Christmas drinks anyone? Why alcohol before bedtime leaves you awake at 3am, desperate for sleep

Madeline Sprajcer, CQUniversity Australia; Charlotte Gupta, CQUniversity Australia; Chris Irwin, Griffith University; Grace Vincent, CQUniversity Australia, and Saman Khalesi, CQUniversity Australia

You’ve come home after a long day at work, you have dinner, put the kids to bed, and then you have your usual nightcap before drifting off to sleep. Or, perhaps you’re at the pub for the work Christmas party, and you think you’ll just have one more drink before heading home.

That last drink might help you fall asleep easily. But your nightcap can also wreck a good night’s sleep. How could it do both?