We've all heard it. Many of us have experienced it. A few of us even swear by it—enough to ceremonially partake in a glass or two of wine before crawling into bed.
A nightcap.
In fact, a little booze has been experimentally (and anecdotally) demonstrated to help us fall asleep faster and increase slow-wave, or deep, sleep in the first half of the night.
But its effect on other aspects of sleep—notably, the second half of the night—leaves much to be desired.
What causes alcohol's strange and dichotomous effect on the sleeping brain? And the real question—do you accept the nightcap or not?
