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Abstract
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OBJECTIVES
Despite contributing greatly to overall sleep disturbance, individuals suffering from sleep disorders, such as insomnia, may use alcohol because of a widely-held misconception that it will improve overall sleep quality and quantity. The purpose of this study was to examine the relationship between the motivations for drinking alcohol and acute stress-related insomnia.
Methods
Participants were 191 healthy individuals who were asked to complete an online questionnaire about stress-related insomnia, alcohol consumption, and motivations for drinking alcohol.
Results
Results revealed that individuals high in acute stress-related insomnia reported higher scores on measures of problem drinking behaviors and were more likely to report using alcohol as a means of reducing stress and facilitating sleep despite no difference in consumption rates.
Conclusions
These findings represent an important factor for clinicians to consider when dealing with individuals reporting acute stress-related insomnia, particularly given the overall negative impact of alcohol on sleep quantity and quality, which may lead to an exacerbation of stress and insomnia.
Language: en |