Alcohol Hangover, Sleep Quality, and Daytime Sleepiness

Abstract

Purpose Heavy drinking has been shown to disrupt sleep, increase sleepiness the next day, and produce symptoms collectively referred to as ''hangover''. A survey was conducted to determine the impact of heavy alcohol consumption on sleep, daytime sleepiness, and hangover severity. Methods N = 335 adults, experienced with alcohol hangover, completed a survey of sleep quality, daytime sleepiness, and hangover symptoms comparing a heavy drinking occasion with a non-alcohol occasion. Data from those who reported [5-h sleep on the alcohol occasion were compared to those reporting \5-h sleep. Results Participants consumed on average 22.4 (SD 16.8) alcoholic drinks per week. On their last heavy drinking session that produced a hangover, the number of alcoholic drinks they consumed equaled 14.3 (SD 8.2). Relative to a normal night of sleep, sleep quality was significantly worse after the last drinking session (p \ 0.006), and the following day daytime sleepiness was significantly increased (p \ 0.0001). When controlling for alcohol quantity, daytime sleepiness significantly correlated to overall hangover severity, whereas sleep quality and duration did not.Conclusion Heavy alcohol consumption significantly reduces sleep quality, and significantly increases daytime sleepiness the following day.

The effects of acute alcohol withdrawal on sleep

“…In addition, 37.9% scored >10 on the ESS indicating that a proportion of clients were experiencing high levels of daytime sleepiness. This is particularly important considering the negative consequences associated with daytime dysfunction, including falling asleep while driving (Ftouni et al, ; Reyner & Horne, ), and is consistent with previous research demonstrating that heavy alcohol consumption is associated with next day performance decrements (Rohsenow et al, , van Schrojenstein Lantman, Roth, et al, ).…”

“…Links between heavy drinking and poor sleep have also been reported in college students (Miller et al, 2017) and adults (van Schrojenstein Lantman, Mackus, Roth, & Verster, 2017), with poorer sleep associated with extended and more severe hangover symptoms (van Schrojenstein Lantman, Mackus, et al, 2017) and increased next day sleepiness (van Schrojenstein Lantman, Roth, Roehrs, & Verster, 2017). Sleep has also been examined in outpatients following treatment for alcohol dependence (Currie, Clark, Rimac, & Malhotra, 2003;Foster & Peters, 1999) and may play a role in the development of a subsequent mood or psychiatric disorder (Roberts, Roberts, & Duong, 2008).…”

Alcohol Hangover and Multitasking: Effects on Mood, Cognitive Performance, Stress Reactivity, and Perceived Effort

“…Hangover was reliably induced by using a semi-naturalistic study design and allowing participants to self-administer alcohol, according to the estimated BAC calculations, participants obtained a mean eBAC of 0.135%, a level beyond that deemed required to cause a hangover [1,50]. Self-reports also provided support for the link between hangover and poor sleep quality [16,51,52]. However, our findings were inconsistent with previous sleep studies that show a faster sleep onset after alcohol [53][54][55].…”

Relationship between Alcohol Hangover and Physical Endurance Performance: Walking the Samaria Gorge

“…The number of smoked cigarettes was recorded as well, as previous research has shown an interaction between smoking and hangover [18]. To capture possible effects of sleep [14,19,20], total sleep time was recorded as well as the (consciously perceived) number of nightly awakenings. Sleep quality was rated on an 11-point scale ranging from 0 (very poor) to 10 (excellent) [21,22].…”