Why do I have trouble sleeping after drinking?

I usually have trouble sleeping after drinking because the word moderation doe not exist in my dictionary

'Cause your sorrows know how to swim. You are trying to drown your pain in alcohol. But your pain knows how to swim. They float on alcohol's surface, and hound you. With every drink, they are getting better and better at swimming and floating.

The reason you may have trouble sleeping after drinking is because alcohol can act like a stimulant. Some people's systems are very sensitive to stimulants like caffeine, or soda, which can keep them awake at night.

Drinking alcohol makes you feel sleepy, but it actually disrupts your REM sleep cycle. This means that while you fall asleep faster, you get MUCH less quality sleep in the long run. It's best to stop drinking two hours before you try and sleep for the highest quality sleep. Hope that helps!

to directly answer the question (and it is easily google-able): yes, indeed alcohol does disrupt your primary sleep patterns, specifically deleting or negatively impacting the REM phase (which is the most 'necessary' or 'restful' phase of sleep; insomniacs and those with sleep apnea typically have damaged REM states as well). EtOH intoxication also increases sleep apnea events, even in those who usually do not snore or experience sleep apnea, and additionally (which no one else mentions) the biggest detrimental affect that I tend to notice is the mild to moderate dehydration - this is, incidentally, the most profound trigger of 'hangover' symptoms (i.e. nausea, pounding headache, dry mouth, etc...). Minimization strategy: When drinking, always, always continue drinking water. This has a twofold effect: the volume of the water keeps me from drinking 'too much' or getting as intoxicated due to sheer capacity issues. Also, it combats the dehydration. If you drink water with your booze, you won't get AS drunk, you won't get drunk as quickly, and you will suffer less hangover symptoms which will lessen the Day 2... impacts as well.

Alcohol in itself is something you should do moderately in the first place, my dear questioner. Alcohol affects R.E.M. Phase of your sleep that helps you get the most out of your rest. It can lead to sleep apnea and can disrupt your breathing during sleeping. The higher the dosage, the bigger the reduction of sleep. Drink plenty of water during and after drinking sessions so that you at least dont wake up with a headache. Any sleeping pill or any pill to help you sleep is a big no, dont mix meds and alcohol. Hope i helped.

The drink is giving you energy, making your brain more alert and therefore keeping you up. You are full of energy and your brain doesn't want to switch off :)

you are intoxicated, so your body keeps you alert because when you sleep alcohol is much slower eliminated from your organism.

Alcohol causes you to initially get sleepy, but then causes you to wake soon after and may keep you up. Then it will cause you to feel un-rested after sleeping.

If I drink, I fall asleep easily but then am wide awake just a bit later. I have heard that drinking messes with your body clock. Since I always get a major headache after drinking, which may relate to this, I drink very rarely and when I do, I drink lots of water to dilute it and stay hydrated.