Why does alcohol sometimes DISRUPT sleep instead of knocking you out?

Question

i dont drink often THANK GOD but occasionally when i do i sleep horribly and it feels like my heart is beating out of my chest...what is that?

Answer 1

Not in my case, I mean unless you drink big time, when I drink, I usually drink until I get just a little fuzzy, like kind of sleepy, but after certain level you can surely have a nightmare like sleep, like having vertigo sensations and all that.

Answer 2

I may be using the wrong term but alcohol behaves in much the same way as caffeine by being a vasoconstrictor when ingested.  This limits the amount of oxygen you get from the air and can cause serious problems while trying to get restful sleep.  The more you drink, the worse it gets, too.  Having one or two glasses of wine or beer every once in a while won't hurt anything but smashing shooters and having tons of mixed drinks will put a hurtin' on your lungs, of all things...along with the liver damage.  I have been treated for sleep apnea in the past so breathing issues while sleeping is something I'm way familiar with.  I had to cut back on my booze AND loose about fifty pounds before I could get rid of my breathing machine.