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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Narcolepsy: Waking Up with a Nicotine Patch

Doctors at the AASM-accredited Vanderbilt Sleep Disorders Center recently described how they used a nicotine patch to help a teen who has narcolepsy. Their case report appeared last month in the Journal of Clinical Sleep Medicine.

A 17-year-old student with narcolepsy was struggling to make it to school on time. He was often late even though his school allowed him to report at 10 a.m. As a result he failed two classes.

The problem was that he suffered from severe “sleep inertia” in the morning. He simply could not wake up. He would take at least an hour to get up from bed.

He was taking modafinil in the morning and at lunch to treat his excessive daytime sleepiness. The brand name for modafinil is Provigil.

The stimulant helped him remain alert at school. But he was unable to swallow the medication until he had awakened.

So his doctors instructed his parents to try giving him a nicotine patch in the morning. This is commonly used by people who want to quit smoking. A dose of nicotine enters the blood by being absorbed through the skin. The nicotine acts as a stimulant.

His parents applied a 14-mg nicotine patch to his arm about 20 minutes before it was time for him to wake up. Then after 20 minutes they woke him up and washed off his arm.

Using the patch allowed him to become alert enough to swallow his medication. Waking up at a consistent time helped stabilize his schedule. He was able to fall asleep easier at night. He also was able to avoid napping during the day.

This unique solution helped him arrive at school on time most days. He was able to participate in more events at school and eventually graduated.

You should talk to your doctor before using a nicotine patch. Contact an AASM-accredited sleep center for help with narcolepsy or another sleep disorder.

Read more about narcolepsy.

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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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