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Alcohol hampers body’s ability to adjust sleep

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New York: A team of Indian American scientists from the University of Missouri has found that drinking alcohol to fall asleep interferes with body’s natural ability to regulate sleep.

The findings showed alcohol affects the body’s sleep homeostasis – the body’s sleep-regulating mechanism – that can cause insomnia over time.

The prevailing thought was that alcohol promotes sleep by changing a person’s circadian rhythm – the body’s built-in 24-hour clock.

“However, we discovered that alcohol actually promotes sleep by affecting a person’s sleep homeostasis – the brain’s built-in mechanism that regulates your sleepiness and wakefulness,” said lead author Mahesh Thakkar, associate professor of neurology and director of research in the MU’s school of medicine.

If an individual loses sleep, the body produces adenosine, a naturally occurring sleep-regulating substance that increases a person’s need for sleep.

When a person goes to sleep early, sleep homeostasis is shifted and he or she may wake up in the middle of the night or early morning.

The researchers found that alcohol alters the sleep homeostatic mechanism and puts pressure on an individual to sleep.

When this happens, the sleep period is shifted and a person may experience disrupted sleep.

“Based on our results, it’s clear that alcohol should not be used as a sleep aid,” added Pradeep Sahota, chair of MU school of medicine’s department of neurology.

Alcohol disrupts sleep and the quality of sleep is diminished. Additionally, alcohol is a diuretic, which increases your need to go the bathroom and causes you to wake up earlier in the morning, Sahota pointed out.

The investigators also found that after extended periods of frequent drinking, subjects would fall asleep as expected but would wake within a few hours and would be unable to fall back asleep.

When the subjects were not given alcohol, the team found that they showed symptomatic insomnia.

“If you are experiencing difficulty sleeping, do not use alcohol. Talk to your doctor or a sleep medicine physician to determine what factors are keeping you from sleeping,” the duo explained.

The study was published in the international biomedical journal Alcohol.

Corona

Covid toll in Karnataka is a worrying sign for state government

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Even though Karnataka recorded the lowest number of Covid deaths in April since the virus struck first in 2020, the state is recording a rise in the positivity rate (1.50 per cent). Five people died from the Covid infections in April as per the statistics released by the state health department. In March, the positivity rate stood around 0.53 per cent. In the first week of April it came down to 0.38 per cent, second week registered 0.56 per cent, third week it rose to 0.79 per cent and by end of April the Covid positivity rate touched 1.19 per cent.

on an average 500 persons used to succumb everyday in the peak of Covid infection, as per the data. Health experts said that the mutated Coronavirus is losing its fierce characteristics as vaccination, better treatment facilities and awareness among the people have contributed to the lesser number of Covid deaths.

During the 4th and 6th of April two deaths were reported in Bengaluru, one in Gadag district on April 8, two deaths were reported from Belagavi and Vijayapura on April 30. The first Covid case was reported in the state in March 2020 and three Covid deaths were recorded in the month. In the following month 21 people became victims to the deadly virus, and May 2020 recorded 22 deaths. The death toll recorded everyday after May crossed three digits. However, the third wave, which started in January 2

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