Do you drink alcohol on long flights to help you sleep? Doctor warns why it is dangerous

A glass of red wine on a flight might help one fall asleep, but it comes with a number of serious health risks, explains Dr Sood.

Not everyone looks forward to flying, especially after the novelty of being airborne has worn off with repeated flights. Some prefer to take a nap so that they can hit the ground feeling refreshed after landing.

Taking to Instagram on April 7, Dr Kunal Sood, a Maryland-based physician in anesthesiology and interventional pain medicine, shared his opinion on a popular remedy to fall asleep during air travel - a large glass of red wine.

Effects of drinking alcohol on the plane to fall asleep

According to Dr Sood, one should rethink their position on consuming alcohol on a flight to fall asleep, as a recent study has shown multiple negative effects on the health of individuals caused by the action.

“A recent study found that consuming alcohol and then falling asleep on a plane led to a drop in blood oxygen levels as well as an increase in heart rate,” shared the physician.

He explained the phenomenon by saying that the air in a plane has less oxygen than the air we typically breathe. Drinking alcohol and then falling asleep further deteriorates the condition within the body.

“The study looked at two groups and mimicked the environment in a plane,” shared Dr Sood. It showed that the effects are worse in “those with preexisting heart and lung conditions, which can put them at higher risk.”

Alcohol reduces sleep quality

Dr Sood noted that while alcohol may help individuals fall asleep faster, it significantly lowers sleep quality. This aligns with what Dr Vassily Eliopoulos, a longevity expert trained at Cornell University and co-founder and chief medical officer of Longevity Health, shared on March 31 on Instagram, discussing the effects of alcohol on overall health.

According to Dr Vass, the negative effects of alcohol consumption on sleep are most immediate and most underestimated.

“Alcohol feels like a sleep aid. It isn't,” he explained. “It suppresses REM sleep and slow-wave deep sleep, the stages where your brain clears metabolic waste, consolidates memory, and regulates cortisol.”

Two drinks before bed can reduce sleep quality by up to 24 percent, even if the individual does not wake up mid-sleep, shared Dr Vass. Poor sleep leads to elevated cortisol levels and accelerated cellular ageing.

Note to readers: This article is for informational purposes only and not a substitute for professional medical advice. Always seek the advice of your doctor with any questions about a medical condition.

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