3. Alcohol
After a long, stressful day, it can be tempting to reach for a glass of wine, and then perhaps another. We might then walk sleepily to bed and fall asleep as soon as our head hits the pillow. Great for sleep, right? Not necessarily…
When we drink alcohol, our body releases the stress hormone cortisol. So although we might feel de-stressed, actually, inside, we’re under more stress. Over time, high cortisol levels are linked to inflammation, weight gain and an increase in risk of developing chronic diseases such as heart disease and type 2 diabetes.
Plus, drinking alcohol might send us to sleep quicker, but we’ll be less likely to enter the important dream-state REM stage of sleep. This will make us feel tired and sluggish the following day.
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