Study: Alcohol and nicotine before bed are 'sleep thieves'

WPVI logo
Tuesday, August 6, 2019
Study: Alcohol and nicotine before bed are 'sleep thieves'
Study: Alcohol and nicotine before bed are 'sleep thieves' - Sharrie Williams reports during Action News at 4:30 p.m. on August 6, 2019.

BOCA RATON, Florida (WPVI) -- Going to bed after a nightcap and a final smoke may harm your sleep.

After tracking the sleep habits of nearly 800 African American volunteers, a team at Florida Atlantic University concluded that a drink within 4 hours of bedtime cuts the time asleep by 1 percent and nicotine cut it by 1.74 percent more.

Interestingly, caffeine didn't affect sleep significantly.

Researchers didn't study the effects of vaping, but believe the effects are the same, since those use liquid nicotine pods.

Results of the study are published in the journal Sleep.