Sleep loss or disturbed sleep can increase the risk for teens to take up smoking and drinking, according to a study of 1,362 high school students. Sleeping less than eight hours a night was linked to both an increase in smoking cigarettes and drinking alcohol.

Xianchen Liu, MD, PhD, of the University of Pittsburgh interviewed students from schools in China. He surveyed them on their sleep patterns, sleep problems, smoking and drinking behavior, behavioral and emotional problems, life stress, and demographic characteristics of the adolescent and family.

His research revealed that sleeping less than eight hours at night, frequent nightmares and difficulty initiating sleep were significantly associated with drinking.

Also, smoking tobacco was related to sleeping less than eight hours, bedtime later than midnight, nightmares, difficulty initiating sleep, difficulty maintaining sleep and hypnotic medication use.

"These findings demonstrate significant associations between sleep quantity and sleep disturbances and smoking and drinking in Chinese adolescents," said Liu. "Although prospective, longitudinal studies are warranted, these findings suggest a potential role of sleep intervention – that is, education in sleep hygiene and the treatment of sleep disturbances – in the prevention of adolescent substance use."

The findings were presented at the 21st Annual Meeting of the Associated Professional Sleep Societies.

More Information:

• Sleep Deprivation Can Lead to Smoking, Drinking
  
• Sleep Problems in Recovering Alcoholics
  
• Acamprosate May Help Recovering Alcoholics Sleep

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