For some, there is nothing more exciting, for others, there is nothing more stressful, plane travel is not experienced by everyone in the same way. Once on board, depending on the length of the flight, we sometimes like to indulge in a little extravagance when the hostesses or stewards pass through the aisles to serve us drinks. Many people then indulge in alcoholic beverages for “pleasure”, to “relax” or “to fall asleep more easily”. It would indeed appear that altitude promotes drunkenness.
What drink should you not consume on the plane?
But in reality, consuming alcohol on a plane is absolutely not recommended, as suggested by a German study relayed by The Women’s Journal. It could even pose risks to our health. This is what scientists were able to observe by looking at the effects of alcohol on the sleep and heart rate of 40 volunteers. Separated into several groups, they spent two nights of 4 hours of sleep (from midnight to 4 a.m.) either in a sleep laboratory or in an altitude chamber (imitating the effects of the plane).
While they slept, the researchers recorded their heart rate as well as their blood oxygen saturation, also called SpO2.
At the end of the experiment, the researchers observed that the subjects who had drunk alcohol and slept at altitude also saw their oxygen saturation drop to around 85% and their heart rate increase to around 88 beats per minute (between 50 and 80 times per minute normally). In total, they enjoyed 46 minutes of deep sleep. In comparison, patients who spent the night in the sleep lab without drinking alcohol had an oxygen saturation of 96%, a lower heart rate (64 beats per minute), and a deep sleep of about 68 minutes.
Why shouldn’t you consume alcohol on the plane?
“The combination of alcohol and in-flight hypobaric hypoxia (drop in air pressure due to altitude which causes the body to receive less oxygen) reduced sleep quality, strained the cardiovascular system and led to a prolonged duration of hypoxemia (low blood oxygen level)”therefore concluded the experts in their report.
It further specifies that “even in healthy individuals, the combination of alcohol consumption and sleeping in hypobaric conditions places considerable strain on the cardiac system and could lead to an exacerbation of symptoms in patients with heart and lung disorders”.
The takeaway, then, is that the higher the alcohol consumption, the greater these effects could be, particularly among older passengers or those with pre-existing health conditions. “Practitioners, passengers and crew should be informed of the potential risks, and it may be beneficial to consider changing regulations to restrict access to alcoholic beverages on aircraft,” they suggested.
