Acute heroin abstinence in man: IV. Sleep--waking state contingencies.

This study investigated the effect of acute heroin withdrawal on the pattern of sleep--waking state sequences. Subjects included drug-dependent patients using pure heroin and drug-free controls. Electrophysiological data were recorded on a 24-hour per day basis for the first 5 - 7 days of withdrawal. EEG records were scored according to standard criteria. Marked increases in the sequential state changes occurred during withdrawal when progressing from awake-with-alpha, stage I, stage II and rapid eye movement (REM) sleep to the awake state. Heroin withdrawal also caused significant decreases in sequential state changes when proceeding from waking or light sleep states into deeper sleep states or into REM sleep. This study revealed that heroin withdrawal caused more abrupt transitions from quiet awake or sleeping conditions into the awake state and impeded progression into slow wave or REM sleep states.