What do you do when you’ve had a long day and want to put it to bed extra fast? Reach for a bottle of cognac. Or Scotch. Perhaps you even go a step further and mix a cocktail. Whatever your nightcap of choice, new research shows that the immediate benefits of a drink right before bed may not be worth it.

In a study of the relationship between late-night alcohol consumption and sleep, the University of Missouri School of Medicine found that a bedtime sipper can interfere with sleep homeostasis, the body’s mechanism for regulating how long it’s been awake to how much sleep it needs. Using it as a sleep aid (aka indulging in a nightcap) makes it more difficult to get a full night’s sleep.

“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,” said Pradeep Sahota, M.D., chair of the MU School of Medicine’s Department of Neurology and an author of the study, in a press release.

Sound familiar?

The study also found that after extended periods of frequent drinking, the body experiences acute alcohol withdrawal, which causes even more severe irregular sleep patterns. In study participants, these included waking up in the middle of the night and not being able to fall back to sleep.

In light of this rather unwelcome news, it may be time to replace the traditional nightcap in favor of truly restful shut-eye. There’s always brunch, right?

Read more about the study’s findings at the University of Missouri School of Medicine.