GOOD POSSIBILITY –
Aug. 6, 2026 – Gary Brecka, a human biologist and longevity expert, says: “Even one drink close to bedtime interrupts your sleep, and it isn’t really the alcohol that does it, it’s what the alcohol becomes.” He warns that the notion of a “nightcap” can be more damaging than people think. “Your liver converts it into a compound called acetaldehyde, a toxin that your body, and your brain, then have to process while you are trying to rest,” says Gary, who spent 20 years researching mortality science and identified sleep as one of the biggest variabilities in life expectancy.
And there’s a reason you wake up in your sleep after a night drinking.
“Alcohol also converts to sugar while you sleep,” Gary, host of The Ultimate Human podcast, explains.
“Your blood sugar climbs, almost like having a candy bar in your sleep, and rising glucose pulls you back towards a waking state.”
