Men Who Habitually Consume Alcohol More Likely To Have A Sleep-Related Breathing Disorder

Increased habitual alcohol consumption among men is associated with an increased risk of a mild or worse sleep-related breathing disorder (SRBD), according to a study published in the April 15th issue of the Journal of Clinical Sleep Medicine (JCSM).

The study, authored by Paul E. Peppard, PhD, and colleagues at the University of Wisconsin-Madison, focused on 775 men and 645 women, who were evaluated for alcohol consumption and a sleep-related breathing disorder.

It was discovered that, relative to men who consumed less alcohol, for each increment of one drink per day, men who consumed more alcohol had 25 percent greater odds of a mild or worse SRBD.

Among women, minimal to moderate alcohol consumption was not significantly associated with an increased risk of an SRBD.

According to Peppard, possible explanations for this include the limited range of alcohol consumption reported by women in the study sample, reducing the ability to detect clinically important moderate associations.

Women are more resistant than men to threats to sleep related breathing. The protection to women may be due to hormonally mediated increased ventilatory drive, anatomical differences or other characteristics.

Alcohol is a sedative. It induces sleep but the quality of sleep is often disturbed during second half of the sleep period. It increases the awakening times when the alcohol’s relaxing effect wears off.

It also prevents from getting deep sleep. If you continue consuming alcohol before bedtime, it results in sleep related breathing disorder. [Alcohol Addiction]

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