Alcohol Before Sleep on a Plane May Be Dangerous
Many people like to have a drink while they're on a plane — maybe a cold beer to pass the time, or a glass of wine to feel less anxious.
If you're one of those people, a new study says you might want to be careful about sleeping afterward, because it could be dangerous for people with heart or lung problems.
Researchers from Germany have found that the combination of alcohol, sleep and low pressure in the plane may put strain on the heart.
This is because drinking alcohol at low pressure could cause oxygen levels in the blood to decrease, making the heart work harder.
In the study, 48 people aged 18 to 40 were asked to sleep either in a laboratory or a chamber that had the same pressure as a plane flying at about 2,500 meters.
The researchers then gave 12 of the participants in each group alcohol before sleeping, and measured their sleep cycle, heart rate and blood oxygen levels.
After two days, the test was done again, but the participants changed where they were sleeping.
The results showed that those who drank alcohol and slept in the plane-like chamber had poorer sleep, increased heart rates and lower blood oxygen levels.
Among these participants, oxygen levels were below the healthy norm for more than three hours, and deep sleep time was reduced to 46 minutes.
Eva-Maria Elmenhorst, one of the researchers from the German Aerospace Center, noted that the oxygen levels were not low enough to be harmful for the participants, but they may be dangerous for people with certain health conditions.
She added that although drinking alcohol on planes may not be harmful for young, healthy people, she would advise people with heart or lung conditions not to do so.
