A study from China concludes that adolescents who report having trouble sleeping at night may be more likely to engage in risky behaviors like smoking and drinking, the Ivanhoe Newswire reported June 13.

Researcher Xianchen Liu, M.D., Ph.D., of the University of Pittsburgh and colleagues studied about 1,300 Chinese children, with an average age of 14. The research found that those who got less than eight hours of sleep nightly, experienced frequent nightmares, or had trouble falling asleep were at higher risk of drinking alcohol and smoking; having a bedtime later than midnight, having difficulty staying asleep, and using hypnotic drugs also increased tobacco-use risk.

Liu said the findings "suggest a potential role of sleep intervention -- that is, education in sleep hygiene and the treatment of sleep disturbances -- in the prevention of adolescent substance use."

The research was presented at the recent annual meeting of the Associated Professional Sleep Societies.