Academic Journal
Prior-night sleep as an event-level predictor of alcohol-induced memory loss.
| Title: | Prior-night sleep as an event-level predictor of alcohol-induced memory loss. |
|---|---|
| Authors: | Merrill JE; Center for Alcohol and Addiction Studies, School of Public Health, Brown University, Providence, RI, United States., Miller MB; Department of Psychiatry, University of Missouri, Columbia, MO, United States., Berey BL; Center for Alcohol and Addiction Studies, School of Public Health, Brown University, Providence, RI, United States.; Providence VA Medical Center, Providence, RI, United States.; Department of Psychiatry and Human Behavior, Brown University Alpert Medical School, Providence, RI, United States., Carey KB; Center for Alcohol and Addiction Studies, School of Public Health, Brown University, Providence, RI, United States., Barnett NP; Center for Alcohol and Addiction Studies, School of Public Health, Brown University, Providence, RI, United States., Jackson KM; Rutgers Addiction Research Center, Rutgers Robert Wood Johnson Medical School, Piscataway, NJ, United States. |
| Source: | Sleep [Sleep] 2026 May 12; Vol. 49 (5). |
| Publication Type: | Journal Article |
| Language: | English |
| Journal Info: | Publisher: Oxford University Press Country of Publication: United States NLM ID: 7809084 Publication Model: Print Cited Medium: Internet ISSN: 1550-9109 (Electronic) Linking ISSN: 01618105 NLM ISO Abbreviation: Sleep Subsets: MEDLINE |
| Imprint Name(s): | Publication: 2017- : New York : Oxford University Press Original Publication: New York, Raven Press. |
| MeSH Terms: | Memory Disorders*/chemically induced , Memory Disorders*/etiology , Alcohol Drinking*/adverse effects , Sleep*/physiology, Humans ; Female ; Male ; Young Adult ; Adult ; United States ; Sleep Quality ; Adolescent ; Blood Alcohol Content ; Ecological Momentary Assessment ; Self Report |
| Abstract: | Study Objectives: Alcohol-induced memory loss (also known as "blackout") is prevalent and confers risk for other adverse drinking outcomes. Sleep health is implicated in memory and cognitive functioning broadly, but proximal impacts of sleep on next-day memory loss are understudied. We hypothesized that worse sleep health the night before drinking (fewer hours, misaligned timing, worse sleep quality, greater sleepiness) would (a) increase the odds of next-day memory loss and (b) moderate day-level associations between estimated blood alcohol concentration (eBAC) and blackouts, such that lower eBACs would be required to experience memory loss following nights of worse sleep. Methods: Heavy-drinking young adults (N = 203, 57 per cent female) in the United States completed baseline self-report measures, followed by 28 days of ecological momentary assessments. Results: Memory loss was reported on 15.4 per cent (n = 366) of drinking days (n = 2380). Multilevel models, controlling for eBAC, indicated that fewer hours of sleep (OR = 0.84 [95% CI: 0.76, 0.92], p < .001), more deviation than usual from mid-sleep timing (OR = 1.43 [1.25, 1.65], p < .001), and worse sleep quality (OR = 0.72 [0.60, 0.85], p < .001) on the night before drinking significantly increased the odds of next-day memory loss. Sleepiness at the start of drinking events was unrelated to memory loss [OR = 0.91 (0.81, 1.03), p = .13]. Sleep parameters did not significantly moderate associations between eBAC and memory loss (p ≥ .08). Conclusions: Prior-night sleep health increases risk for alcohol-induced memory loss. These behavioral data extend experimental findings to young adults' real-time drinking outcomes. We encourage prevention and intervention efforts highlighting poor sleep as a potential contributor to alcohol-induced memory impairment. (© The Author(s) 2025. Published by Oxford University Press on behalf of Sleep Research Society. All rights reserved. For commercial re-use, please contact reprints@oup.com for reprints and translation rights for reprints. All other permissions can be obtained through our RightsLink service via the Permissions link on the article page on our site—for further information please contact journals.permissions@oup.com.) |
| References: | Alcohol Clin Exp Res. 2018 Apr;42(4):668-677. (PMID: 29450896) Psych J. 2017 Dec;6(4):290-291. (PMID: 29035008) Clin Neurophysiol. 2006 Jul;117(7):1574-81. (PMID: 16679057) Psychol Addict Behav. 2018 Dec;32(8):933-943. (PMID: 30359045) Sleep. 2014 Jan 01;37(1):9-17. (PMID: 24470692) Drug Alcohol Depend. 2021 Jan 1;218:108407. (PMID: 33257198) J Trauma Stress. 2015 Oct;28(5):484-8. (PMID: 26401899) Sleep. 2004 Nov 1;27(7):1255-73. (PMID: 15586779) J Sleep Res. 2017 Apr;26(2):227-235. (PMID: 27868260) Addiction. 2019 Sep;114(9):1556-1566. (PMID: 31059161) Addiction. 1995 Mar;90(3):315-7. (PMID: 7735016) Sleep Med. 2022 Dec;100:89-102. (PMID: 36029756) J Sleep Res. 2017 Oct;26(5):559-566. (PMID: 28370590) Inj Prev. 2012 Feb;18(1):44-9. (PMID: 21708813) Br J Psychiatry. 1969 Sep;115(526):1033-8. (PMID: 5386992) Sleep Med Clin. 2020 Mar;15(1):71-76. (PMID: 32005351) Sleep. 2021 Jun 11;44(6):. (PMID: 33305816) Health Aff (Millwood). 2012 Apr;31(4):863-70. (PMID: 22422503) J Consult Clin Psychol. 1985 Apr;53(2):189-200. (PMID: 3998247) J Stud Alcohol. 2005 Jan;66(1):130-8. (PMID: 15830913) J Neurosci. 2011 Jul 6;31(27):9905-9. (PMID: 21734282) Addict Behav. 2019 Dec;99:106079. (PMID: 31442787) Alcohol Clin Exp Res. 2016 May;40(5):922-35. (PMID: 27060868) Alcohol Res Health. 2003;27(2):186-96. (PMID: 15303630) J Sleep Res. 2020 Aug;29(4):e13049. (PMID: 32394606) |
| Grant Information: | IK2 CX002645 United States CX CSRD VA; R01 AA027495 United States AA NIAAA NIH HHS |
| Contributed Indexing: | Keywords: alcohol; blackout; memory; sleep; young adults |
| Substance Nomenclature: | 0 (Blood Alcohol Content) |
| Entry Date(s): | Date Created: 20251222 Date Completed: 20260512 Latest Revision: 20260513 |
| Update Code: | 20260513 |
| PubMed Central ID: | PMC12831126 |
| DOI: | 10.1093/sleep/zsaf400 |
| PMID: | 41427909 |
| Database: | MEDLINE |
| ISSN: | 1550-9109 |
|---|---|
| DOI: | 10.1093/sleep/zsaf400 |