[Sleep and addiction]. / Schlaf und Sucht.

Sleep disorders and depressive symptoms are concomitant features in patients with addictive disorders. In this study, patients with addiction (alcohol and opioid, resp.) and with major depression (DSM-III-R) were examined with a sleep EEG and compared to age-matched controls. An age-dependent decrease of total sleep time and slow-wave sleep (SWS) was demonstrated. Sober patients with alcohol dependency showed a decrease of SWS, whereas patients with opioid dependency substituted with methadone showed a disorder of REM sleep (REM suppression). Depressive patients revealed a disturbance of sleep continuity and REM sleep (increased REM sleep). The neurobiological differentiation by sleep EEG is of interest for research and clinical practice.