Think having a couple of drinks before dozing off on a long flight is harmless? Think again. A new study is throwing some serious warnings on people found of this common travel habit.
Researchers in Germany discovered that mixing alcohol with the low oxygen levels passengers experience at high altitudes can severely impact the cardiovascular system and sleep quality, even if you are young and healthy.
Turns out, that pre-flight cocktail might be doing more harm than good when you are cruising at 30,000 feet.
A German study warns that drinking alcohol on flights, combined with low oxygen levels, significantly impairs cardiovascular health and sleep quality, challenging the common belief it's harmless.Image by Mircea Iancu from Pixabay
Drinking on Flights: A Dangerous Mix
A study conducted in 2009 found that most passengers believed that drinking alcohol on a flight was enjoyable and acceptable, with 89% planning to buy one or two drinks.
The current study aimed to understand how the combination of alcohol consumption and low air pressure in airplane cabins affects sleep quality, blood oxygen levels, and heart rate.
Healthy individuals who participated in the study were divided into two groups. One group slept in a normal sleep lab, while the other experienced a simulated high-altitude environment replicating airplane cabin pressure.
Each participant slept under two distinct conditions: one night with alcohol consumption and another without, randomly assigned to eliminate bias. The study window was confined to four hours (midnight to 4 a.m.), during which brain waves, blood oxygen levels (SpO2), and heart rate were meticulously monitored.
The results were eye-opening. The combined effects of alcohol and low pressure were found to significantly decrease blood oxygen levels to a median of 85.32% and elevate the heart rate to 87.73 beats per minute.
In contrast, participants experiencing low pressure alone maintained a slightly higher median oxygen level of 88.07% and a heart rate of 72.90 bpm.
In normal conditions with alcohol, oxygen levels rose to 94.97%, and the heart rate settled at 76.97 bpm. Notably, the most favorable conditions were observed without alcohol and at normal pressure, boasting oxygen levels of 95.88% and a resting heart rate of 63.74 bpm.
One of the most concerning outcomes was the duration of clinically significant hypoxia (low levels of oxygen in your body tissues).
Participants exposed to both alcohol and low pressure spent a staggering 201 minutes below the safety threshold, compared to 173 minutes for those under low pressure alone. In normal conditions, whether with or without alcohol, participants did not spend any time below the 90% threshold.
Deep sleep also suffered under this double threat. The shortest durations were recorded when both factors were present, a mere 46.50 minutes. In contrast, normal conditions saw deep sleep nearly double, with alcohol alone leading to 84 minutes and sobriety to 67.50 minutes. This stark contrast underscores the potent impact of this combined stressor on restorative sleep.
The results tell us: "If you want to sleep well during your flight, skip the alcohol."
Recommendations and Broader Implications
The researchers recommended that airlines consider restricting inflight alcohol consumption. Speaking with NBC News, co-author Eva-Maria Elmenhorst said the team was surprised by the strength of the effects observed in their study, highlighting the importance of avoiding alcohol while flying.
They found that the combination of alcohol and low air pressure in aircraft cabins can worsen sleep quality, stress the cardiovascular system, and prolong dangerously low blood oxygen levels, particularly during sleep.
