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For those who have the habit of consuming alcohol before sleeping, here's the bad news. According to a recent study, alcohol may make the slumber easy, but it also results in a disturbed sleep cycle.

Dr. Irshaad Ebrahim, medical director at the London Sleep Centre, was co-author of the latest study which was published in the journal Alcoholism: Clinical & Experimental Research.

Ebrahim along with his team found that though alcohol consumption hastens the process of sleep, it prevents a person from dreaming, which is one of the most desired varieties of sleep. They have also found that if alcohol is used frequently to induce sleep, then in the long run it might cause insomnia. The study also found that people who have the habit of drinking alcohol before sleeping eventually become dependent on it, and it might lead to a restless night as well as snoring.

"We should be very cautious about drinking on a regular basis. One or two glasses might be nice in the short term, but if you continue to use a tipple before bedtime it can cause significant problems. If you do have a drink, it's best to leave an hour and a half to two hours before going to bed so the alcohol is already wearing off.," Dr. Ebrahim was quoted as saying in BBC News.

"With increasing doses, alcohol suppresses our breathing. It can turn non-snorers and snorers into people with sleep apnoea - where the breathing's interrupted," Dr. Ebrahim said, while explaining the side-effects of regular alcohol consumption.