Application of Mendelian randomization to explore the genetic association between drinking habits of different beverages and sleep disorder.

Introduction: This study aimed to provide genetic evidence linking drinking habits of different beverages (DHDB) to sleep disorder liability (SDL), potentially informing clinical treatments to improve lifestyle factors.

Material and methods: A two-sample Mendelian randomization (MR) method was employed to explore the genetic associations between DHDB and SDL. The DHDB variables studied encompassed alcohol intake (ALI), alcohol intake frequency (ALF), high-frequency drinking with meals (HAL), tea intake (TEAI), coffee intake (COFI), and red wine intake (RWI). The SDL variables analyzed were insomnia (INS), inhibit excitability (IE), and sleep duration (SD).

Results: The MR analysis identified genetic links between ALI and INS, ALF and IE, ALF and SD, HAL and INS, HAL and IE, HAL and SD, TEAI and IE, TEAI and SD, and COFI and IE (p (inverse variance weighting - IVW) < 0.05). Nonetheless, no significant genetic links were detected between ALI and IE, ALI and SD, ALF and INS, TEAI and INS, COFI and INS, COFI and SD, RWI and INS, RWI and IE, or RWI and SD (p (IVW) > 0.05).

Conclusions: Alcohol intake may elevate insomnia risk without affecting daytime sleepiness or sleep duration. Frequent alcohol consumption may lead to daytime sleepiness and reduced sleep duration but not insomnia. Alcohol with meals might reduce insomnia and daytime sleepiness while improving sleep duration. Tea appears unlinked to insomnia and may reduce daytime drowsiness. Coffee may alleviate daytime drowsiness without causing insomnia, and red wine shows no significant association with sleep disorders. Reverse MR suggests potential links between sleep disorders and alcohol or caffeine intake.