Children who don’t get enough sleep ‘more likely to become addicted to drink or drugs’

Children who don’t get enough sleep are at greater risk of turning to drink or drugs, a new study warns.

According to the study, teenagers are more likely to have tried alcohol or cannabis by age 15 if they went to bed late and slept fewer hours during childhood.

A good night’s sleep is essential for young people’s health and development – but childhood sleep patterns may also be linked to future substance use, US scientists say.

The study’s senior author, Professor Anne-Marie Chang, from Penn State University, said: “The study suggests that there may be some critical ages when sleep may be a target for intervention.

“If we improve sleep in the school-age population, it may not only show improvements in sleep health, but in other aspects such as the decision to engage in risky behaviors such as alcohol and other substance use.”

Penn State researchers monitored childhood sleep at different developmental stages within the same sample of children to see if it had an impact on later substance use, something few studies have investigated before.

The team focused on two different aspects of sleep health – total shut-eye time and sleep time, or sleep time.

They explained that if young people, especially school-aged children, go to bed later, it can affect their ability to sleep well.

Co-author Dr David Reichenberger said: “Sleep is multifaceted.

“It is important for children because it helps in growth and development.

“The brain is more plastic during young ages and you want healthy sleep to support neural development.

“Poor sleep health can have effects on their physical health as well as decision-making, which in turn can be linked to their decision to engage in substance use.”

The study, published in the journal Annals of Epidemiology, included data from 1,514 children in 20 cities across the United States.

Parents reported their child’s regular weekday sleep schedule at ages three, five, and nine. They also reported their child’s sleep duration at ages five and nine.

When researchers assessed the association between childhood bedtime and sleep duration with alcohol and drug use as teenagers, they found that they were 45% more likely to try alcohol by age 15 if they had a later bedtime in the age of nine, compared to other children earlier. Bedtime at the same age.

But sleep time at age five was not associated with future alcohol use, nor was sleep duration at age five or nine.

When it came to cannabis use, sleeping later at age five was associated with a 26% increased likelihood of trying the drug by age 15, while sleeping an hour less at age nine was associated with a 19% more likely to try weed by 15. .

The researchers also analyzed data from 15-year-olds who self-reported sleep time, sleep duration plus alcohol and cannabis use.

The team found that teenagers with a later sleep time were 39% more likely to drink alcohol and 34% more likely to try cannabis.

Sleeping one hour less was associated with a 28% greater probability of ever trying alcohol, but was not associated with cannabis use.

Dr. Reichenberger said, “Sleep in the early teenage years is most important in terms of risk of future substance use.

“It’s that stage of development when children are changing rapidly and their brains are maturing.”

He said previous research from other groups suggests that shorter sleep duration and later bedtimes can increase impulsivity and impair decision-making, which can influence substance use choices.

The Penn team said the new findings highlight the “critical” role of sleep in many aspects of long-term health and well-being.

Creating a conducive sleep environment and establishing an age-appropriate bedtime are “key elements” to cultivating good sleep for school-aged children, according to researchers.

Prof Chang added: “Exploring the link between sleep and substance use is a critical area of ​​research as we continue to battle an epidemic of opioid addiction and substance use.

“It is an important area to continue research and disseminate our research findings to the wider population, families and healthcare professionals.”