Alcohol’s Interactions With Circadian Rhythms: A Focus on Body Temperature

The complex interaction between alcohol and the body’s circadian rhythm has become a rapidly expanding area in chronopharmacology. This area has key implications for the field of alcohol research, because understanding alcohol’s effects on the body’s internal clock will aid scientists in designing medications and behavioral interventions for treating alcohol abuse and dependence. A number of studies provide evidence that alcohol sensitivity and preference vary with circadian timing. However, only a few studies support alcohol’s ability to influence the circadian phase directly. This review focuses on studies examining how alcohol and the body’s circadian rhythm interact, using body temperature as an index of circadian rhythm function. Though the research is limited, findings indicate that alcohol sensitivity and preference for drinking do indeed appear to vary with circadian timing and that alcohol may act directly on the central pacemaker to alter circadian functioning.