The only study available on disulfiram showed reduced REM sleep .
Acamprosate showed no/little effect on self-reported sleep but improved sleep continuity and architecture measured by polysomnography .
The two opioidergic drugs naltrexone and nalmefene had mainly detrimental effect on sleep , giving increased insomnia and /or somnolence compared with placebo , although not always significant .
The meta- analysis confirmed significantly increased somnolence and insomnia in the naltrexone group , compared with the placebo .
Overall , the currently available evidence s show more sleep problems with the opioidergic drugs ( especially naltrexone ) , while acamprosate seems to be well tolerated or even beneficial .
Acamprosate might be a more suitable choice when patients with AUD report sleep problems .
Background : Sleep disorders are commonly associated with acute and chronic use of alcohol and with abstinence .
To date , there are four approved drugs to treat alcohol use disorder ( AUD ) : disulfiram , acamprosate , naltrexone , and nalmefene .
These AUD therapies reduce the craving and risk of relapse into heavy drinking , but little is known about their effect on sleep .
As recent evidence s indicate a crucial role of sleep disorders in AUD , cl aim ing that sleep problems may trigger alcohol abuse and relapses , it is fundamental to clarify the impact of those drugs on the sleep quality of AUD patients .
This systematic review aims to answer the question : how does the pharmacotherapy for AUD affect sleep ?
Effects of naltrexone on adolescent alcohol cue reactivity and sensitivity: an initial randomized trial
Adolescent alcohol use is associated with myriad adverse consequences and contributes to the leading causes of mortality among youth . Despite the magnitude of this public health problem , evidence d‐based treatment initiatives for alcohol use disorders in youth remain inadequate . Identifying promising pharmacological approaches may improve treatment options . Naltrexone is an opiate receptor antagonist that is efficacious for reducing drinking in adults by attenuating craving and the rewarding effects of alcohol . Implication s of these findings for adolescents are unclear ; however , given that r and omized trials of naltrexone with youth are non‐existent . We conducted a r and omized , double‐blinded , placebo‐controlled cross‐over study , comparing naltrexone ( 50 mg/daily ) and placebo in 22 adolescent problem drinkers aged 15–19 years ( M = 18.36 , st and ard deviation = 0.95 ; 12 women ) . The primary outcome measures were alcohol use , subjective responses to alcohol consumption , and alcohol – cue‐elicited craving assessed in the natural environment using ecological momentary assessment methods , and craving and physiological reactivity assessed using st and ard alcohol cue reactivity procedures . Results showed that naltrexone reduced the likelihood of drinking and heavy drinking ( P 's ≤ 0.03 ) , blunted craving in the laboratory and in the natural environment ( P 's ≤ 0.04 ) , and altered subjective responses to alcohol consumption ( P 's ≤ 0.01 ) . Naltrexone was generally well tolerated by participants . This study provides the first experimentally controlled evidence that naltrexone  reduces drinking and craving , and alters subjective responses to alcohol in a sample of adolescent problem drinkers , and suggests larger clinical trials with long‐term follow‐ups are warranted
The only study available on disulfiram showed reduced REM sleep .
Acamprosate showed no/little effect on self-reported sleep but improved sleep continuity and architecture measured by polysomnography .
The two opioidergic drugs naltrexone and nalmefene had mainly detrimental effect on sleep , giving increased insomnia and /or somnolence compared with placebo , although not always significant .
The meta- analysis confirmed significantly increased somnolence and insomnia in the naltrexone group , compared with the placebo .
Overall , the currently available evidence s show more sleep problems with the opioidergic drugs ( especially naltrexone ) , while acamprosate seems to be well tolerated or even beneficial .
Acamprosate might be a more suitable choice when patients with AUD report sleep problems .
Background : Sleep disorders are commonly associated with acute and chronic use of alcohol and with abstinence .
To date , there are four approved drugs to treat alcohol use disorder ( AUD ) : disulfiram , acamprosate , naltrexone , and nalmefene .
These AUD therapies reduce the craving and risk of relapse into heavy drinking , but little is known about their effect on sleep .
As recent evidence s indicate a crucial role of sleep disorders in AUD , cl aim ing that sleep problems may trigger alcohol abuse and relapses , it is fundamental to clarify the impact of those drugs on the sleep quality of AUD patients .
This systematic review aims to answer the question : how does the pharmacotherapy for AUD affect sleep ?