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Review
. 2021 Aug:234:58-73.
doi: 10.1016/j.trsl.2021.03.006. Epub 2021 Mar 9.

At the intersection of sleep deficiency and opioid use: mechanisms and therapeutic opportunities

Mark K Greenwald  1 , Tabitha E H Moses  2 , Timothy A Roehrs  3
Affiliations
Review

At the intersection of sleep deficiency and opioid use: mechanisms and therapeutic opportunities

Mark K Greenwald et al. Transl Res. 2021 Aug.

Abstract

Due to the ongoing opioid epidemic, innovative scientific perspectives and approaches are urgently needed to reduce the unprecedented personal and societal burdens of nonmedical and recreational opioid use. One promising opportunity is to focus on the relationship between sleep deficiency and opioid use. In this review, we examine empirical evidence: (1) at the interface of sleep deficiency and opioid use, including hypothesized bidirectional associations between sleep efficiency and opioid abstinence; (2) as to whether normalization of sleep deficiency might directly or indirectly improve opioid abstinence (and vice versa); and (3) regarding mechanisms that could link improvements in sleep to opioid abstinence. Based on available data, we identify candidate sleep-restorative therapeutic approaches that should be examined in rigorous clinical trials.

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Conflict of interest statement

Disclosures/Conflict of Interest

All authors have read and accept the journal’s authorship agreement and policy on conflicts of interest. Dr. Greenwald has received compensation as a consultant and speaker for Indivior Inc. and as consultant for Nirsum Labs and Supernus Pharmaceuticals, unrelated to this review. The authors report no conflicts of interest related to the content of this work.

Figures

Figure 1.
Figure 1.
Conceptual model, illustrating hypothesized bidirectional relationships of sleep deficiency (focus of this review), and other salient factors (pain states, negative mood/stressors, physiological mediators), with opioid craving and/or use.
See this image and copyright information in PMC

References

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