Lack of Sleep and Substance Use: A Worrying Link
Children and adolescents need more sleep than adults. A good night's sleep for those in their teens is considered to be 8.5 – 9.5 hours. Just over ¼ of US high school students get 8+ hours of sleep a night, according to the 2015 Youth Risk Behaviour Survey. Researchers have noted a strong link between insufficient sleep and substance use, as well as other adverse health outcomes such as poor school performance and obesity.
Expanding our neurobiological understanding of this link, new research has found that adults who are sleep deprived show a reduced availability of dopamine D2 receptors. This is thought to increase the risk of adverse behaviours such as substance use, which would produce a surge of dopamine to compensate for the deficit. As such, insufficient sleep and substance use may work in a vicious cycle, whereby stimulants impair sleep, and reduced sleep produces changes in the brain that predispose to further drug use and hence addiction.
Early school starts and night time use of electronic screens mean that younger generations are presented with a number of obstacles that may prevent a good night’s sleep. The link between lack of sleep and substance use therefore suggests an important area of focus for prevention initiatives.
