Consuming alcoholic beverages before a sleep study is likely to have which effect on the patients sleep architecture?

Consuming alcoholic beverages before a sleep study is likely to have which effect on the patients sleep architecture?

• A. Increased REM sleep
• B. Decreased amount of slow wave sleep
• C. Reduced sleep latency
• D. Less waking after sleep onset

Answer: (C)

Alcohol acts as a CNS depressant, so it tends to make you fall asleep faster, shortening the time it takes to fall asleep after lights out. That immediate sedative effect is why sleep onset latency is reduced. Over the course of the night, however, sleep becomes more fragmented and REM sleep is suppressed, which is why alcohol doesn’t improve overall sleep quality. The other options don’t reflect the typical immediate effect: REM tends to be reduced early on, not increased; slow-wave sleep isn’t reliably decreased right away; and alcohol can increase awakenings later, not lessen waking after sleep onset.

Alcohol acts as a CNS depressant, so it tends to make you fall asleep faster, shortening the time it takes to fall asleep after lights out. That immediate sedative effect is why sleep onset latency is reduced. Over the course of the night, however, sleep becomes more fragmented and REM sleep is suppressed, which is why alcohol doesn’t improve overall sleep quality. The other options don’t reflect the typical immediate effect: REM tends to be reduced early on, not increased; slow-wave sleep isn’t reliably decreased right away; and alcohol can increase awakenings later, not lessen waking after sleep onset.