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Substance Use Disorders Affecting Sleep

Substance use disorders involve a pattern of using drugs more extensively than intended and continuing use despite harmful consequences. This includes legal substances like alcohol and nicotine, as well as illegal drugs. These disorders often involve both physical and psychological dependence, reflecting compulsive use of substances that significantly alter thoughts, feelings, and behaviors, contributing to a major public health issue.
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Brain Morphology of Cannabis Users With or Without Psychosis: A Pilot MRI Study
07:30

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Published on: August 18, 2020

Sleep disturbance in heavy marijuana users.

Karen I Bolla1, Suzanne R Lesage, Charlene E Gamaldo

  • 1Department of Neurology, Johns Hopkins Medical Institutions, Bayview Medical Center, Baltimore, MD 21224, USA. kbolla@jhmi.edu

Sleep
|June 14, 2008
PubMed
Summary

Recently abstinent heavy marijuana users exhibit sleep disturbances, including reduced total sleep time and less slow-wave sleep, compared to controls. These findings suggest potential challenges in marijuana cessation treatment due to poor sleep quality.

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Area of Science:

  • Sleep Medicine
  • Neuroscience
  • Addiction Research

Background:

  • Heavy marijuana (MJ) use is prevalent, yet its impact on sleep during abstinence is not fully understood.
  • Polysomnography (PSG) is a key tool for objectively measuring sleep architecture and continuity.

Purpose of the Study:

  • To investigate differences in PSG sleep measures between recently abstinent heavy MJ users and a drug-free control group.
  • To assess sleep quality and continuity following MJ cessation.

Main Methods:

  • Seventeen heavy MJ users and 14 drug-free controls (aged 18-30) underwent two consecutive nights of PSG monitoring after MJ discontinuation.
  • Participants were screened for other substance use; MJ users' urine tested positive for cannabis metabolites only.

Main Results:

  • MJ users displayed significantly lower total sleep time and reduced slow-wave sleep compared to controls on both nights.
  • Worse sleep efficiency, longer sleep onset latency, and shorter REM latency were observed in MJ users on the second night.
  • Sleep continuity worsened for the MJ group from night 1 to night 2, indicating a lack of sleep adaptation.

Conclusions:

  • Heavy MJ users show objective sleep disturbances during discontinuation, differing from drug-free individuals.
  • Poor sleep quality, whether pre-existing or emerging during abstinence, may impact treatment outcomes for MJ users.
  • Further research is needed to clarify the relationship between MJ use, cessation, and sleep disturbances.