Faculty Bibliography

Over the past decade, our field has observed rapidly rising rates of mental illness in children and adolescents. The numbers are sobering. Nearly 50% of teens 13 to 18 years of age meet DSM criteria for at least 1 disorder and 27.6% meet criteria for a "severe disorder."¹ Adverse childhood experiences affect more than 50% of children and predispose these individuals to not only academic and behavioral problems throughout their youth, but also future physical disability, such as obesity, hypertension, and diabetes, as adults.² By 14 years of age, accidents, suicide, and homicide assert themselves as the leading causes of death among our youth, accounting for more than 85% of the mortality among teens and young adults and holding fast to that ranking until 35 years of age.³ Most addictive behavior starts in adolescence, accounting for the 3 greatest causes of preventable death-smoking, obesity, and alcohol abuse-that take the lives of approximately 1 million adults in the United States annually.⁴ In addition, if there were ever a statistic to be held on the tip of every psychiatrist's tongue, it would be that 50% of all mental illnesses begin by 14 years of age and 75% begin by 24 years.⁵.

This review summarizes the available literature on the intersection of adolescent cannabis use and sleep disturbances, along with interventions for adolescent cannabis users who suffer sleep impairments. Adolescents are susceptible to various sleep disorders, which are often exacerbated by the use of substances such as cannabis. The relationship between cannabis and sleep is bidirectional. Interventions to improve sleep impairments among adolescent cannabis users to date have demonstrated limited efficacy, although few studies indicating the benefits of behavioral interventions-such as Cognitive Behavior Therapy for Insomnia or Mindfulness Based Stress Reduction-appear promising in the treatment of sleep disorders, which are present for users of cannabis. Further research is necessary to elucidate the precise mechanisms by which cannabis use coexists with sleep impairments, along with effective interventions for those users who suffer sleep difficulties.

OBJECTIVE: To examine the impact of a sleep course on sleep-related behaviors, mood, and anxiety in college students. PARTICIPANTS: Participants were 145 students enrolled in either the sleep course (n = 70) or a psychology course (n = 75); data were collected in September 2014, November 2014, and February 2015. METHODS: Sleep characteristics and symptoms of depression and anxiety were assessed using validated questionnaires and sleep logs. Linear, logistic and proportional odds regression models were used to test course effects. RESULTS: In November, sleep course students reported significant differences in sleep hygiene (SHI; p<0.001), perceived sleep latency (PSQI; p<0.05), and circadian sleep phase (MEQ; p<0.05), compared to controls. In February, the sleep course students maintained most of the aforementioned gains and reported fewer symptoms of depression (CES-D; p = 0.05) and anxiety (BAI; p<0.05). CONCLUSIONS: These positive preliminary results indicate that focused education has potential to improve sleep among college students.

Objectives: This presentation will provide participants with an understanding of standard sleep hygiene recommendations and their utility, along with other less commonly addressed interventions, to promote a good night's sleep. At the end of this presentation, participants will be able to 1) describe the evidence base for typical sleep hygiene recommendations; 2) identify the effects of exercise, napping, caffeine, alcohol, tobacco, and marijuana on sleep; and 3) determine which sleep hygiene practices are likely to be most effective for children and adolescents. Methods: This presentation will draw upon a comprehensive literature review, the physiology of sleep, and case-based material. Results: Sleep hygiene is ubiquitously recommended by psychiatrists, psychologists, and healthcare providers for the treatment of insomnia. However, many commonly suggested techniques are not founded upon convincing research and have not been proven effective in trials. In addition, there are other methods based on findings from sleep physiology studies that may be effective and worth using with children and adolescents who struggle with sleep. This presentation will describe the current knowledge base and deficit in sleep hygiene and then make sensible, evidence-based recommendations for improving sleep in children and adolescents. Common behavioral and exogenous factors, such as exercise, napping, caffeine, alcohol, and tobacco, and their effects on sleep will also be addressed. Conclusions: Understanding the physiology and circadian rhythmicity of sleep is key to understanding and applying sleep hygiene effectively. This presentation will summarize the core components of sleep hygiene that are likely to be of use for children and adolescents