Sleep restriction, ethanol effects and time of day

Abstract

The sedative and performance‐disruptive effects of ethanol as a function of basal level of sleepiness/alertness and circadian time was studied. Ethanol (0.5 g/kg) or placebo was administered to 12 healthy, normal‐sleeping men, aged 21 to 45 years, at two different times of the day (09.00 and 16.00 h) after 8 h time in bed (TIB) the previous night and at 16.00 h after 4 h TIB. The Multiple Sleep Latency Test (MSLT) was conducted at 1, 3, 5, and 7 h post‐ethanol consumption in a day drinking and in two evening drinking conditions. Auditory vigilance and divided attention performance was assessed 1 and 5 h post‐ethanol. A significant difference in MSLT scores was found between the 4‐h and 8‐h TIB conditions reflecting increased sleepiness. The significant reduction in MSLT scores after morning ethanol was not seen in either of the evening ethanol conditions (8‐h or 4‐h TIBs). Performance on the auditory vigilance task 1 h post‐administration was disrupted by ethanol consumption in the morning, but not in the evening conditions (8‐h or 4‐h TIBs).

Chronic ethanol attenuates circadian photic phase resetting and alters nocturnal activity patterns in the hamster

“…suprachiasmatic nucleus; glutamate; microdialysis; drinking rhythms ETHANOL (ETOH) IS HIGHLY DISRUPTIVE to mammalian circadian functions, including sleep (5,18,32,33,50) and rhythms of melatonin (33,53), glucocorticoids (2,49), thyroid-stimulating hormone (13), and body temperature (4,14,15,66). Moreover, disruptions in hypothalamic-pituitary-adrenal axis function are associated with increased EtOH preference in animal models (49), and in humans, this may be a risk factor for developing alcoholism and relapse after abstinence (6,11,34,46,68).…”

“…In humans, alcohol abuse is associated with marked disturbances in clockdriven overt behavioral rhythms (5,6,18,32,33,50). In hamsters, our analysis of actogram data over periods of chronic drinking revealed a significant decrease in the number of locomotor bouts during the active period (dark-phase), and an increase in the mean daily bout duration, reflecting a consolidation of locomotor activity, primarily during the active period.…”

Cannabis and alcohol use for sleep aid: A daily diary investigation.

“…Acute effects of presleep cannabis administration include greater subjective sleep satisfaction (Bedi et al, 2010), longer sleep duration, shorter sleep onset latency (i.e., duration from bedtime to sleep initiation), and improved sleep maintenance (Cousens & DiMascio, 1973; Tassinari, Ambrosetto, Peraita-Adrado, & Gastaut, 1999) the same night, but also increased next-day fatigue (Nicholson, Turner, Stone, & Robson, 2004). Acute effects of presleep alcohol administration include improved subjective sleep quality, shorter sleep onset latency, and longer sleep duration (Roehrs, Petrucelli, & Roth, 1996; Roehrs & Roth, 2018; Roehrs, Yoon, & Roth, 1991) the same night, but also greater sleep disruption during the night (Arnedt et al, 2011) and next-day fatigue (Chait & Perry, 1994).…”

Environmental Modulation of Alcohol Intake in Hamsters: Effects of Wheel Running and Constant Light Exposure

“…Chronic drinking delays and dampens circadian rhythms of melatonin (Kuhlwein et al, 2003;Rojdmark et al, 1993), glucocorticoids (Rasmussen et al, 2000), thyroidstimulating hormone (Danel and Touitou, 2003), and body temperature (Baird et al, 1998;Danel et al, 2001;Devaney et al, 2003;Wasielewski and Holloway, 2001). Alcohol abuse is also associated with decreases in rapid eye movement and slow-wave sleep and general fragmentation of sleep and activity rhythms (Brower, 2001;Brower et al, 2001;Ehler and Slawecki, 2000;Kubota et al, 2002;Landolt et al, 1996;Roehrs et al, 1996). Likewise, individuals with circadianrelated sleep disorders (Roehrs and Roth, 2001a,b) or hypothalamic-pituitary-adrenal axis dysfunction (Costa et al, 1996;O'Callaghan et al, 2005;Zimmermann et al, 2003) and those that experience chronic circadian rhythm perturbations induced by shift work or repeated jetlag (Gordon et al, 1986;Smart, 1979) have a much greater risk of developing alcoholism.…”