The holidays are just around the corner and you might be planning a flight to a far-flung destination to completely unwind. As the flight lasts several hours, it may be tempting to order a glass of wine to relax, followed by a good night’s sleep. What if this is the worst thing you can do to relax?
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Alcohol and sleep don’t mix well on a plane
A new study published in the journal Thorax reveals that drinking a glass of alcohol on a flight before falling asleep is the best way to wake up feeling ripped. Questioned? Flight cabins are pressurized to maintain an altitude of 8,000 feet (2,438 meters), meaning air pressure and oxygen levels are lower than most people experience on Earth. Add in alcohol consumption and sleep, and the blood oxygen concentration is even more likely to drop. “Don’t drink on airplanes”Dr. Eva-Maria Elmenhorst, lead author of the study, emphasizes.
To achieve these results, the researchers created an atmospheric environment similar to the cabin of an airplane. Over two nights, 48 healthy adults slept for four hours in two different environments — once without alcohol and once after drinking two glasses of wine or two cans of beer. Conclusion: According to the study, researchers noted that oxygen levels decrease and heart rate increases during nights of alcohol consumption.
Less restorative sleep
“Alcohol consumption and hypobaric sleep place considerable stress on the cardiovascular system and may lead to exacerbation of symptoms in patients with heart or lung disease.”, we can read. While research is currently a bit thin to clearly address this phenomenon, this research provides a good starting point for continuing to examine the relationship between sleep, theft, and alcohol.
Also, beyond heart rate, the study examined participants’ sleep quality. As a result? Alcohol promotes sleep, but not restful sleep. In fact, the duration of REM sleep — a critical phase for memory consolidation and brain recovery — was shorter in those who drank alcohol on the flight.
Later, snoring and sleep apnea are more severe, and sleep is more fragmented. The solution? drink water. Because flights take place in very dry environments, we don’t always have a bottle of water with us, and people don’t always hydrate properly. The next time a flight attendant asks what you’d like to drink, all you have to do is order a soft drink.
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