A Bangladeshi study of university students has found associations between symptoms of caffeine use disorder and sleep problems, with depressive symptoms partially mediating the relationship. The findings appear in Addictive Behaviors Reports.
Caffeine is one of the most widely consumed psychoactive substances, commonly used to boost alertness and fight fatigue. Among university students, caffeine consumption is particularly common due to demanding academic schedules, long study hours and insufficient sleep. While moderate caffeine use can temporarily improve wakefulness, excessive or poorly timed consumption may disrupt sleep quality.
Sleep disturbances themselves are linked with impaired daily functioning, poorer mood and a higher risk of depressive symptoms. The study notes that caffeine use and mental health may be interconnected through several behavioral and psychological pathways, with motives for caffeine consumption including increasing alertness, regulating mood, socialising, controlling weight or relieving withdrawal symptoms.
Some individuals develop problematic patterns of caffeine use, characterised by difficulty reducing intake despite negative consequences. Such caffeine use disorder symptoms may be associated with greater psychological distress, anxiety and sleep problems.
Study author Shekh Tanjina Islam Dola and colleagues examined the relationship between caffeine use motives, caffeine use disorder symptoms, depression and sleep problems among university students. They used statistical techniques to map associations between specific symptoms and to test direct and indirect pathways between them.
The participants comprised 530 students from the Barishal division, drawn from two public universities—Patuakhali Science and Technology University and University of Barisal. The average age was 22, with 57% identifying as male and 72% reporting caffeine consumption. On average, caffeine consumers drank 1.9 cups of caffeinated beverages per day.
Participants completed a survey including sociodemographic questions and assessments of caffeine consumption motives (the Caffeine Motives Questionnaire-21), caffeine use disorder symptoms (the Caffeine Use Disorder Questionnaire-10), sleep quality (the Medical Outcomes Study Sleep Scale) and depressive symptoms (the Patient Health Questionnaire-9).
The results showed that caffeine intake was higher among smokers than non-smokers, among those with loans or debts, among students in certain academic years and those with lower monthly family expenditures. Caffeine use did not show associations with age, gender, residency, income or several other factors.
More severe caffeine use disorder symptoms were directly linked to more sleep problems and to more severe depressive symptoms. In turn, depressive symptoms were associated with greater sleep problems, meaning that depression partially mediated the link between caffeine use disorder and sleep disturbances. Craving and withdrawal-related motives were highlighted as important bridges connecting caffeine use disorder to these negative mental health and sleep outcomes.
“This study found a high prevalence of caffeine consumption among university students in Bangladesh and identified important psychological correlates, particularly depression and sleep problems. Network analysis suggests that certain features, especially craving and withdrawal-related symptoms, may play a key role in connecting caffeine use disorder with mental health and sleep-related outcomes,” the authors concluded.
However, the researchers caution that the study’s participants were exclusively university students, limiting the generalisability of the findings to other groups. Additionally, the cross-sectional design means no causal inferences can be drawn from the results.
The paper, titled “From caffeine use motives to sleep disturbance: network and structural equation modelling of caffeine use disorder and depression among caffeine consumers,” was authored by Shekh Tanjina Islam Dola, Farhana Najnin, Md Bony Amin, Md. Shamim Sikder, Md. Joy Vangi, Jannatun Naeem, Md. Jahurul Islam Rony, Mst. Mushfika Rahman Takia, Md. Kamruzzaman, Abu Sayeed, Md. Shajadul Islam and Saraban Tahura Ether.
