The Oasis Study

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 Opioid use may affect sleep in many different ways, ranging from daytime drowsiness to disorders such as insomnia and sleep apnea. Over time, poor sleep harms quality of life and increases risk for serious health problems, like heart failure and stroke. Sleep problems are common among patients with opioid use disorder (OUD). According to the NIH, more than 75% of patients with OUD have sleep problems. However, how poor sleep affects each person’s relationship with OUD varies greatly. Sleep disturbances, and their associated outcomes, may determine if someone with OUD continues with treatment or decides to return to drug use.

Sleep changes can be a side effect for any opioid, whether prescribed or used recreationally. Sleep changes resulting from opioids, including OUD medications can alter cravings and emotional regulation. 

Our study aims to study sleep quality in patients receiving buprenorphine or methadone treatment. Better understanding trends in sleep and OUD treatment interplay may highlight opportunities to improve OUD treatment and prevent early discontinuation. To do this, our team of sleep scientists, medical providers, and health researchers, will:

• Assess sleep quality using sleep diaries, wrist watches, and lab monitoring to examine any associations between sleep quality, mental performance, and OUD treatment outcomes
• Investigate the potential for sleep interventions to improve OUD treatment outcomes  

This study is led by:

Dr. Mary Carskadon

Sleep for Science Research Lab of Bradley Hospital

Warren Alpert Medical School of Brown University

Dr. Jody Rich 

COBRE on Opioids and Overdose of Rhode Island Hospital

Warren Alpert Medical School of Brown University

Dr. John McGeary 

Department of Psychiatry & Human Behavior of Brown University

Dr. Susan Ramsey 

Department of Psychiatry & Human Behavior of Brown University

Dr. Ju Park 

Division of General Internal Medicine of Brown University

Dr. Shira Dunsinger 

Department of Behavioral and Social Sciences of Brown University

This study was funded as part of the NIH HEAL Sleep Consortium; Grant number R01DA059469-01