Letter to the Editor

Sleep deprivation should not be attributed solely to cigarette smoking

Abstract

We were interested to read the article by Al-Salabani et al. on a random-effects meta-analysis of the association between cigarette smoking and sleep deprivation in 21105 adolescents aged 11 to 18 years from five Gulf Cooperation Countries (GCC) [1]. Overall, 17.9% of the adolescents included reported sleep deprivation, and adolescents who smoked cigarettes were 75% more likely to be sleep deprived than non-smokers [1]. It was concluded that there is a positive association between sleep deprivation and cigarette smoking among adolescents in GCC countries [1]. The study is noteworthy, but some points require further discussion.