Does alcohol make you stop breathing at night?

A good wine with dinner or a couple of beers with friends make for a fun evening. Alcohol is known to have an exhilarating and relaxing effect. But is there a risk of breathing pauses at night?

Short and sweet:

• Alcohol provides a Relaxation of the musclesThis can also affect the muscles of the upper respiratory tract.
• When the airways slacken and collapse, this leads to Interrupted breathing during sleep.
• Even healthy people can start snoring and breathing pauses after heavy alcohol consumption.
• Above all for men appliesPeople who drink a lot and frequently suffer more frequently from breathing interruptions at night. Thereby the risk increases by up to 25% per drink.
• In general, the Avoid alcohol before sleeping. It helps you fall asleep, but it makes you sleep shorter and worse. 

If you want to sleep restfully, you should limit your alcohol consumption, especially in the hours before going to bed. Especially people who suffer from Sleep apnea should avoid alcohol altogether if possible.

You can easily check whether you are experiencing breathing stops - with or without alcohol - using the App Snorefox find out. Snorefox uses nocturnal snoring and breathing noises to analyze whether there is a risk of sleep apnoea. Simply by smartphone at home.