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Addiction and Sleep Disorders

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Cannabinoids and Sleep

Part of the book series: Advances in Experimental Medicine and Biology ((AEMB,volume 1297))

Abstract

Shared neurophysiology of addiction and sleep disorders results in a bidirectional interplay. Diagnosing and treating primary sleep disorders, particularly in adolescents, can prevent the development of addiction in susceptible individuals. Addressing sleep issues in early recovery, and throughout maintenance, can prevent relapse. Cannabis use for insomnia shows mixed results; assisting with onset sleep latency in early use, this subsides with chronic use and holds addiction risk. Insomnia is a primary complaint of cannabis withdrawal syndrome and a primary cause of relapse in cannabis use disorder. An ideal sleep aid would prevent relapse and have low abuse potential. Pharmaceutical and behavioral options include suvorexant, mirtazapine, trazodone, and aerobic exercise, but clinical trials are lacking to demonstrate efficacy.

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Authors and Affiliations

  1. Division of Addiction Medicine, Augusta University-Medical College of Georgia, Augusta, GA, USA

    Jonathan Ek, William Jacobs, Brett Kaylor & W. Vaughn McCall

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  1. Jonathan Ek
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  2. William Jacobs
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  3. Brett Kaylor
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  4. W. Vaughn McCall
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Editors and Affiliations

  1. School of Medicine, University of the Republic, Montevideo, Uruguay

    Jaime M. Monti

  2. Somnogen Canada Inc., Toronto, ON, Canada

    S. R. Pandi-Perumal

  3. División Ciencias de la Salud, Universidad Anáhuac Mayab, Merida, Mexico

    Eric Murillo-Rodríguez

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Ek, J., Jacobs, W., Kaylor, B., McCall, W.V. (2021). Addiction and Sleep Disorders. In: Monti, J.M., Pandi-Perumal, S.R., Murillo-Rodríguez, E. (eds) Cannabinoids and Sleep. Advances in Experimental Medicine and Biology, vol 1297. Springer, Cham. https://doi.org/10.1007/978-3-030-61663-2_12

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