Sleep Hygiene and Alcohol
Many women I speak to worry about their sleep when considering taking a break from alcohol. But, alcohol doesn’t actually help you sleep—it just helps you pass out.
Sleep hygiene is a routine for preparing for a restful sleep including:
1. Going to bed and waking up at the exact same time resets your internal biological clock.
2. Turn off all devices at least an hour before bed.
3. Replace the ritual of a nightly drink with a new wind-down routine, such as reading, listening to quiet music, or drinking herbal tea. Melatonin from your GP can also be helpful.
Melatonin is a hormone that helps your body get ready for sleep, but it doesn’t actually make you fall asleep. Think of melatonin as a “night shift” worker in your brain, starting the process of winding down so you’re ready for sleep when it comes. The release of melatonin is triggered by changes in light around you.
Because alcohol disrupts this delicate system, using a low-dose melatonin supplement at the same time each night can help get your master clock back on track.
Rebuilding your natural sleep cycle takes time and patience, but waking up genuinely refreshed beats “passing out” every single time.
John William Waterhouse, Ulysses and the Sirens, 1891, National Gallery of Victoria, Melbourne.
Watching this classic scene from the movie The Odyssey reminded me of the importance of planning ahead when cutting down or quitting alcohol, especially when faced with the “siren call” of a drink.
As Ulysses approached the Sirens, he knew their song would be impossible to resist. Before he heard it, he asked his crew to tie him tightly to the mast and ignore his future pleas to be set free.
Quitting alcohol often works in much the same way. The strongest plans are made before cravings arrive, while thinking is clear. Removing alcohol, sharing intentions with supportive people, preparing for triggers, booking support, and creating practical strategies all help protect the future self when the siren call of a drink becomes loudest.
