency
You know how drinking makes you doze off quickly? That's sleep onset latency. It's why people love a good nightcap (spoiler alert, this non-alcoholic version with mellowing plants is way, way tastier).
The reality is that as the night goes on, alcohol metabolises and the body essentially sober ups, drifting you into a more wakeful state.
2. Adenosine levels
Alcohol increases your adenosine levels - basically a neurotransmitter that triggers the need for sleep. Adenosine regulates our sleep-wake cycle, also called your homeostatic drive. Higher adenosine means you feel sedated, both easier and faster.
The reality is your adenosine decreases as the night progresses, and you drift into a lighter and easily disturbed sleep cycle.
3. Reduces REM sleep
REM sleep, the fourth and deepest phase of your sleep cycle that restores you mentally and physically. It's essential to cognitive functions like memory, learning and creativity.
The reality you could wake up before you even reach REM sleep.
4. Promotes Insomnia
Insomnia is a pretty rough disorder, but we can all go through phases of struggling to fall or stay asleep. Alcohol is often used to self-medicate, along with high amounts of caffeine in the day to combat sleepiness, and then more alcohol at night to counter the caffeine.
The reality is you are at risk of a really vicious circle; insomniac patterns can and will persist even after you stop drinking.
TL;DR
Consuming alcohol before you sleep results in a shorter sleep time, disrupted sleep, and a poorer quality of sleep.
How can you fix this?
I’ve been drinking Nightcap for over a year now and it's always something I look forward to at the end of the day. I even found my REM and hours asleep improved massively when drinking it consistently. Check out my sleep trackers below! It's spicy and herbal and so delicious that I don't see it as an alternative to alcohol, just a great drink to unwind with.
I'm not telling you to avoid alcohol all together, but I will tell you that balance is key:
- If you're drinking alcohol in the evening, avoid a drink right before bedtime, allow your body time to process it. Swap it out for a non-alcoholic drink or herbal remedy.
- If you have to be up early or need your head in gear the next day, just avoid it fully the day before - drink something else!
- If you've had a heavy few nights with the booze, give yourself at least a few nights of rest without alcohol so your body can reset with a healthy sleep cycle.
How sleep looks with a non-alcoholic Nightcap:
The stats don't lie!
Three Spirit is such an incredible company and their Nightcap elixir has really made a difference in changing my alcohol and sleep quality. Check it out and I'll catch you on the waves!
