Impulsive personality traits and alcohol use: Does sleeping help with thinking?

Abstract

Objective Both impulsivity and sleep disturbance have been associated with heavy alcohol use among young adults; yet studies to date have not examined their interactive effects. The current study aimed to determine if adequate sleep moderates the association between impulsive personality traits and alcohol use among young adults. Method College students (N = 568) who had been mandated to alcohol treatment following violation of campus alcohol policy provided information regarding alcohol use and related consequences, impulsive personality traits (measured using the UPPS Impulsive Behavior Scale), and perception of sleep adequacy as part of a larger intervention trial. Results Higher urgency, lower premeditation, and higher sensation-seeking predicted greater levels of alcohol consumption, while higher urgency predicted more alcohol-related consequences. As hypothesized, there was a significant interaction between premeditation and sleep adequacy in the prediction of drinks per week; in contrast to hypotheses, however, premeditation was associated with drinking only among those reporting adequate (rather than inadequate) sleep. Specifically, the tendency to premeditate was associated with less drinking among those who reported adequate sleep and was not associated with drinking among those reporting inadequate sleep. Conclusion Sensation-seeking and urgency are associated with greater alcohol involvement among young adults, regardless of sleep adequacy. Conversely, the ability to plan ahead and anticipate the consequences of one’s behaviors (premeditation) is only protective against heavy drinking among individuals receiving adequate sleep. With replication, these findings may inform alcohol prevention and intervention efforts.

Cumulative lifetime stress exposure predicts greater impulsivity and addictive behaviors

“…Second, greater lifetime stress exposure was related to greater food addiction, but not alcohol-related behavior. Furthermore, analyses indicated positive associations between impulsivity and addiction, which replicates prior research (Miller et al, 2017; Murphy et al, 2014). Contrary to hypotheses, we found no evidence that stress and impulsivity interacted to predict addictive behaviors.…”

Personality Traits Related to Binge Drinking: A Systematic Review

“…It is also required to consider and control for other variables that are known to influence the appearance and maintenance of BD when they are not the objective of the study, highlighting the presence of psychiatric symptomatology or mental disorders, stressful life events, and circadian rhythmicity. In relation to the latter, an adequate sleep ( 48 ) and a morning typology ( 49 ) are protective factors for heavy drinking and for extreme personality traits.…”

The role of positive thinking: a study of telehealth supportive counseling for alcohol abusers

“…It is here where developing strong coping skills is crucial. In this way, negative coping might have an effect on some dysfunctional variables such as dissociation and avoidance, ultimately leading to self-medication or alcohol addiction (Crane, Garnett, Brown, West, & Michie, 2017;Miller, DiBello, Lust, Meisel, & Carey, 2017). When anxiety, stress, depression, and negative self-thinking reach tipping points, subsequently exacerbated by low-self-esteem, inadequate personal power and distorted personal identity, positive coping mechanisms might fail (de Quervain, Schwabe, & Roozendaal, 2017;Yang, Tao, He, Wang, & Zhang, 2018).…”