BACKGROUND: Energy drinks are becoming increasingly popular among adolescents despite potential adverse health effects. This study addresses the research question: "Is there an association between the frequency of energy drink consumption and insufficient sleep by sex?" PURPOSE: This study aimed to assess the frequency of energy drink consumption by sex among Korean adolescents aged 12 to 18 years and investigate its relationship with insufficient sleep. METHODS: We analyzed secondary data using data from the 18th Korea Youth Risk Behavior Survey (2022). The study included 36 361 middle- and high school students. Complex sample logistic regression analysis examined the relationship between energy drink consumption and insufficient sleep by sex. RESULTS: Among the respondents, 9.0% of male and 9.2% of female students reported consuming energy drinks frequently. In complex sample logistic regression analyses, those who reported consuming frequent energy drinks had significantly higher odds of insufficient sleep than the no-consumption group, controlling for potential confounding variables (adjusted odds ratio (OR) 2.15, 95% confidence interval (CI) 1.76-2.61 in male students
adjusted OR 3.25, 95% CI 2.39-4.41 in female students). Notably, female students who frequently consume energy drinks pose a substantial concern regarding insufficient sleep. CONCLUSIONS: Frequent energy drink consumption was associated with insufficient sleep time in both male and female adolescents. This highlights the need for public health policy interventions to reduce energy drink consumption and promote appropriate amounts of sleep among adolescents.