U.S. Department of Health & Human Services
Sleep Dysfunction as a Core Feature of Opioid Use Disorder and Recovery
Overview
The Research Need
More than 75 percent of people with opioid use disorder have sleep problems, such as irregular sleep schedules, not sleeping enough, and/or having a sleep disorder (e.g., insomnia, sleep apnea). While inadequate sleep impairs quality of life, it also may contribute directly to addiction, including reward, stress, emotional regulation, decision making, and social engagement.
About the Program
This program supports basic and clinical research to understand how sleep and circadian rhythms are related to opioid addiction, withdrawal, relapse, and response to medication treatment (including existing medications). This research will identify sleep-controlled molecules and pathways that may serve as potential therapeutic targets for preventing and treating opioid use disorder and addiction.
Program Details
To date, through the Helping to End Addiction Long-term® Initiative, or NIH HEAL Initiative®, NIH has funded eight awards for this program, totaling $25.6 million.
Research Examples
Research examples supported by this program include:
- Examining how sleep deficiency affects the risk of relapse in individuals treated for opioid use disorder and whether interventions to improve sleep problems lead to better treatment outcomes
- Studying how sleep problems trigger mechanisms in the brain that increase the risk of opioid misuse
- Investigating the mechanisms that connect sleep disturbance to opioid use disorder, including stress, mood, craving, pain, and addiction risk
- Identifying potential opioid use disorder therapeutic targets to improve sleep and to counteract the effects of sleep disturbance on opiate misuse, addiction, and relapse
- Learning which sleep disturbances influence opioid use disorder medication treatment response
- Studying how medications to treat opioid use disorder affect sleep regulation and circadian rhythms