Sleep problems and substance use in adolescence

Longitudinal studies of adults have reported finding insomnia to significan tly predict onset of substance abuse. This study estimated the association between sleep problems and substance use among adolescents in the context o f psychiatric problems. Data come from the US National Household Survey on Drug Abuse 1994-1996 that included 13,831 adolescents. Use of cigarettes, a lcohol and any illicit drug were each associated with adolescents' reports of having frequent sleep problems, adjusting for age, sex, race and family income (odds ratios ranging from 1.5 to 3.8). Adjusting for internalizing ( e.g. depression and anxiety) and externalizing (e.g. deviance and aggressio n) problems reduced the associations between sleep problems and use of thes e substances, suggesting that part of the association is attributable to ps ychiatric problems. The part of the association not attributable to psychia tric problems was limited to the associations between sleep problems and us e of illicit drugs. These results suggest that the relationship between sle ep problems and drug use/abuse must be viewed in the context of psychiatric problems. Longitudinal research that employs more specific measures of sle ep problems is indicated. Such research may provide information on the rela tionship of sleep problems to the immediate health and well being of adoles cents, as well as their trajectories into adulthood. (C) 2001 Elsevier Scie nce Ireland Ltd. All rights reserved.