How disrupted sleep in teens may raise the risk of later alcohol addiction
Effects of circadian desynchrony during adolescent alcohol exposure on immediate and long-term risk of alcohol addiction: role of sleep homeostasis and stress signaling
This research looks at whether teen-like sleep disruption makes young people more likely to drink heavily now and develop alcohol problems later.
Quick facts
| Grant type | R01 grant |
|---|---|
| Study type | NIH-funded research |
| Funding institution | University of South Florida NIH-funded |
| Lab location | 1 site (Tampa, United States) |
| Project ID | NIH-11329075 on NIH RePORTER |
What this research studies
Researchers recreate weekday-versus-weekend sleep patterns in adolescent mice to mimic how many teens sleep and see how that disruption affects stress hormones, sleep drive, and drinking behavior. They will track drinking during adolescence and then again in adulthood to learn whether early sleep disruption creates lasting changes in alcohol use. The team will also test whether resetting the internal clock with melatonin can reduce stress-driven drinking and break the cycle between poor sleep and alcohol use. Findings are intended to point toward sleep-based ways to lower addiction risk starting in the teen years.
Who could benefit from this research
Good fit: The findings would most directly apply to teenagers and young adults who have irregular sleep schedules and who currently binge drink or worry about developing alcohol problems.
Not a fit: People without sleep problems, older adults with long-standing severe alcohol dependence, or those seeking immediate clinical treatment may not directly benefit from these preclinical findings.
Why it matters
Potential benefit: If successful, this work could point to sleep-focused strategies or melatonin-based approaches to reduce teens' short- and long-term risk of alcohol addiction.
How similar studies have performed: Prior studies link poor sleep in adolescents to higher alcohol use and show melatonin can shift circadian timing, but using sleep-resetting treatments to prevent long-term addiction is largely untested.
Where this research is happening
Tampa, United States
- University of South Florida — Tampa, United States (Active)
Researchers
- Principal investigator: Gulick, Danielle — University of South Florida
- Study coordinator: Gulick, Danielle
About this research
- This is an active NIH-funded research project — typically early-stage science, not a clinical trial accepting patient enrollment.
- Some NIH-funded labs run parallel clinical studies or seek volunteers for related work. To check, contact the principal investigator or institution listed above.
- For full project details, budget, and progress reports, visit the official NIH RePORTER page below.