Teen Smoking & Sleep Problems

A new study from Hong Kong examined the relationship between smoking and sleep problems in teens.

The study involved 29,397 Chinese students. They were between 12 and 18 years old. The students completed a health survey that included questions about sleep.

Results show that current smokers were three times more likely to report snoring than teens who never smoked. They also were three times more likely to have difficulty breathing during sleep.

Current smokers were 45 percent more likely to have trouble maintaining sleep during the night. Teens who smoked only once or a few times were 39 percent more likely to report having insomnia.

In the U.S. the rate of teen smoking has dropped since it peaked in the late 1990s. But it is still a significant problem. Tobacco use is the leading preventable cause of disease, disability and death in the U.S.

The NIDA reports that 20 percent of 12th-graders surveyed in 2008 said they had used cigarettes in the previous month. Smoking also was reported by nearly seven percent of 8th-graders.

Last year a study reported that childhood sleep problems were more likely to predict early onset of substance use in boys than girls. Sleep problems between 3 and 8 years of age predicted the onset of cigarette use.

The AASM reports that smokers may be at higher risk for obstructive sleep apnea. Teens can get help for an ongoing sleep problem at an AASM-accredited sleep center.

Information about youth and tobacco is available from the CDC. Read more about sleep and teens.

Image by David Hegarty