Relationship Between Alcohol Consumption and Sleep Quality in a Community-Based Adult Sample From Central-Western Spain.

INTRODUCTION: Alcohol is one of the most widely consumed psychoactive substances worldwide. Frequent and excessive consumption can lead to negative health and quality-of-life effects, including impaired sleep quality. This study aimed to analyse the relationship between alcohol consumption and sleep quality indices in a stratified random sample of adults aged 25-65 years residing in Salamanca and Ávila, central-western Spain. METHODS: A cross-sectional descriptive study was conducted in the cities of Salamanca and Ávila, central-western Spain. The study population included a sample of 500 individuals aged 25-65, selected via stratified random sampling by age and sex from the health card database of the regional health service. Sleep quality was assessed via actigraphy and the Pittsburgh Sleep Quality Index (PSQI). RESULTS: Our results showed an association between alcohol consumption (measured in grams/week) and PSQI score, as well as with certain sleep parameters measured by actigraphy. Participants in the high-risk alcohol consumption group (> 180 g/week) had higher PSQI scores, more awakenings, and a higher sleep fragmentation index compared with those reporting no alcohol consumption. Significant differences were also found between all alcohol consumption categories in sleep efficiency and Wake After Sleep Onset. DISCUSSION AND CONCLUSIONS: High-risk alcohol consumption (> 180 g/week) was associated with poorer self-reported sleep quality in a community-based adult sample from central-western Spain, as well as with worse values in actigraphy-derived sleep parameters, including sleep efficiency, Wake After Sleep Onset, number of awakenings, and sleep fragmentation index.