Alcohol and alcoholism (Oxford, Oxfordshire)Dec 20, 2023

Disrupted daily body clocks are linked to increased alcohol use: a systematic review

Circadian Biology Weekly Brief ↗PubMed ↗DOI ↗

Updated Mar 25, 2026

Abstract

A total of 177 articles were identified that explore the relationship between alcohol consumption and disrupted circadian rhythms.

Social jet lag and the eveningness chronotype are consistently linked to increased alcohol consumption.
The impact of night shift work on alcohol use is less clear, with half of the studies showing no effect.
Most studies on chronotype and social jet lag included both sexes, showing no significant differences in alcohol consumption between them.
Fewer studies on night shift work included both sexes, limiting comprehensive comparisons.
Not all forms of circadian disruption correlate with similar patterns of alcohol use.

Simplified

This systematic review investigates the bidirectional relationship between alcohol consumption and disrupted circadian rhythms. The goal of this study was to identify (i) the types of circadian rhythm disruptors (i.e. social jet lag, extreme chronotypes, and night shift work) associated with altered alcohol use and (ii) whether sex differences in the consequences of circadian disruption exist. We conducted a search of PubMed, Embase, and PsycINFO exclusively on human research. We identified 177 articles that met the inclusion criteria. Our analyses revealed that social jet lag and the extreme chronotype referred to as eveningness were consistently associated with increased alcohol consumption. Relationships between night shift work and alcohol consumption were variable; half of articles reported no effect of night shift work on alcohol consumption. Both sexes were included as participants in the majority of the chronotype and social jet lag papers, with no sex difference apparent in alcohol consumption. The night shift research, however, contained fewer studies that included both sexes. Not all forms of circadian disruption are associated with comparable patterns of alcohol use. The most at-risk individuals for increased alcohol consumption are those with social jet lag or those of an eveningness chronotype. Direct testing of the associations in this review should be conducted to evaluate the relationships among circadian disruption, alcohol intake, and sex differences to provide insight into temporal risk factors associated with development of alcohol use disorder.

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Disrupted daily body clocks are linked to increased alcohol use: a systematic review

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