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Review
. 2021 Apr:203:173153.
doi: 10.1016/j.pbb.2021.173153. Epub 2021 Feb 12.

Sleep and alertness disturbance and substance use disorders: A bi-directional relation

Timothy Roehrs  1 , Mohammad Sibai  2 , Thomas Roth  3
Affiliations
Review

Sleep and alertness disturbance and substance use disorders: A bi-directional relation

Timothy Roehrs et al. Pharmacol Biochem Behav. 2021 Apr.

Abstract

The majority of the literature describing the relation of sleep/alertness disturbance and substance use disorders (SUD) has focused on the disruptive effects of substances with abuse liability on sleep and alertness. Rarely have studies or literature reviews assessed or discussed how sleep/alertness disturbance affects substance use. This paper focuses on the sleep/alertness disturbance side of the relation. We argue that the relation is bi-directional and review evidence showing that sleep/alertness disturbance affects all phases of the addiction cycle, including the initiation, maintenance and relapse of SUD. We review a variety of substances across all phases of the addiction cycle and conclude sleep/alertness disturbance is a critical factor in both understanding and treating SUD.

Keywords: Excessive daytime sleepiness; Multiple sleep latency testing; Polysomnography; Sleep disturbance; Substance use disorder.

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