Ecstasy and sleep disturbance: Progress towards elucidating a role for the circadian system

Abstract

MDMA (ecstasy) is an illicit drug which has pharmacological actions on the serotonin system, leading to a number of physiological and behavioral changes. Research conducted in both animals and humans has focused on how ecstasy use affects systems or functions in which serotonin has a regulatory role including mood, sleep and circadian rhythms. In this paper we review the evidence with respect to changes in sleep and circadian rhythms following ecstasy use. Studies of the subjective measurement of sleep have suggested that there are changes in sleep quality and duration following ecstasy use, while research utilizing objective measures including polysomnography has highlighted changes in sleep architecture following ecstasy use. Collectively these findings suggest that there are consequences associated with ecstasy use, and the implications of these findings for ecstasy users will be examined. Finally, preliminary evidence from the animal literature implicating ecstasy as having specific effects on the circadian system will be reviewed. A discussion of the limitations of the current evidence for such a claim is presented, and possible directions for future research are explored.

Daily sleep quality affects drug craving, partially through indirect associations with positive affect, in patients in treatment for nonmedical use of prescription drugs

“…Similar processes may also be at play in the current study. Indeed, disruptions in circadian rhythms have been observed across substance abusing samples (Birchler-Pedross et al, 2009; Ogeil et al, 2012; see Hasler et al, 2012, for review) with continued disruptions observed up to 30 days of abstinence in heroin-using samples for example (Li et al, 2009). Examining the contribution of the circadian system to affect and craving will require the use of specialized protocols capable of parsing out the effects of circadian timing from homeostatic sleep drive in future studies.…”

Risky drug use and effects on sleep quality and daytime sleepiness

“…pharmacokinetics for both alcohol and cannabis results in higher drug concentrations in women following ingestion of the same amount of alcohol and cannabis compared with men; Cooper and Haney, ; Holmila and Raitasalo, ), psychological (e.g. women may be more able to detect sleep problems and more likely to attribute them to their drug use; Ogeil et al ., ) and sociocultural factors (e.g. a decreased likelihood of risk taking compared with men; Cherpitel, ).…”

Insomnia and Regulation of Sleep-Wake Cycle With Drugs Among Adolescent Risky Drinkers

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