Feeling like you need a drink at the end of a hard day is not uncommon. In fact, it’s a routine many of us know all too well: come home from a stressful day at work, kick off your shoes, shrug off your blazer, and pour a glass of wine. That first sip helps us switch off work mode and relax into the evening. But does alcohol really help take the edge off a stressful day, or does it make things worse?
Your physical and mental response to a glass of wine can be immediate and seem relaxing at first, but alcohol consumption comes with negative effects that linger into your night, day, and life long-term. For those in need of true relaxation and whole-body support, DOTE offers CBD.
What’s Wrong With Wine?
According to a recent study, alcohol consumption soared during the pandemic. So did feelings of stress and anxiety. To understand why those numbers correlate—it’s important to understand how alcohol affects the brain. Alcohol affects the brain in two phases: it increases dopamine, which creates a feeling of euphoria, and slows down brain function, which acts as a depressant.
Bottomline, alcohol and sleep aren’t a combination that will help you feel your best. Alcohol can negatively impact your wellbeing the night of and the morning after a glass or two.
Increased heart rate: The consumption of alcohol can increase your heart rate for up to 24 hours in some cases. A racing heart means that you’re body’s working harder than it usually would. Your body heats up, your chest is uncomfortable from the beating, and you struggle to fall asleep.
Hindered cognition: Alcohol is helpful when unwinding, but it’s not the best way to clear your mind. Drinking can alter your hearing, vision, perception, focus, and decision-making skills. Although you’re trying to unwind, a foggy brain can have you e-mailing the wrong people, misplacing your remotes, or miss-setting your alarms.
Disrupted sleep: Not only does alcohol increase your heart rate, but it can also disrupt your sleep cycle. Studies have shown that alcohol can decrease the amount of REM sleep you get each night. REM is one of the stages of sleep that is important for restoring your brain’s capabilities, like your memory and ability to learn.
Headaches: We all know that drinking too much can leave you with a hangover, but even small amounts of alcohol can cause headaches. You may use coffee to subdue your discomfort, but a headache can linger all day. Curing your alcohol intake with coffee is not a smart lifestyle habit.
Nausea: Most alcohol is high in sugar content, making dehydration a side effect of consumption. Dehydration causes not only headaches but also nausea and dizziness. You’ll struggle to focus on your work and others throughout the day, and you might as well cancel your workout.
Fatigue: Your unrested mind and body won’t allow you to perform the next day after drinking. Because alcohol disrupted your REM sleep, you’re dehydrated, and last night wasn’t crystal clear; your mind and body weren’t able to rest properly. Your mind may struggle with processing concepts and remembering tasks, and your body will fail to keep up with a full schedule.
Why is CBD Better Than a Glass of Cab?
We don’t expect you to be able to unwind on cue. From meetings to house renovations and parent-teacher conferences, you can’t simply tell your brain to stop.
Rather than using wine to unwind, we recommend CBD supplements. CBD just treats your mind and body better than drinking alcohol does.
Relaxation: CBD and relaxation work hand in hand. CBD reduces behavioral and physiological (e.g., heart rate) symptoms of stress and anxiety disorders without fogging up your brain the way that wine does. In fact, CBD has been shown to improve cognitive function.
Physical relief: Multiple clinical trials have demonstrated CBD’s efficacy in pain relief. We all know the toll a long day can have on your body, and part of unwinding is relaxing your body so that you can restore your strength.
Quality rest: Without anxiety symptoms and a body that’s been given the tools it needs to heal, you can rest easy. There’s also been preliminary research done that suggests CBD can help with several sleep disorders, including insomnia, REM sleep behavior disorder, and excessive daytime sleepiness disorder.
On the relaxation front, CBD does everything you thought wine was doing for you, and when it comes to wellness, CBD comes with perks you weren’t even looking for from your wine.
How to Get Your Nightly Dose of CBD
DOTE wellness products are carefully formulated with organic broad-spectrum hemp extract (CBD oil) to support your body when it’s in need. Swap out caloric, sugar-filled wine for simple blends of high-quality and supportive ingredients.
Calm puts CBD’s stress and anxiety-reducing capabilities to work. Designed to help you unwind your mind and body, Calm gives your body the amount of CBD it needs to relax without drowsiness. Calm is a tincture; simply place 0.5 ml in your mouth, hold for 60 seconds, and then swallow.
Dream lets you achieve the quality rest central to your overall well-being. Dream capsules allow you to get the full night’s sleep you need to feel replenished.
You don’t have to refuse external help; just make sure that it’s actually helping you in the way you need it to. With DOTE Wellness supplements, you can foster a well-rested mind and body that allow you to reach new heights.
CBD feels like a solution you didn’t know you needed to a problem you didn’t know you had. You don’t need much CBD to relax, but you do need concise, practical, and science-based support that’s designed for your lifestyle.