Insomnia as a path to alcoholism: tolerance development and dose escalation

Sleep
Timothy A Roehrs, Thomas Roth

Abstract

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. 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. 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). 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...Continue Reading

References

Jan 1, 1972·Psychopharmacologia·O H RundellH L Williams
Oct 1, 1980·The Journal of Clinical Endocrinology and Metabolism·P N PrinzE D Weitzman
Mar 4, 1999·Neuropsychopharmacology : Official Publication of the American College of Neuropsychopharmacology·T RoehrsT Roth
Jan 18, 2003·Sleep Medicine Reviews·Timothy Roehrs, Thomas Roth
Feb 24, 2011·Sleep Medicine Clinics·Timothy Roehrs, Thomas Roth

❮ Previous
Next ❯

Citations

May 10, 2019·Alcoholism, Clinical and Experimental Research·Brant P HaslerSarah L Pedersen
May 29, 2020·International Journal of Behavioral Medicine·Alyssa Todaro BrooksGwenyth Reid Wallen
Aug 16, 2018·European Journal of Endocrinology·Michelle HenryKevin Garth Flusk Thomas
May 16, 2019·Alcohol and Alcoholism : International Journal of the Medical Council on Alcoholism·Sean HeSubhajit Chakravorty
Feb 15, 2021·Pharmacology, Biochemistry, and Behavior·Timothy RoehrsThomas Roth
Mar 25, 2021·Expert Opinion on Pharmacotherapy·Dieter Kunz
Mar 28, 2021·Addictive Behaviors·Mary Beth MillerChristina S McCrae

❮ Previous
Next ❯

Related Concepts

Trending Feeds

COVID-19

Coronaviruses encompass a large family of viruses that cause the common cold as well as more serious diseases, such as the ongoing outbreak of coronavirus disease 2019 (COVID-19; formally known as 2019-nCoV). Coronaviruses can spread from animals to humans; symptoms include fever, cough, shortness of breath, and breathing difficulties; in more severe cases, infection can lead to death. This feed covers recent research on COVID-19.

Blastomycosis

Blastomycosis fungal infections spread through inhaling Blastomyces dermatitidis spores. Discover the latest research on blastomycosis fungal infections here.

Nuclear Pore Complex in ALS/FTD

Alterations in nucleocytoplasmic transport, controlled by the nuclear pore complex, may be involved in the pathomechanism underlying multiple neurodegenerative diseases including Amyotrophic Lateral Sclerosis and Frontotemporal Dementia. Here is the latest research on the nuclear pore complex in ALS and FTD.

Applications of Molecular Barcoding

The concept of molecular barcoding is that each original DNA or RNA molecule is attached to a unique sequence barcode. Sequence reads having different barcodes represent different original molecules, while sequence reads having the same barcode are results of PCR duplication from one original molecule. Discover the latest research on molecular barcoding here.

Chronic Fatigue Syndrome

Chronic fatigue syndrome is a disease characterized by unexplained disabling fatigue; the pathology of which is incompletely understood. Discover the latest research on chronic fatigue syndrome here.

Evolution of Pluripotency

Pluripotency refers to the ability of a cell to develop into three primary germ cell layers of the embryo. This feed focuses on the mechanisms that underlie the evolution of pluripotency. Here is the latest research.

Position Effect Variegation

Position Effect Variagation occurs when a gene is inactivated due to its positioning near heterochromatic regions within a chromosome. Discover the latest research on Position Effect Variagation here.

STING Receptor Agonists

Stimulator of IFN genes (STING) are a group of transmembrane proteins that are involved in the induction of type I interferon that is important in the innate immune response. The stimulation of STING has been an active area of research in the treatment of cancer and infectious diseases. Here is the latest research on STING receptor agonists.

Microbicide

Microbicides are products that can be applied to vaginal or rectal mucosal surfaces with the goal of preventing, or at least significantly reducing, the transmission of sexually transmitted infections. Here is the latest research on microbicides.

Related Papers

Neuropsychopharmacology : Official Publication of the American College of Neuropsychopharmacology
Timothy A RoehrsThomas Roth
Neuropsychopharmacology : Official Publication of the American College of Neuropsychopharmacology
A Zwyghuizen-DoorenbosThomas Roth
© 2022 Meta ULC. All rights reserved