Decades of research have documented a clear connection between alcohol and sleep apnea. Continuing to drink after being diagnosed with this condition can undermine your health and even threaten your life.
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How Does Alcohol Affect Sleep Apnea?
To understand the relationship between alcohol and sleep apnea, it can be helpful to first review a few fundamental facts about the disorder itself.
Sleep apnea is a surprisingly common condition that causes people to briefly stop breathing multiple times while they’re asleep.
Researchers estimate that sleep apnea affects more than 936 million adults across the globe, including 39 million adults in the U.S. alone.
According to the National Heart, Lung, and Blood Institute, which is part of the National Institutes of Health, there are two distinct types of sleep apnea:
- Obstructive sleep apnea (OSA): When people have this version, repeated airway blockages cause them to stop breathing.
- Central sleep apnea (CSA): This type of sleep apnea results from disrupted communication between the brain and the upper airway.
Some sources also list a third type, which is usually referred to as complex sleep apnea or treatment-emergent central sleep apnea. This type includes aspects of both OSA and CSA.
Most discussions of alcohol and sleep apnea focus on OSA, which is the most common type, but drinking can also be a factor for people who have CSA.
Experts have identified several ways that drinking alcohol can exacerbate the symptoms of obstructive sleep apnea. For example:
- Alcohol’s effects on the body include a relaxing of the muscles in the mouth and throat. As these muscles lose their tension, they can block the upper airway and temporarily disrupt the breathing process.
- Alcohol use disrupts the delivery of messages from the brain to various body parts, which can have a negative impact on people who have either obstructive sleep apnea or central sleep apnea.
- Chronic alcohol abuse can lead to considerable weight gain, and obesity has been identified as a prime risk factor for obstructive sleep apnea. One study found that 77% of people who undergo bariatric surgery have a history of sleep apnea.
Any factor that worsens sleep apnea is cause for concern. Untreated sleep apnea can contribute a range of serious health problems, including hypertension (high blood pressure), heart attack, and stroke. This means that one potential outcome of alcohol abuse and sleep apnea is death.
Does Alcohol Cause Other Sleep Problems?
The link between alcohol and sleep problems isn’t limited to sleep apnea. Heavy drinking is also associated with increased snoring and insomnia.
Does Alcohol Cause Snoring?
As is also the case with sleep apnea, experts aren’t sure if alcohol causes snoring. However, they agree that it can clearly make the problem worse.
As we described in the previous section, drinking relaxes the muscles of the mouth and throat. When these muscles relax to the point that a person’s airway is fully blocked, that causes a sleep apnea episode. If the relaxed muscles only cause a partial closure of the airway, that can induce a snoring session.
Does Alcohol Cause Insomnia?
If you’ve ever thought that having a few drinks before bed can help you get a good night’s sleep, you may want to reconsider that strategy. Alcohol can undermine the quality of your sleep and elevate your risk of insomnia.
As a central nervous system depressant, alcohol can have a sedative-like effect. But there’s an important distinction between falling asleep and staying asleep.
As described in the Handbook of Clinical Neurology, alcohol’s impact includes “fragmented and disturbed sleep in the second half of the night.” Frequent episodes like this can disrupt a person’s circadian rhythms, which influence essential functions such as appetite, body temperature, and the sleep/wake cycle.
Should You Avoid Alcohol if You Have Sleep Apnea?
If you’ve been diagnosed with sleep apnea, your doctor will likely encourage you to make several behavioral changes, such as:
- Losing weight
- Quitting smoking
- Avoiding alcohol
- Eating healthier foods
- Exercising regularly
Keeping alcohol out of your system can reduce your risk of experiencing the airway blockages that contribute to sleep apnea. Avoiding alcohol can also ease your struggles with insomnia and other sleep disruptions.
If you’re unable or unwilling to stop drinking, even after reading an article that connects alcohol, sleep apnea, and death, that may indicate that you’ve developed an addiction.
The good news is that alcohol use disorder (alcoholism) is a treatable condition. With effective professional care and a concerted effort on your part, you can quit drinking and start building a healthier life in recovery.
Treat Alcohol Addiction at Phoenix Rising Recovery in Palm Springs, California
When you’re trapped in the darkness of active alcoholism, it can be difficult to see the path forward. Phoenix Rising Recovery can show you the way.
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We’ll work closely with you to understand the root causes of your struggles with addiction. We will then develop a customized plan to help you achieve the healthy future you deserve.
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Published: 10/29/2024
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