Does alcohol really wreck your sleep?
My protocol and real data from sleep tracking.
If you've ever had a few drinks and noticed your sleep sucked, you're not imagining it. Alcohol can significantly alter your sleep architecture, suppress your heart rate variability (HRV), and impair your recovery. But with the right approach, you can mitigate much of the damage—and even wake up refreshed.
What’s HRV and Why It Matters
Heart Rate Variability (HRV) is the fluctuation in time between each heartbeat. It's a powerful marker of autonomic nervous system balance and overall recovery.
Healthy HRV range: 40–60ms for the average adult
Fit individuals: 70–100ms
Consistently <40ms: May suggest chronic stress, poor recovery, or systemic dysfunction
Higher HRV = more parasympathetic (rest & digest) activity = better recovery and adaptability.
The Temperature Drop
Your body temperature is supposed to drop during sleep. This drop is a signal that helps you enter deeper stages of rest. If your temperature doesn’t fall, that’s a red flag for disrupted or shallow sleep.
I use the Nexring (similar to the Oura ring) to monitor this. It measures finger temperature, which serves as a proxy for core body cooling.
Understanding Sleep Cycles
Your sleep is broken into different phases, each with distinct benefits:
REM Sleep (Rapid Eye Movement)
Function: Memory consolidation, learning, emotional processing
Optimal range: 1.5 to 2 hours per night (~20–25% of total sleep)
Deep Sleep (Slow Wave Sleep)
Function: Physical repair, immune restoration, growth hormone release
Optimal range: 1.5 to 2 hours per night (~13–23%)
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