Alcohol and sleep study

I'll admit it. When I did my sleep study (home study) I was stone drunk. A six pack of high alcohol beer and a benedryl.

People take sleeping pills when they have a study done; my question is how much could alcohol effect the reading?

Stone drunk? Could possibly affect sleep test? Seriously?

Julie wrote:Stone drunk? Could possibly affect sleep test? Seriously?

That's my question. Yes.

Of COURSE it'll affect it... it'll zombify you and completely mess up the results... or do you honestly not imagine it would?

I'm sorry, but this is a bit over the top after all.

Julie wrote:Of COURSE it'll affect it... it'll zombify you and completely mess up the results... or do you honestly not imagine it would?

I'm sorry, but this is a bit over the top after all.

In my OP I asked "how much" would alcohol effect the results of my test; the assumption being that it would have an effect. I also acknowledged that people take sleeping pills for their sleep tests; I assume that too would effect the results.

I'm wanting to know specifically "how much"; would it make the recorded AHI higher than it would be without alcohol? By a little? By a lot? Would it make the AHI recorded lower than it would be without alcohol?

Looking at this site (Alcohol and Sleep Apnea, etc.

I find this quote among others.

The Consequences of Alcohol in Sleep Apnea
As the result of alcohol use, apnea events occur more frequently in someone who is predisposed to them. In addition, the drops in the oxygen levels of the blood (called desaturations) become more severe. This may lead to increased carbon dioxide levels in the body, a condition called hypercapnia. Therefore, the consequences of sleep apnea may become more pronounced with alcohol use.

Does that answer your question?

JDS74 wrote:Looking at this site (Alcohol and Sleep Apnea, etc.

I find this quote among others.

The Consequences of Alcohol in Sleep Apnea
As the result of alcohol use, apnea events occur more frequently in someone who is predisposed to them. In addition, the drops in the oxygen levels of the blood (called desaturations) become more severe. This may lead to increased carbon dioxide levels in the body, a condition called hypercapnia. Therefore, the consequences of sleep apnea may become more pronounced with alcohol use.

Does that answer your question?

Yes, mostly. I was wondering to what extent having alcohol during a home sleep study might skew the result, and by how much. My AHI was 10, though I felt like it was 10 jillion. I know people use sleeping pills while taking a sleep study; so I'm interested in whether alcohol would make a marked difference in one's results as compared to sleeping pills.

Thank you for your reply.

With that many beers I'd be going to the bathroom every hour, really screwing up a study.

Its like I know alcohol can relax the throat, making apnea worse (and thereby affecting the study results), but people take sleeping pills for their studies; I just don't know if there is a marked difference between how alcohol effects a study compared to sleeping pills.

Sleeping pills relax tension, but neurologically - they change your mood, etc., but not usually your anatomy, whereas you said yourself that alcohol relaxes tissues, etc and therefore can very much affect OSA, plus it's 100% carbohydate, has calories, works on your digestive system and hematology, etc. etc... Apples and oranges.

Noctuary wrote:...my question is how much could alcohol effect the reading?

There are 5 (at least) considerations:

• Large quantities of alcohol significantly delay/suppress REM; and
• Sudden withdrawal of alcohol would probably generate significant insomnia; so
• If that's your normal consumption1 then you should test on that variable; but
• If that's your normal consumption2 alcoholics tend to underreport their intake by about 50% so we're way out of anything considered "normal"; and
• If that's your normal consumption3 IIWY I'd save the time and money for SDB and just spend it on beer because your liver will blow out before you stroke (but not before picklebrain sets in).

I just wonder how much the alcohol effected my AHI; tests showed a 10. Would there be a marked difference if I had not drank? Would it have even fell below 5? Even with consistent CPAP use, AHI under 1 most nights, I still feel wiped out every damn day. "Hang in there, its worth it!" I hear. Well, I've been hanging in there for over a year now and am still waiting to feel not like shit. Just to fucking feel normal. All I have to look forward to is long days at a job I hate compounded with unending fatigue plus the knowledge that its not going to end.

Morbius wrote:

Noctuary wrote:...my question is how much could alcohol effect the reading?

There are 5 (at least) considerations:

• Large quantities of alcohol significantly delay/suppress REM; and
• Sudden withdrawal of alcohol would probably generate significant insomnia; so
• If that's your normal consumption1 then you should test on that variable; but
• If that's your normal consumption2 alcoholics tend to underreport their intake by about 50% so we're way out of anything considered "normal"; and
• If that's your normal consumption3 IIWY I'd save the time and money for SDB and just spend it on beer because your liver will blow out before you stroke (but not before picklebrain sets in).

I don't drink anymore. I haven't for months now. A year ago I was using alcohol to knock myself out. I don't even drink on weekends anymore.

Maybe you need to get counselling of some kind to look at not only your drinking which may be affecting your work, never mind your sleep, but also to discuss your work and potential changes you could make that you might not be aware of as possibilities.

I think your drinking (which I know something about...not 'yours' but in general) is probably making a big difference in your life, to your sleep, your work, your relationships, etc. etc. and until you address it, the percentage one way or another that is involved in a sleep test (vs sleeping pill) is a red herring. Plus a sleeping pill taken one night by a person who is likely drinking too much to begin with will be affected by the alcohol in his system, whether or not he's had a drink within a few hrs on that given day. Your problem is alcohol, and OSA will fall into its rightful place, with accurate results not affected by alcohol, only when you deal with that. I don't think that right now you can sort out how much alcohol vs possible OSA is affecting you, let alone your mental or emotional state, and you need professional help - trying to isolate OSA from the picture won't work.

Maybe you need to get counselling of some kind to look at not only your drinking which may be affecting your work, never mind your sleep, but also to discuss your work and potential changes you could make that you might not be aware of as possibilities.

I think your drinking (which I know something about...not 'yours' but in general) is probably making a big difference in your life, to your sleep, your work, your relationships, etc. etc. and until you address it, the percentage one way or another that is involved in a sleep test (vs sleeping pill) is a red herring. Plus a sleeping pill taken one night by a person who is likely drinking too much to begin with will be affected by the alcohol in his system, whether or not he's had a drink within a few hrs on that given day. Your problem is alcohol, and OSA will fall into its rightful place, with accurate results not affected by alcohol, only when you deal with that. I don't think that right now you can sort out how much alcohol vs possible OSA is affecting you, let alone your mental or emotional state, and you need professional help - trying to isolate OSA from the picture won't work.

I haven't had alcohol in months. I was talking about my sleep study. Sorry I didn't make that clear.