Don't you just enjoy that in-flight bottle of wine or two before you slip into dreamland on that long-haul flight? Breaking news from Science Central: cut the booze or suffer the consequences of poor sleep quality and possible heart health risk. Yep, mixing alcohol with altitude might be more than your ticket to sweet dreams – it could be boarding pass to Hypoxia-city, according to a study with a refreshingly small sample size.

17 participants were stuffed into an altitude chamber mimicking in-flight conditions – a fancy way of saying they experienced the joy of flying without leaving the ground. After guzzling the equivalent of two beers or glasses of wine and napping for four hours, they woke to blood oxygen levels that would make a doctor wince – just 85%. And apparently, the party was in their chests with heart rates thumping at 88 BPM.

Healthy folks, pay attention: your oxygen levels should keep it cool between 95% - 100%. If you're hovering below 92%, it means you've entered the party crashing hypoxia zone where your tissues are screaming for oxygen and homeostasis is a distant memory. Possible party favors? Enjoy the confusion, rapid heartbeat, and some difficulty breathing – it's all part of the fun!

Take a note, people with existing heart or lung conditions – the stakes are higher for you. Our resident crasher of dreams, Dr. Eva-Maria Elmenhorst, author of the study, warns that such individuals may start off their flight with precariously low oxygen levels that could plummet further after knocking back liquor and catching some Zs. And oh, this could be life-threatening.

The fun fact of the study? All participants slept lying down – a privilege reserved for the money-dropping first or business class passengers. And in those decadent realms, the booze flows even more freely. According to Dr. Elmenhorst, one dose of alcohol was used for the study but in real-life, passengers might binge more or less, and the oxygen saturation effect is likely to be dose-dependent.

If you're a poor soul relegated to the economy section, stay calm – your upright sleeping position might not replicate the same effects. Your oxygen levels will drop a bit anyways because, you know, you're sleeping, but not drastically, says Dr. Younghoon Kwon. But remember, alcohol is no friend of your sleep quality even at the ground level. As Dr. Kwon poetically puts it, while alcohol may seem to court sleep, in reality, it murders it quietly.

Air travel equals experiencing the altitude of Aspen, Colorado. It's a delightful stress test for your body, resulting in fluctuations in blood volumes and heart rate. Plus, airplane cabins are as humid as a desert, leading to a lovely combo of fluid shifts and dehydration. On top of all these physiological shenanigans, add the effects of alcohol, and it's a perfect recipe for a potential in-flight disaster.

If you value your life, or at least quality sleep, it won't hurt to skip the booze before and during a long-haul flight, particularly if you have underlying health conditions. Because let's be honest, hypoxia and heightened heart rates are a tad more intimidating than the flight attendant's rehearsed smile.