Treating Insomnia In Addiction Recovery May Cut Relapse Risk

the Psychiatry Advisor take:

Monitoring insomnia in patients in the early phase of addiction recovery is crucial as sleep problems can increase the risk of relapse.

Katherine A. Kaplan, PhD, of the Stanford University School of Medicine, and colleagues, reviewed current literature on the topic and say that the prevalence of insomnia in early recovery is five times higher than in the general population. Compounding the problem is that many people in recovery turn to alcohol to address their sleep problems, potentially leading to relapse.

And while some studies indicate using medications to treat insomnia during recover can help reduce the relapse rate, clinicians should be cautious, as a patient in recovery may be at increased risk for misuse, abuse, or addiction to sleep medications, the researchers reported in the Journal of Addiction Medicine.

Given that many clinicians have expressed hesitation in prescribing medication to treat insomnia in this population, evidence supports wider use of behavioral interventions, especially cognitive-behavior therapy, to address this. This might include having a patient maintain a sleep diary and engage in “sleep hygiene” practices to promote good sleep, such as limiting time in bed to sleeping and cognitive intervention.

The researchers conclude that additional research is needed to see if CBT for insomnia lowers the relapse risk.