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Heroin Addiction and Related Clinical Problems: 2020, 22, N5 (pages: 19 - 27)

Sleep Quality in Heroin-Dependent Patients Undergoing Three Types of Maintenance Therapy: The Benefits Promised by Opium Tincture Maintenance Therapy

Hojjat S.K., Kaviyani F., Akbari H., and Norozi Khalili M.

Summary: Background: Sleep disturbance is a common health problem, besides being a major comorbid disorder in substance abusers. Studies have shown that drug and alcohol abuse interfere with various aspects of sleep, including falling asleep, staying asleep, non-rapid eye movement (NREM) sleep and rapid eye movement (REM) sleep. Aim: The present study has investigated sleep quality in heroin-dependent patients receiving different types of maintenance therapies. The treatments were methadone maintenance therapy (MMT), buprenorphine maintenance therapy (BMT), and opium tincture maintenance therapy (OMT). Methods: The sample comprised 272 people with substance use disorder in addiction rehabilitation centres in Bojnurd, North-Eastern Iran. The diagnosis of heroin dependency was formulated by reference to DSM IV criteria, and sleep quality was measured using the Pittsburgh Sleep Quality Index (PSQI). Results: This study has shown that in terms of total sleep quality and sleep components such as sleep duration, sleep disturbance, sleep efficiency, and daily dysfunctionality, treatment with opium tincture is preferable to treatment with methadone. Also, buprenorphine maintenance therapy was found to give better results than those of methadone maintenance therapy for subjective sleep quality. Conclusions: Treatment with opium tincture leads to better results in terms of its effects on total sleep quality, sleep duration, sleep disturbance, sleep efficiency, and daily dysfunctionality.