# Alcohol -\> drowsy -\> then not!

**URL:** <https://boards.straightdope.com/t/alcohol-drowsy-then-not/665552>\
**Category:** Factual Questions\
**Created:** [August 7, 2013, 2:52am UTC](https://boards.straightdope.com/t/alcohol-drowsy-then-not/665552 "2013-08-07T02:52:19Z")\
**Posts on this page:** 5\
**Page:** 1

<div class="post-metadata">

**Author:** ![DCnDC](https://sea3.discourse-cdn.com/straightdope/user_avatar/boards.straightdope.com/dcndc/32/2842_2.png) [@DCnDC](https://boards.straightdope.com/u/DCnDC)\
**Post date:** [August 7, 2013, 2:52am UTC](https://boards.straightdope.com/t/alcohol-drowsy-then-not/665552/1 "2013-08-07T02:52:19Z")

</div>

Two beers and I’ll pass right out if I just sit back for a minute. Finish off a third and suddenly I’m WIDE AWAKE.

Why?

---

<div class="post-metadata">

**Author:** ![Dereknocue67](https://avatars.discourse-cdn.com/v4/letter/d/6de8d8/32.png) [@Dereknocue67](https://boards.straightdope.com/u/Dereknocue67)\
**Post date:** [August 7, 2013, 7:53am UTC](https://boards.straightdope.com/t/alcohol-drowsy-then-not/665552/2 "2013-08-07T07:53:55Z")

</div>

Your bladder woke you up?

---

<div class="post-metadata">

**Author:** ![JKellyMap](https://sea3.discourse-cdn.com/straightdope/user_avatar/boards.straightdope.com/jkellymap/32/15880_2.png) [@JKellyMap](https://boards.straightdope.com/u/JKellyMap)\
**Post date:** [August 7, 2013, 11:44am UTC](https://boards.straightdope.com/t/alcohol-drowsy-then-not/665552/3 "2013-08-07T11:44:47Z")

</div>

Not quite on topic, but I did read recently in the New York Times that drinking red wine in the evening often has the effect of helping you sleep, but then wake up in the middle of the night, and have trouble falling back to sleep. I’ve noticed it can affect me in this way.

---

<div class="post-metadata">

**Author:** ![JimboJamesJimmersonIII\_Esq](https://avatars.discourse-cdn.com/v4/letter/j/54ee81/32.png) [@JimboJamesJimmersonIII\_Esq](https://boards.straightdope.com/u/JimboJamesJimmersonIII_Esq)\
**Post date:** [August 7, 2013, 4:10pm UTC](https://boards.straightdope.com/t/alcohol-drowsy-then-not/665552/4 "2013-08-07T16:10:16Z")

</div>

> [@JKellyMap](#):
>
> Not quite on topic, but I did read recently in the New York Times that drinking red wine in the evening often has the effect of helping you sleep, but then wake up in the middle of the night, and have trouble falling back to sleep. I’ve noticed it can affect me in this way.

This is thought to be caused by glutamine rebound. Alcohol suppresses the body’s production of glutamine, and when you stop drinking, the body overproduces it. Glutamine is a stimulant, and overproduction can lead to restlessness and even jitters and anxiety.

It was the first thing I thought of when I read the OP. However, glutamine rebound shouldn’t occur until after one stops drinking. Unless **DCnDC** is taking a long break between beers 2 and 3, glutamine shouldn’t be the cause of the phenomenon explained in the OP. Glutamine production should be suppressed until alcohol consumption has ceased altogether, and rebound won’t occur until most of the alcohol has been processed by the body.

I wouldn’t rule out this theory, but it doesn’t quite fit the story told.

---

<div class="post-metadata">

**Author:** ![Isilder](https://avatars.discourse-cdn.com/v4/letter/i/cc9497/32.png) [@Isilder](https://boards.straightdope.com/u/Isilder)\
**Post date:** [August 8, 2013, 8:50am UTC](https://boards.straightdope.com/t/alcohol-drowsy-then-not/665552/5 "2013-08-08T08:50:51Z")

</div>

Alcohol interfers with neurotransmitters…

downers(Makes you sleepy and drunk) : GABA, glutamate  
uppers (keeps you awake, happy): endorphins, adrenaline, Norepinephrine, dopamine

See [http://hamsnetwork.org/dopamine.pdf](http://hamsnetwork.org/dopamine.pdf)