People who drink the most every day are also more likely to have less sleep at night, say researchers from the University of California at San Francisco (UCSF), who monitored the drinking and sleeping habits of 18,779 adults.
Those who reported sleeping five hours or less every night were also drinking 21 per cent more soda and energy drinks.
Although the researchers think the drinking is causing the lack of sleep, it could also be that the sleep-deprived are in some vicious loop and are drinking more sugary and caffeinated drinks just to stay awake in the daytime.
Either way, say researchers, cutting down on – or, better yet, eliminating – the drinks could break the cycle. It also reduces the risk of type 2 diabetes, obesity and heart problems.
People in the study who weren’t drinking sugary sodas – but were instead drinking juices and teas – were getting the normal seven to eight hours sleep every night.
The discovery adds to earlier research that found that sleep deprivation increased hunger, and especially the desire for sugary and fatty foods.
(Source: Sleep Health, 2016; doi: 10.1016/j.sleh.2016.09.007)
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