How much does drinking alcohol affect apnea?

I have not had a drink since I started CPAP a month ago. Did not want to mess with the data while trying to optimize my treatment.

Now that I have settled on a setting that works. I am dying for an alcopop (1.5 units) near bed time while watching a movie.

Is that going to exacerbate my AHI?

In my opinion, it would make you sleep better and perhaps have a better than normal AHI. It might have the same effect as using a sleeping aid.

LSAT wrote:In my opinion, it would make you sleep better and perhaps have a better than normal AHI. It might have the same effect as using a sleeping aid.

http://sleepdisorders.about.com/od/caus ... -Apnea.htm ?

Are you using SleepyHead or other software? If so, you could check and see what happens.

archangle wrote:Are you using SleepyHead or other software? If so, you could check and see what happens.

Will check tonight. Going to go for 1 bottle of alcohol (1.5 units).

Sleeper Agent wrote:

LSAT wrote:In my opinion, it would make you sleep better and perhaps have a better than normal AHI. It might have the same effect as using a sleeping aid.

http://sleepdisorders.about.com/od/caus ... -Apnea.htm ?

If you knew this...why did you ask the question in the first place?

LSAT wrote: If you knew this...why did you ask the question in the first place?

I know it does worsen apnea.

But I wanted to see if anyone here knows how much it affects apnea.

In particular, is 1.5 units of alcohol going to add significantly to my AHI tonight?

It may depend on the individual and the amount of alcohol consumed.
Please do not, anyone, use internet comments as an excuse to drink to excess.
Nothing good ever comes of alcohol abuse.

Sleeper Agent wrote:
But I wanted to see if anyone here knows how much it affects apnea.

In particular, is 1.5 units of alcohol going to add significantly to my AHI tonight?

I made some notes; no effect. No alcohol nites were in the middle of my AHI range for the week.

Sleeper Agent wrote:

LSAT wrote: If you knew this...why did you ask the question in the first place?

I know it does worsen apnea.

But I wanted to see if anyone here knows how much it affects apnea.

In particular, is 1.5 units of alcohol going to add significantly to my AHI tonight?

what I wanna know is... what's a unit?

(in this case)

The 1 unit that I am using is 12 fl oz of 5% alcohol. So, 0.6 fl oz of alcohol.

I had 2 units and my AHI is still 1.34. So no effect, thankfully.

Any wake ups?

I was marooned in the jungle once with only food, water and CPAP. Terrible experience.

As I recall, a significant factor is the proximity to bedtime that the alcohol is consumed. I regularly drink 2-3 glasses of wine a night, but try to do so immediately after work and go to bed 3+ hours later. I have heard that 3 hours is enough time to mitigate the effects of moderate alcohol consumption on sleep.

Sleeper Agent wrote:The 1 unit that I am using is 12 fl oz of 5% alcohol. So, 0.6 fl oz of alcohol.

the more mundane of us would say "two beers" instead of trying to sound like we're on a medical tv show.