Effects of 24-hr nicotine replacement on sleep and daytime activity during smoking cessation

This study uses wrist actigrapy to assess the effects of 24-hr transdermal nicotine replacement on the sleep and daytime activity of smokers during smoking cessation.

Seventy-one subjects grouped as light (n = 23), moderate (n = 24), or heavy (n = 24) smokers were randomly assigned to placebo or 11, 22, or 44 mg/day doses of transdermal nicotine for 1 week of intensive inpatient treatment of nicotine dependence. Outpatient patch therapy continued for 7 weeks following the inpatient stay. Those initially on placebo were randomly assigned to 11 or 22 mg/day, and those initially on 44 mg/day were reduced to 22 mg/day at Week 4.

There was a significant decrease in daytime wrist activity during patch therapy and the 1st week off patch therapy. These changes in daytime wrist activity were positively correlated with percentage of nicotine and cotinine replacement. No changes from baseline in sleep (sleep efficiency or wrist activity) were detected, nor were there differences in sleep among the four patch doses.

Using wrist actigraphy, this study failed to show any disturbing effects of 24-hr high-dose nicotine replacement on sleep. Lower levels of nicotine replacement were associated with a decrease from baseline in daytime wrist activity.