With no approved medications for methamphetamine use disorder (MAUD) and relapse rates estimated to be as high as 80 per cent, understanding meth’s impact on sleep is a crucial component of developing effective treatments. 

“We know that both recent use and frequent use of methamphetamine are associated with poor sleep,” explains the paper’s lead researcher, Research Fellow Dr Sarah Catchlove.

“Past studies have shown that the more meth is used, the worse sleep disturbances and sleep quality become,” she adds. 

Since poor sleep can directly impact addiction treatment outcomes by increasing cravings and the risk of relapse, these findings offer new insight that could improve outcomes for women seeking treatment for MAUD.

What the study found

The researchers examined sleep quality and “sleep-wake cycle” chronotypes in 13 women with moderate-to-severe MAUD.

Most participants had poor sleep quality and tended to have a delayed sleep period, sometimes described as being a ‘night owl’.

“We found no link between MAUD severity and sleep quality, which may indicate that sleep disruptions do not continue to worsen beyond a certain threshold of MAUD severity. However, it should be noted that the sample was not large enough to detect significant relationships, and more research is needed,” Dr Catchlove says.

Consistent with prior findings in other substance use disorders, participants experiencing higher severity levels of MAUD were more likely to have the delayed sleep period of a 'night owl'.

“Our study is the first to demonstrate this link in a female-only, methamphetamine-specific cohort,” Dr Sarah Catchlove says.

According to Dr Catchlove, larger studies are needed to explore the impact of meth use on sleep in more detail, including how long it takes to fall asleep, how well someone sleeps, and how long they sleep overall.

Read the paper: Sleep patterns and sleep quality in women with methamphetamine use disorder

This study was supported by an NCCRED Seed Funding Grant awarded to the project’s Principal Investigator, A/Prof Shalini Arunogiri.

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