Question:
I’m a 19-year old guy. In the evenings, I often drink beer so I can get to sleep. It works really well. I don’t get drunk, just relaxed so that I can fall asleep. How much can I drink before it becomes harmful to my body?
Answer:
I don’t think you should drink any alcohol at all. All kinds and different amounts of alcohol do more harm than good for your body and your sleep. Even if you think that your mind is relaxed, your body isn’t relaxed in the same way. You need to urinate more when you drink alcohol than when you drink other beverages. When you get up at night to urinate, your deep sleep is interrupted, and you don’t sleep as well.
There are better ways of relaxing and sleeping properly. Try to go to bed at the same time every night, keep your bedroom cool and listen to relaxing music when you go to bed. Put away your mobile phone and turn off the computer a while before you go to bed.
You can also think about how you are feeling. Are you feeling stressed, anxious or angry about anything? Does this prevent you from relaxing? You can always contact a health clinic (vårdcentral) or a Youth Guidance Centre (ungdomsmottagning) and talk to a counsellor, a psychologist or a doctor there. They can certainly provide you with better help than any amount of beer.
