Does Drinking Alcohol Make You Snore? 5 Ways to Mitigate the Impact of Boozing

We all know someone who turns into a freight train the moment their head hits the pillow, especially after a drink or two. If that someone happens to be you (no judgement), you’re probably wondering: does alcohol actually make snoring worse? The short answer is yes. But the reason why is pretty interesting, and totally fixable.

Ever notice how a couple of drinks can make you feel super relaxed? Well, that relaxation doesn’t stop at your shoulders. Alcohol also chills out the muscles in your throat, the ones that normally help keep your airway open while you sleep. The sleep is that when those muscles get too relaxed, your airway can narrow just enough to make airflow noisy. That’s when the snoring starts. Not exactly the peaceful, post-wine nap you were hoping for (Why do people snore?).

We’re breaking down how alcohol messes with your breathing while you sleep, why it turns some of us into snores after a couple of drinks, and most importantly, what you can do about it. The good news is that you don’t have to give up for favorite drink entirely. A few smart tweaks to your routine might be all it takes to keep the noise down and wake up feeling more rested (and maybe avoid getting elbowed in the ribs all night). Also, changing your adjusting position may help (best sleeping position for snoring).

Your sleep quality isn’t just about how comfy your bed is or how long you’ve been up. What you drink before hitting the pillow plays a role too. Alcohol, for example, has a way of tricking your body into thinking it’s ready for deep rest, but it’s not doing you any favors. It slows everything down, including your nervous system, and relaxes your muscles a little too much. That includes the ones in your throat, which are supposed to help keep your airway open. When they loosen up too much, your airway tightens, and suddenly you’ve got snoring (and maybe a grumpy partner in the morning).

The American Academy of Sleep Medicine points out that alcohol makes this muscle relaxation even more intense, which increases the chances of snoring even if you’re a quiet sleeper. One study in the Journal of Clinical Sleep Medicine found that drinking before bed can increase snoring and other breathing disruptions by 25-40%. That’s a pretty big jump,and it helps explain why that “harmless” nightcap might be turning your sleep into a soundscape of growls and grumbles.

Here’s the thing - alcohol doesn’t just affect your breathing while you sleep. It also messes with the overall quality of your sleep in ways that aren’t always obvious right away. You might fall asleep faster after a drink (which feels like a win), but the rest of the night? Not so great.

One of the ways alcohol messes with your sleep is by cutting into REM, the deep stage where your brain does some of its important work. If you’ve ever watched someone sleep and noticed their eyes darting around under their lids, that’s REM in action. It’s where your brain processes memories, regulates mood, and resets for the next day. But after a few drinks, your brain spends less time in the REM stage. Shallow sleep plus a relaxed airway? That’s a recipe for snoring.

You’re cycling through shallower stages of sleep, waking up more often, even if you don’t remember it, and those relaxed throat muscles we talked about earlier are still doing their thing. That combo makes snoring likely and often more intense.

According to researchers, even moderate alcohol before bed can lead to more disrupted breathing, louder snoring, and more frequent awakenings throughout the night. Harvard Medical School notes that alcohol can slash REM sleep by up to 50%. That's a pretty steep drop in the kind of rest your body and brain actually need to function well the next day.

So while it might feel like a glass of wine helps you wind down, it could be the reason you’re waking up groggy, and getting side-eye from anyone trying to sleep next to you.

Snoring is one thing, it’s loud, annoying, maybe the reason you get kicked off the bed. But if you’ve got sleep apnea? That drink before bed isn’t just adding to the noise, it’s adding to the danger.

Sleep apnea is basically your airway playing stop-and-go all night long. You stop breathing, your oxygen drops, your body freaks out a little, and then you start breathing again. Rinse and repeat. Now toss alcohol into the mix and it’s like handling your throat muscles a “do nothing” memo. They slack off even more, and your brain doesn’t jump in as quickly to fix the problem.

For people with obstructive sleep apnea (OSA), this combo is a bad one. The Sleep Foundation points out that alcohol makes apnea episodes longer and more intense, and your heart takes the hit. We’re talking about increased risk of high blood pressure, heart disease, and even stroke. Not exactly the relaxing night you signed up for.

And it’s not just a theory: a 2023 report from the National Sleep Foundation found that 70% of folks with OSA had worse symptoms after drinking within four hours of bedtime. Simply put, that innocent pint of beer could make your night a whole lot rougher.

Is it the whiskey that’s doing it, or is it perhaps the wine? When it comes to snoring, no type of alcohol really gets off the hook. Some drinks hit harder than others, but they all play a role in how well (or not) you sleep.

Stronger spirits like vodka, tequila, or whiskey can relax your body in seconds. That deep, heavy kind of buzz might feel like a shortcut to sleep, but it also means your throat muscles are slacking off more than they should, making it easier for snoring to kick in.

But don’t go thinking beer and wine get a free pass. While they might not be as strong, the sheer volume people usually drink and the way these drinks can inflame your throat and cause nasal congestion, make them major contributors, too. Basically, it’s not just the alcohol content that matters, but how your body reacts to what’s in your glass.

According to the European Respiratory Journal, beer especially has a knack for making things worse. It can puff up your airways and make your snoring louder and more frequent, especially if you’ve already got sleep apnea in the mix.

So, whether it’s cocktails or craft beer, your nightcap might be doing more than relaxing you; it might be setting the stage for a very noisy night.

1. Cut Yourself Off a Bit Earlier

Try to wrap up happy hour 3 to 4 hours before bedtime. Giving your body enough time to process that drink means it’s less likely to sabotage your sleep later. Stop sipping if you want to stop sawing logs later.

2. Stay Hydrated (With Water)

Alcohol dries you out, which makes your throat and nasal passages more likely to rattle. Chasing your drinks with water throughout the evening keeps things hydrated and helps cut down on that desert-mouth snore effect.

3. Adjust Your Sleep Position

Back sleeping is snoring’s favorite position, it gives gravity a green light to mess with your airway. Try sleeping on your side instead. If you’re a chronic back-sleeper, a body pillow or one of those fancy anti-snore pillows might help keep you in line (literally).

4. Prop Yourself Up

You don’t need to sleep bolt upright, but giving your head a bit of a lift with an extra pillow can help keep your airways open. It’s a simple tweak that might make a big difference in cutting down the noise.

5. Keep an Eye on Your Weight

Extra pounds, especially around your neck, can make your airway more likely to collapse during sleep. And since alcohol can sneakily add to weight gain, it’s a double whammy. Staying active and eating well can help keep both snoring and your health in check.

Sometimes, no matter how many adjustments you make: less alcohol, more water, new pillow - it’s still not enough to quiet the snoring. That’s when VitalSleep Anti-Snoring Mouthpiece comes in.

VitalSleep is designed to gently move your lower jaw forward while you sleep. That small shift helps keep your airway open, which can seriously cut down on snoring, even the kind that shows up after a night of drinks. It’s adjustable, made from BPA-free materials, and fits to your bite so you’re not stuck with something bulk or uncomfortable.

It’s also FDA-cleared and made in the USA, and the results speak for themselves: most people who use it notice a big difference. VitalSleep even offers a 60-night trial, so you’ve got time to see if it works for you.

Most of the time, we talk about obstructive sleep apnea, the kind where your airway collapses, but there’s another type of player in the game: central sleep apnea (CSA). With CSA, your brain’s “breathe” signal occasionally takes a coffee break, and alcohol can make that pause even longer. Since alcohol dampens the central nervous system, it can blunt the messages your brain sends to your diaphragm, leading to those unsettling stops in breathing that aren’t caused by throat muscles at all.

If you’ve ever woken yourself (or anyone else) up with a sudden gasp after a nightcap, don’t just blame the pillow. That could be CSA in action. And while drinking less might help a bit, CSA often needs a closer look, maybe a sleep evaluation or consultation with a specialist. They’ll get to the bottom of which type of apnea you’re dealing with and recommend the right therapy, whether it’s CPAP, adaptive ventilation, or something else entirely.

• Swap to Alcohol Alternatives: Non-alcoholic drinks can give your sleep a break without killing the vibe.

• Track Your Alcohol Intake: A quick note of what you drank and how you slept can help spot the snoring triggers.

• Stick to a sleep routine: Going to bed and waking up around the same time helps your body handle the occasional drink better.

Once you realize how alcohol directly affects your snoring, it’s easier to take steps to fix it. Having a nightcap may sound nice, but it can also mess with your sleep quality and turn you into a loud sleeper. Fortunately, a few simple changes can make a huge difference: drink less alcohol before bed, hydrate properly, adjust your sleeping position, and consider the VitalSleep Anti-Snoring Mouthpiece. With these steps, you can manage your snoring, get better sleep, and feel more rested in the morning.

Take charge of your sleep tonight, because when you sleep better, everything else falls into place. Your partner/roommate/cat, and your future well-rested self will thank you.