Amino acids are the building blocks of protein, and glutamine is arguably the most important amino acid of the bunch. Without it, our immune system would not operate effectively because many of the supporting cells in our immune system rely on it for energy. Furthermore, this amino acid is believed to be an essential part of normal brain activity and digestion.
Unfortunately, the consumption of alcohol depletes the body of this essential substance. When you stop drinking, however, your body starts creating it to restore your body’s natural balance. The process ends up wreaking havoc on your sleep architecture because this restoration of balance is an active physiological process.
After a night of drinking too much booze, it appears that you pass out, but your body and mind are not really at rest. Your body and mind need rapid eye movement (REM) sleep to feel refreshed in the morning, but you are robbed of it when you drink. This, coupled with the fact that you also depleted glycogen from last night’s activities as well, leaves you with no energy and a feeling of lifelessness.
If you are lucky, you will only be robbed of a good night’s sleep, if you are not adaptable to this kind of rebound you might have to suffer through more severe symptoms like: anxiety, tremors or “the shakes,” poor memory, poor cognition, and/or increased blood pressure.
