Pregnant smoking linked to childhood sleep problems

A new study gives soon-to-be moms another reason to butt out. Doctors across several U.S. cities combined efforts to look at how using various substances during pregnancy affected children’s sleep.

Alcohol, cocaine, marijuana and opiates had no noticeable effects, but pregnant mothers who used nicotine products tended to have children with sleep problems.

Researchers regularly checked up on a group of 808 children throughout the first 12 years of their lives.

The authors did not reveal the exact percentage of children with sleep problems. Instead of counting the number of individuals who had sleep problems they created a scoring system to account for the combined conditions, including insomnia, sleepwalking, sleep talking.

After adjusting for external factors, like socioeconomic status, the authors discovered children exposed to nicotine scored highest. Children whose mothers smoked tended to have sleep problems from birth all the way to their 12th birthday.

One of the authors of the study told Reuters Health the findings should not be misinterpreted, all prenatal substance abuse is harmful. Smoking is unique because it happens so frequently.

She said researchers couldn’t find out the exact effects of nicotine during pregnancy because many of the mothers in the study used multiple substances while pregnant.

Perhaps not coincidentally, a past study found young boys with sleep problems were more likely to start smoking at an early age.


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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.

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Secondhand Smoke & Sleep in Children with Asthma

A new study examined the relationship between sleep and exposure to secondhand smoke in children.

The study involved 219 children with asthma. They were exposed regularly to tobacco smoke at home. Their sleep patterns were reported by their parents.

Exposure to tobacco smoke was tested by measuring the levels of “cotinine” in their blood. Cotinine is a chemical that the body makes from nicotine.

Results show that exposure to secondhand smoke was associated with increased sleep problems. The children took longer to fall asleep. Their sleep was more disturbed. And they were sleepier during the day.

It also was associated with sleep disordered breathing and parasomnias. Obstructive sleep apnea is a common sleep-related breathing problem in children. Types of parasomnias include nightmares, bedwetting, sleepwalking and sleep terrors.

The NCI reports that more than 4,000 chemicals have been identified in secondhand tobacco smoke. At least 250 are known to be harmful. And 50 of these are known to cause cancer. Living with a smoker increases a nonsmoker’s chances of developing lung cancer by 20 to 30 percent.

Children exposed to secondhand smoke are at an increased risk of sudden infant death syndrome (SIDS). They also have a higher risk of ear infections, colds, pneumonia, bronchitis and more severe asthma. Secondhand smoke may increase the risk of leukemia, lymphoma and brain tumors in children.

Read more about sleep and children.

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Child Sleep Problems & Early Substance Use

Are children with sleep problems more likely to begin drinking, smoking or using drugs? A new study provides some insight.

The ongoing, longitudinal study involved children selected from a community sample of “high-risk” families; 292 boys and 94 girls participated.

Results show a gender difference; 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 alcohol, cigarette and marijuana use among boys; in girls the only link was between sleep problems and the onset of alcohol use.

The authors conclude that parents should pay close attention to sleep problems in children and teens. Helping children sleep better can improve their health and behavior.

Sleep problems in children are common; about 25 percent of all children have some type of sleep problem at some point during childhood.

How common is substance use by children?

The NIAAA states that 34 percent of 8th-grade students reported drinking in the past year. A recent survey showed that more girls than boys between 12 and 17 years of age reported drinking alcohol.

A 2008 survey found that 6.8 percent of 8th-graders reported using cigarettes in the previous month. According to the NIDA, tobacco use is the leading preventable cause of disease, disability and death in the U.S.

The NIDA also reports that marijuana is the most commonly used illegal drug in the U.S. A recent survey found that 15.7 percent of 8th-graders have tried marijuana at least once.

Get help for your child’s sleep problems at an AASM-accredited sleep center near you. The Cool Spot is an NIAAA Web that provides facts about alcohol for young teens.

Image by Raul Lieberwirth