Relationships between hours of sleep and health-risk behaviors in US adolescent students

To examine associations between insufficient sleep (<8h on average school nights) and health-risk behaviors.

2007 national Youth Risk Behavior Survey data of U.S. high school students (n=12,154) were analyzed. Associations were examined on weighted data using multivariate logistic regression.

Insufficient sleep on an average school night was reported by 68.9% of students. Insufficient sleep was associated with higher odds of current use of cigarettes (age-adjusted odds ratio [AOR], 1.67; 95% confidence interval [CI], 1.45-1.93), marijuana (AOR, 1.52; 95% CI, 1.31-1.76), and alcohol (AOR, 1.64; 95% CI, 1.46-1.84); current sexual activity (AOR, 1.41; 95% CI, 1.25-1.59); seriously considered attempting suicide (AOR, 1.86; 95% CI, 1.60-2.16); feeling sad or hopeless (AOR, 1.62; 95% CI, 1.43-1.84); physical fighting (AOR, 1.40; 95% CI, 1.24-1.60), not being physically active at least 60min ≥ 5days in the past 7days (AOR, 1.16; 95% CI, 1.04-1.29), using the computer ≥3h/day (AOR, 1.58; 95% CI, 1.38-1.80), and drinking soda/pop > 1time/day (AOR, 1.14; 95% CI, 1.03-1.28).

Two-thirds of adolescent students reported insufficient sleep, which was associated with many health-risk behaviors. Greater awareness of the impact of sleep insufficiency is vital.