How Alcohol Affects the Nervous System
Listen to the full episode in your podcasting app: Apple Spotify other apps
The autonomic nervous system (ANS) regulates involuntary bodily functions. The ANS comprises the sympathetic nervous system (SNS) and parasympathetic nervous system (PNS), which control the fight or flight and relaxation responses, respectively.
A 2020 review looked at a total of 55 studies and found that anywhere from 16–73% of chronic heavy drinkers suffer from autonomic nervous system dysfunction. The most important risk factor for this was total lifetime dose of ethanol, meaning how much you drink and how many years you've been drinking for. These studies found that abstinence led to a significant improvement in autonomic functioning.
Alcohol activates the SNS, causing stress and preventing relaxation. Binge drinking, defined as 4-5 standard drinks in under 2 hours, or 4 or 5 5% beers or 1 bottle of 12% wine in under 2 hours, can be especially harmful, leading to high nighttime sympathetic activity and high morning blood pressure.
Listen to episode 149 to learn more about the impact of alcohol on the nervous system:
Cite this article:
Tietz, G. How Alcohol Affects the Nervous System. Sober Powered. 2023
Sources:
Sagawa, Y. et al. Alcohol Has a Dose-Related Effect on Parasympathetic Nerve Activity During Sleep. Alcoholism: Clinical and Experimental Research. 35:11. 2011.
Julian, TH. et al. Alcohol-induced autonomic dysfunction: a systematic review. Clin Auton Res. 2020; 30(1): 29–41
Assaker, R. I drank too much and now I can’t walk: a case of alcohol-induced dysautonomia. Oxford Medical Case Reports, Volume 2021, Issue 8, 2021
Tanasugarn, A. The health risks of a dysregulated nervous system. Psychology Today. 2022.
