Timothy Roehrs1,2, Thomas Roth1,2. 1. Sleep Disorders and Research Center, Henry Ford Health System, Detroit, MI. 2. Department of Psychiatry and Behavioral Neurosciences, School of Medicine, Wayne State University, Detroit, MI.
Abstract
Study Objectives: To assess the risks associated with the use of alcohol as a "sleep aid," we evaluated tolerance development to pre-sleep ethanol's sedative-hypnotic effects, and subsequent ethanol dose escalation. Methods:Volunteers, 21-55 years old, with insomnia in otherwise good medical and psychiatric health and no history of alcoholism or drug abuse participated. In experiment 1 (n = 24) 0.0, 0.3, or 0.6 g/kg (n = 8 per dose) ethanol was administered before sleep and 8-hour nocturnal polysomnograms (NPSGs) were collected. In experiment 2, after six nights pretreatment with ethanol 0.45 g/kg (n = 6) versus placebo (n = 6), choice of pre-sleep ethanol or placebo was assessed over seven choice nights. Results: The 0.6 g/kg ethanol dose increased total sleep time and stage 3-4 sleep on night 2, but these effects were lost by night 6 (p < .05). Six nights of ethanol pretreatment produced on the choice nights more self-administered ethanol refills than the placebo pretreatment (p < .03). Conclusions: These are the first data to explicitly show the risks associated with the use of alcohol as a "sleep aid" among people with insomnia. Initially, a moderate dose of ethanol improved NPSG sleep, which was lost by night 6. Tolerance was associated with enhanced self-administration of pre-sleep ethanol.
RCT Entities:
Study Objectives: To assess the risks associated with the use of alcohol as a "sleep aid," we evaluated tolerance development to pre-sleep ethanol's sedative-hypnotic effects, and subsequent ethanol dose escalation. Methods: Volunteers, 21-55 years old, with insomnia in otherwise good medical and psychiatric health and no history of alcoholism or drug abuse participated. In experiment 1 (n = 24) 0.0, 0.3, or 0.6 g/kg (n = 8 per dose) ethanol was administered before sleep and 8-hour nocturnal polysomnograms (NPSGs) were collected. In experiment 2, after six nights pretreatment with ethanol 0.45 g/kg (n = 6) versus placebo (n = 6), choice of pre-sleep ethanol or placebo was assessed over seven choice nights. Results: The 0.6 g/kg ethanol dose increased total sleep time and stage 3-4 sleep on night 2, but these effects were lost by night 6 (p < .05). Six nights of ethanol pretreatment produced on the choice nights more self-administered ethanol refills than the placebo pretreatment (p < .03). Conclusions: These are the first data to explicitly show the risks associated with the use of alcohol as a "sleep aid" among people with insomnia. Initially, a moderate dose of ethanol improved NPSG sleep, which was lost by night 6. Tolerance was associated with enhanced self-administration of pre-sleep ethanol.
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