Dissertation
Sleep Disturbance and Daytime Symptoms in Cigarette Smokers Attempting to Quit Without Treatment
Doctor of Philosophy (PhD), Washington State University
01/2015
Handle:
https://hdl.handle.net/2376/5451
Abstract
Introduction: Relapse rates in cigarette smokers attempting to quit are high, but the factors that drive relapse risk are not well understood. Self-report data have suggested that disturbed sleep during abstinence may prompt individuals to resume smoking. Here we used polysomnography (PSG) to investigate sleep in smokers before and during a quit attempt without treatment ("cold turkey").
Methods: N=14 moderate cigarette smokers (16.2±6.2 cigarettes per day; ages 27.6±5.6y; 1 woman), healthy and free from drugs besides nicotine, were in the laboratory for three consecutive nights (18:00-09:00) with PSG recordings (10h time in bed, 22:00-08:00). On the morning after night 1, subjects initiated a quit attempt without treatment. Differences in daytime symptoms (Desire to Smoke, Withdrawal Symptoms, Anxiety, Irritability, Stress, and Sleepiness) and sleep architecture between night 1 (smoking), and nights 2 and 3 (abstinence) were investigated. Sleep variables and subjective sleepiness assessments were also compared to an age- and sex-matched control group of non-smokers from another study.
Results: Following the quit attempt, smokers reported higher levels of withdrawal symptoms and irritability during abstinence. Sleepiness did not change with abstinence, but was significantly higher across all nights when compared to the controls. A significant change across nights was observed for sleep latency (SL), which dropped from 44.9±9.0min (mean±SEM) after smoking to 27.7±8.0min during abstinence. When compared to controls, smokers had more disrupted sleep on all 3 nights with more N1, less N3, more EEG arousals, and longer latency to N3, despite no differences in total sleep time.
Conclusion: For daytime symptoms, smokers experienced increased levels of withdrawal symptoms and irritability during abstinence; and greater sleepiness across all nights when compared to controls. Sleep improved during abstinence, as evidenced by a shorter sleep latency, however, smokers had more sleep disturbance across all nights when compared to the control group. Whether the persistent sleep disturbance that was maintained during abstinence contributes to the high relapse rate in smokers quitting without treatment remains to be determined.
Research supported by: Funds provided for medical and biological research by the State of Washington Initiative Measure No. 171, and in part by NIH grant R21CA167691.
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Details
- Title
- Sleep Disturbance and Daytime Symptoms in Cigarette Smokers Attempting to Quit Without Treatment
- Creators
- Amy Marie Bender
- Contributors
- Hans P.A. Van Dongen (Advisor)Dennis G. Dyck (Advisor)John M. Roll (Committee Member)Matthew E. Layton (Committee Member)
- Awarding Institution
- Washington State University
- Academic Unit
- Psychology, Department of
- Theses and Dissertations
- Doctor of Philosophy (PhD), Washington State University
- Number of pages
- 137
- Identifiers
- 99900581441701842
- Language
- English
- Resource Type
- Dissertation