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An Overview of Sex and Gender Considerations in Sleep and Alcohol Use

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Abstract

Purpose of Review

This paper explored the under-researched bidirectional alcohol/sleep link, examining sex and gender’s impact on this relationship and treatment.

Recent Findings

Although men have traditionally shown higher alcohol use than women, this gap is narrowing. Regarding sleep disorders, women are more likely to have insomnia and men are more likely to have obstructive sleep apnea. Alcohol is more likely to impact self-reported insomnia symptoms in women (sleep onset latency, daytime dysfunction) and sleep duration, fragmentation, and sleep architecture in men. Sex and gender differences may depend on age, sex hormones, and alcohol/sleep disorder severity. Women are more likely to seek insomnia treatment and engage in behavior changes, but less alcohol treatment than men.

Summary

Biological (sex) and psychosocial (gender) factors affect alcohol’s impact on sleep (and vice versa) and treatment seeking. Adopting a sex and gender lens-based framework is a high priority for comprehensive alcohol and sleep health research and clinical care.

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Data Availability

Not applicable.

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Funding

No funding was obtained for this work. Investigator contributions to this project were supported by the National Institutes of Health (R01NR017168, R01NR017168S1, R01AG061976, PI: McCrae and Co-I: Curtis; R01DA050744, PI: McCrae and Co-Is Curtis and Miller; K23AA026895, PI: Miller), Department of Defense (DOD W81XWH2010399, PI: McCrae and Co-I: Curtis), and the University of Missouri (TRIUMPH Initiative Awards; PI: Curtis; PI: McCrae).

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Authors and Affiliations

  1. College of Nursing, University of South Florida, 12901 Bruce B. Downs Blvd, MDC Box 22, Tampa, FL, 33612, USA

    Ashley F. Curtis, Amy N. Costa & Christina S. McCrae

  2. Department of Psychiatry, University of Missouri, Columbia, MO, USA

    Mary Beth Miller

  3. Department of Psychology, University of South Florida, Tampa, FL, USA

    Amy N. Costa

  4. Department of Psychological Sciences, University of Missouri, Columbia, MO, USA

    Madison Musich

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  1. Ashley F. Curtis
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  2. Mary Beth Miller
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  4. Madison Musich
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  5. Christina S. McCrae
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Contributions

A.F.C., M.B.M., A.N.C., and M.M. drafted the manuscript. A.F.C. created Figs. 1 and 2. A.F.C. and A.N.C. created Table 1. All authors reviewed the manuscript and figures.

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Correspondence to Ashley F. Curtis.

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Curtis, A.F., Miller, M.B., Costa, A.N. et al. An Overview of Sex and Gender Considerations in Sleep and Alcohol Use. Curr Addict Rep 11, 316–326 (2024). https://doi.org/10.1007/s40429-023-00539-7

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