Study Objectives: Military veterans often suffer from chronic pain and sleep issues at a greater frequency than the general population, leading some to self-medicate with alcohol. While research shows a connection between sleep and pain, few studies have examined bidirectional links between sleep and pain at the daily level-or the extent to which alcohol use may moderate these associations.
Methods: Heavy-drinking veterans seeking treatment for insomnia ( = 109, 82.
Exp Clin Psychopharmacol
December 2024
Alcohol-impaired driving is highly prevalent and a leading cause of death. Cannabis is commonly used among people who drink alcohol, and using alcohol and cannabis simultaneously is associated with a greater frequency of alcohol-impaired driving. Laboratory studies demonstrate the harmful effects of simultaneous use on driving ability compared to alcohol use alone, yet driving under the influence of cannabis is perceived as a low risk.
View Article and Find Full Text PDFAlcohol Clin Exp Res (Hoboken)
November 2024
Background: Poor sleep is common in the context of cannabis use, but experimental and daily-life studies provide mixed evidence for whether cannabis use helps or disturbs same-night sleep. Despite a high prevalence of co-use of alcohol and cannabis, most studies of cannabis use and sleep do not consider alcohol use. We sought to add to this literature by examining associations between cannabis and sleep in the context of alcohol co-use and to examine these associations bidirectionally using ecological momentary assessment.
View Article and Find Full Text PDFAlcohol Clin Exp Res (Hoboken)
November 2024
Background: Simultaneous alcohol and cannabis use is associated with riskier daily drinking. However, little research has tested momentary mechanisms through which simultaneous use predicts continued drinking during acute drinking episodes. The current study tested whether simultaneous use moments predicted within-episode increases in subjective responses, craving, and continued drinking, and whether these relations were potentiated in social versus solitary settings.
View Article and Find Full Text PDFBackground: There is significant conflicting evidence as to how using cannabis while drinking alcohol (ie, simultaneous alcohol and cannabis use) impacts alcohol volume consumed, patterns of drinking, and alcohol-related consequences. The impact of simultaneous use on drinking outcomes may be influenced by several within-person (eg, contextual) and between-person (individual) factors.
Objective: This study was designed to examine naturalistic patterns of alcohol and cannabis use to understand how simultaneous use may impact drinking outcomes.