'I will just have one drink and then sleep, ' we often tell ourselves. This often becomes three or four before going to bed. You fall asleep fast and believe that it was the alcohol. This might be true, alcohol will help you fall asleep faster, but it gives and it takes. Using it as an over-the-counter sleeping aid might leave you up at 3 a.m., unable to fall back asleep quickly, exhausted the following day, and not even feeling rested after 8 hours of sleep.  There are several reasons why this is the case:   Alcohol helps you fall asleep — but it destroys sleep quality. The sedating effect only lasts during the first half of the night. The second half becomes fragmented, restless, and low-quality. The more often you drink, the worse your natural sleep systems function over time. Research has shown that alcohol changes brainwave patterns during sleep, reduces restorative deep sleep, suppresses REM sleep and causes early morning awakenings even among moderate or light...