Chapter 36 - Sleep Quality and Risk of Alcohol Misuse

Abstract

Sleep problems and alcohol misuse co-occur and exhibit a bidirectional causal relationship. First, this section will summarize the acute effects associated with both alcohol use on sleep and sleep deprivation on drinking. This summary will address how the pharmacological properties of alcohol result in fragmented and deficient sleep as well as review findings from laboratory studies that demonstrate alcohol's association with diminished attention and executive functioning, increased risk-taking behaviors, and impairment of motor response among sleep-deprived participants. Next, the long-term behavioral and psychological implications of co-occurring sleep and alcohol problems will be examined. Several subpopulations are particularly susceptible to co-occurring sleep and alcohol problems and pose a serious public health concern. In adolescent populations, consuming even moderate levels of alcohol is associated with sleep problems, and sleep and alcohol problems may be linked to neural and cognitive impairment during this developmentally significant age. Sleep and alcohol problems are also prevalent among college students, and poor sleep exacerbates the relationship between excessive drinking and alcohol risk. Perhaps most influential, however, is the role of sleep in individuals seeking treatment for alcohol use disorders. Alcohol withdrawal is associated with severe sleep disturbances, and sleep problems are among the most common factors associated with relapse. Therefore, the need for sleep-based intervention targeted at alcohol dependents is discussed. This section concludes with suggestions for future research directions, including the need for more longitudinal designs to explicate the causal processes, standardized assessment techniques, and routine identification of coexisting mental health problems.