The Effect of Naltrexone on Sleep Parameters in Healthy Male Volunteers

Naltrexone is an opiate receptor antagonist typically used in the management of opioid dependence1 and alcohol addiction.2 Naltrexone is associated with a number of adverse events when administered to healthy volunteers including nausea, vomiting, and drowsiness.3 Sleep disturbances after naltrexone administration were reported in patients with opiate dependence and alcohol addiction,4Y6 obese smokers,7 and patients with Crohn disease8 and uremic pruritus.9 In patients with chronic sleep apnea, naltrexone induced significant decreases in total sleep time, slow-wave sleep, and rapid eye movement (REM) sleep while significantly increasing total wake time and the number of awakenings per hour compared to placebo.10 Despite these reports, controlled studies of naltrexone’s effect on sleep parameters are lacking, and naltrexone’s reported effects on sleep are likely complicated by withdrawal and presence of other disease states. The purpose of this pilot study was to assess the effects of naltrexone on sleep parameters in healthy volunteer subjects.