For General Health, Does Alcohol Affect Sleep Patterns In Males Ages 45-80?

Introduction: More than 60 million Americans experience long-term sleep problems. Although alcohol use is related to sleep issues, little is known about the relationship between alcohol and sleep in middle aged to elderly males. The purpose of this study was to evaluate the relationship between adequate sleep and alcohol use in males ages 45-80 years old. Methods: This cross sectional analysis used 2014 BRFSS data for males ages 45-80 from Ohio, Montana, Wisconsin, and Wyoming. Multiple logistic regression analysis was used to assess the relationship between alcohol use and adequate sleep, which controlled for age, ethnicity, children at home, employment status, exercise, marital status, and tobacco use (chew and smoke). Results: The majority of males ages 45-50 years old reported that they averaged at least 7 hours of sleep in the past 30 days (64-72%), and few reported that they binge drink (14-23%). After controlling for various factors, sleep was not related to binge drinking in any of the four states but was related to exercise habits (moderate effect sizes) in all four states. Conclusions: Overall, alcohol use was not related to sleep in males ages 45-80 years old in any states, but exercise was related (moderate effect sizes) in all states. The results of this study may generalize to primary care practice patients, but not to other clinical populations. This cross-sectional study did not assess sleep “patterns” or quality of sleep. Although alcohol was not found to be related to sleep, it is standard practice to screen all patients for alcohol use and adequate sleep. It’s indicated to screen for exercise habits in those who have inadequate sleep.