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 ?
Prescribed sedative and other psychotropic medication use among clients attending alcohol and other drug treatment
INTRODUCTION AND AIMS Prescribed psychotropic medications contribute to overdose mortality among people with alcohol and other drug ( AOD ) disorders . We report on prescribed psychotropic medication use among AOD treatment service attendees , focusing on sedative drugs . DESIGN AND METHODS Prospect i ve multi-site naturalistic outcome study in residential and outpatient AOD treatment facilities in Victoria and Western Australia . A convenience sample of 480 people ( 57 % male ; mean age 36.1 ) entering treatment were surveyed , of whom 313 ( 65 % ) were followed up by telephone interview after a median of 377 days . Participants ' prescribed psychotropic medication use was ascertained by self-report at baseline and follow-up . RESULTS At baseline , 41 % of participants reported prescribed sedative medication ( benzodiazepine , zopiclone or zolpidem ) use within the past month , including prescriptions to treat withdrawal symptoms . At follow-up , the cohort reported a reduced rate of past month prescribed sedative use ( 23 % ; P < 0.001 ) and this rate did not significantly differ between those who continued to use their primary drug of concern and those who were abstinent at follow-up ( P = 0.08 ) . Among those with opioids as their primary drug of concern , one-third were still being prescribed a sedative  at follow-up ( P > 0.99 for change from baseline ) . At baseline , 40 % of participants were prescribed an  antidepressant  and 13 % an  antipsychotic medication  , which remained similar at follow-up ( 45 % and 13 % , respectively ) . DISCUSSION AND CONCLUSIONS The high level of prescribed sedative drug use reported by people receiving AOD treatment is a serious public health concern given the increasing incidence of drug overdose deaths in Australia
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 ?