Question about sleep
 

how does alcohol affect your sleep cycle? I seem to remember that is disrupts REM but I might be mistaken.

As I understand it, REM is disrupted if enough alcohol is consumed. http://www.niaaa.nih.gov/publication...-2/110-125.htm

For me is the anxiety/panic of what I've done the night,2,3 before... Everytime the thoughts come back - my heart races and am fully awake...

It is a fact that alcohol interrupts your sleep, although consciously you are not aware of it. That explains why you are tired AND hungover the next day, despite being passed out for hours ...

I was so drunk I can't remember.

Leeeemeee think, someone correct me if I'm wrong, the seratonin and melatonin levels in our brain is what helps us fall into a natural sleep. Alcohol destroy's that chemical process. After us alkies quit, the brain has to figure out how to restore that chemical process, and that's what takes it so long for us to finally sleep at night ( I may be a little off but I know it's close)... now there are those natural insominacs where it's a completly different and an even more compounded issue.

This is better explained in "Under the Influence".

Toronto,
Ditto.

ty for the info! And ty for the link, Dan. I knew REM was disrupted.

And...... I have not been sleep apnic since quitting drinking. Go figger :)