Tips and tools

Sometimes even good advice can feel confusing. If you’ve decided you want to change your drinking habits, or if you just want to find out more, our tips and tools can help you.

The tools here are designed to offer practical help and advice. Knowing what’s in your drink is a good start to taking control. Our drinks calculator shows just how much alcohol is in your favourite tipple and our drinks diary allows you to keep track over the days and weeks.

There’s good reason to keep track of your drinking – sticking to the guidelines will make you feel better and reduce the risks associated with excessive consumption. But if you do overdo it the information here can put you back on the road to health and wellbeing. All of the advice has been provided by medical experts, so you can feel confident that you’ve got the latest information to guide you. But if the issue burning in your mind isn’t covered here, turn to our "ask an expert’" section to get the details you want.

The effects of alcohol on sleep?

I often find that if I have been drinking I sleep badly and wake early or wake feeling less rested. Why is this?

Our expert says:

This is a common problem. Though many people associate alcohol with promoting sleep, due to its sedative properties, the effects of alcohol upon chemicals in the brain mean that you are more likely to have a fitful night’s sleep.

When you consume alcohol close to bedtime, it will suppress the first REM (vivid dream) stage of sleep and send you straight into deep sleep which is usually the second stage of the sleep process.

Once the body has metabolised all the alcohol this suppressed REM stage kicks in, normally much earlier than it should. Since you wake much more easily from REM sleep, you can find yourself waking after only 4 or 5 hours of slumber, and you may not be able to get back to sleep.

Also, whilst normal sleep usually involves 6-7 cycles of REM sleep (this enables you to wake feeling refreshed) someone who has been drinking will typically only have 1-2, meaning you wake up feeling as if you had never slept at all.

The best advice when trying to avoid sleep problems, is to remain within the recommended daily guidelines (2-3 units for women, 3-4 for men) and also to try not to drink close to bedtime, to give your body a chance to metabolise the alcohol before you attempt sleep.

For more information on the effects of alcohol please see our factsheets.

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