Reading time: 2 minutes – Spotted on CNN
Whether to relax, sleep better or just for fun, many people like to have a beer, a glass of wine or a spirit during a plane trip. Unfortunately, a new scientific study suggests that this habit has negative health effects.
When planes are at cruising altitude, the atmospheric pressure and oxygen level in the air are significantly lower than those on the Earth’s surface – this is called a hypobaric atmosphere. Combined with drinking alcohol and napping, this can quickly lead to a sharp drop in blood oxygen levels. Therefore, the recommendation of Eva-Maria Elmenhorst, lead author of the study, is very clear: “Don’t drink alcohol on planes.”
Alcohol consumption and naps on board do not mix well
For their experiment, the researchers created an atmospheric environment similar to that of airplane cabins during flight. In there, 48 healthy adults would have to sleep twice for four hours: once in a sober state and once after drinking the equivalent of two glasses of wine or two cans of beer.
The night the participants drank alcohol, the scientists noticed a drop in the level of oxygen in their blood and an increase in their heart rate. In addition to a high load on the heart, this also resulted in poorer sleep quality. Alcohol can help us sleep, but the quality of sleep is not as good as when we are sober.
Especially if you suffer from certain illnesses, it is best not to consume alcohol on a plane: “The combination of alcohol consumption and sleeping in hypobaric conditions places considerable strain on the cardiac system and can lead to exacerbation of symptoms in patients with heart or lung disease”explain the authors of the study to CNN.
Furthermore, experts insist that it is very important not to mix alcohol and sleeping pills: both are depressants and intensify their sedative effects when taken together. “I have seen people taking sleeping pills at the same time as alcohol, which is a major problem”Dr. Andrew Freeman, a cardiologist not involved in the study, told CNN. “Then there’s often a medical emergency.”
