Background Passengers on long-haul flights frequently consume alcohol. Inflight sleep exacerbates the fall in blood oxygen saturation (SpO2) caused by the decreased oxygen partial pressure in the cabin. We investigated the combined influence of alcohol and hypobaric hypoxia on sleep, SpO2 and heart rate. Methods Two groups of healthy individuals spent either two nights with a 4-hour sleep opportunity (00:00–04:00 hours) in the sleep laboratory (n=23; 53 m above sea level) or in the altitude chamber (n=17; 753 hPa corresponding to 2438 m above sea level, hypobaric condition). Participants consumed alcohol before one of the nights (mean±SE blood alcohol concentration 0.043±0.003%). The order of the nights was counterbalanced. Two 8-hour recovery nights (23:00–07:00 hours) were scheduled between conditions. Polysomnography, SpO2 and heart rate were recorded. Results The combined exposure to alcohol and hypobaric condition decreased SpO2 to a median (25th/75th percentile) of 85.32% (82.86/85.93) and increased heart rate to a median (25th/75th percentile) of 87.73 bpm (85.89/93.86) during sleep compared with 88.07% (86.50/88.49) and 72.90 bpm (70.90/78.17), respectively, in the non-alcohol hypobaric condition, 94.97% (94.59/95.33) and 76.97 bpm (65.17/79.52), respectively, in the alcohol condition and 95.88% (95.72/96.36) and 63.74 bpm (55.55/70.98), respectively, in the non-alcohol condition of the sleep laboratory group (all p<0.0001). Under the combined exposure SpO2 was 201.18 min (188.08/214.42) below the clinical hypoxia threshold of 90% SpO2 compared with 173.28 min (133.25/199.03) in the hypobaric condition and 0 min (0/0) in both sleep laboratory conditions. Deep sleep (N3) was reduced to 46.50 min (39.00/57.00) under the combined exposure compared with both sleep laboratory conditions (alcohol: 84.00 min (62.25/92.75); non-alcohol: 67.50 min (58.50/87.75); both p<0.003). Conclusions The combination of alcohol and inflight hypobaric hypoxia reduced sleep quality, challenged the cardiovascular system and led to extended duration of hypoxaemia (SpO2 <90%). Data are available upon reasonable request. Data will be made available by the corresponding author upon reasonable request.

中文翻译：

---

适量饮酒和低压缺氧的影响：对长途航班乘客睡眠、氧饱和度和心率的影响


背景 乘坐长途航班的乘客经常饮酒。机上睡眠会加剧机舱内氧分压下降导致的血氧饱和度 (SpO2) 下降。我们研究了酒精和低压缺氧对睡眠、SpO2 和心率的综合影响。方法 两组健康个体在睡眠实验室（n=23；海拔 53 m）或海拔室（n= 17；753 hPa 对应海拔 2438 m，低压条件）。参与者在其中一晚前饮酒（平均值±SE 血液酒精浓度 0.043±0.003%）。夜晚的顺序是平衡的。在不同条件之间安排了两个 8 小时的恢复之夜（23:00–07:00）。记录多导睡眠图、SpO2 和心率。结果 酒精和低压条件下的联合暴露使 SpO2 降低至中位数（第 25/75 个百分位数）85.32% (82.86/85.93)，心率增加至中位数（第 25/75 个百分位数）87.73 bpm (85.89/93.86)。相比之下，在非酒精低压条件下睡眠质量分别为 88.07% (86.50/88.49) 和 72.90 bpm (70.90/78.17)，在酒精条件下睡眠质量分别为 94.97% (94.59/95.33) 和 76.97 bpm (65.17/79.52)在睡眠实验室组的非酒精状态下，分别为 95.88% (95.72/96.36) 和 63.74 bpm (55.55/70.98)（均为 p<0.0001）。在组合暴露下，SpO2 比 90% SpO2 的临床缺氧阈值低 201.18 分钟 (188.08/214.42)，而低压条件下为 173.28 分钟 (133.25/199.03)，两种睡眠实验室条件下为 0 分钟 (0/0)。深度睡眠 (N3) 减少至 46.50 分钟 (39.00/57.00)。00）在组合暴露下与两种睡眠实验室条件进行比较（酒精：84.00 分钟（62.25/92.75）；非酒精：67.50 分钟（58.50/87.75）；均 p<0.003）。结论 酒精和飞行中低压缺氧的结合会降低睡眠质量，挑战心血管系统并导致低氧血症持续时间延长（SpO2 <90%）。数据可根据合理要求提供。通讯作者将根据合理要求提供数据。