Addiction to alcohol among early adolescents might lead to insomnia and other sleep disorders, research claims.
"These findings indicate that insomnia may be a unique risk marker for alcohol use among young adolescents," said Naomi Marmorstein, Professor at Rutgers University-Camden in the US.
To analyze the situation further, an experiment was conducted on seventh and eighth-grade students, to examine the association between alcohol use and sleep disorders. The research revealed that sleep disorders are linked to the frequent use of alcohol. The team continued their study and tried exploring whether mental health problems and faulty parenting are issues that trigger frequent use of alcohol among youths.
The study was published in the Journal Addictive Behaviours and it focused on how mental health problems are putting the youth at risk.
Participants of the experiment were asked to complete a questionnaire that asked how long it takes for them to fall asleep, the usual time they got to bed during weekdays, weekends and vacations, the rate at which they experience sleep disturbances if any and whether or not they fall asleep during class hours or post-school. The participants were also asked how frequently they consumed alcohol in the past four months.
However, researchers claim that there exists no link between mental health issues and parental monitoring as supposed factors behind insomnia and alcohol use.
"Parents, educators and therapists should consider insomnia to be a risk marker for alcohol use and alcohol use a risk marker for insomnia, among early adolescents, "said Marmorstein.
With inputs from IANS.
