Parasomnias in Patients With Alcohol Dependence: A Cross-Sectional Study
DOI:
https://doi.org/10.69980/ajpr.v28i2%20(Part%20A).953Keywords:
Alcohol dependence, parasomnia, nightmare disorder, sleepwalking, night terrors, sleep disordersAbstract
Background: Alcohol dependence is associated with alterations in sleep architecture and may be accompanied by parasomnias. Although alcohol has been proposed as a precipitating factor for certain parasomnias, evidence regarding this association remains limited and inconsistent. This study aimed to assess the prevalence and pattern of parasomnias among patients with alcohol dependence and to examine their association with selected clinical characteristics.
Methods: A cross-sectional study was conducted over a period of 1.5 years in the Department of Psychiatry, Victoria Hospital, Bangalore Medical College and Research Institute, Bengaluru. Patients aged 18–65 years diagnosed with alcohol dependence syndrome according to ICD-10 and actively using alcohol were included. Patients with other substance use disorders except nicotine dependence, psychiatric or medical conditions likely to affect sleep, neurological disorders, delirium, complicated withdrawal, or recent prolonged withdrawal symptoms were excluded. The severity of alcohol dependence was assessed using the Severity of Alcohol Dependence Questionnaire (SADQ). Sleep quality and insomnia were assessed using the Pittsburgh Sleep Quality Index (PSQI) and Insomnia Severity Index (ISI), respectively. Parasomnias were assessed using a structured history obtained from participants and their attendants.
Results: A total of 62 patients with alcohol dependence were included. Parasomnia was identified in 14.52% of participants, with nightmare disorder being the only parasomnia observed. No participants reported sleepwalking or night terrors. The study did not establish a significant association between alcohol dependence and nightmare disorder. The findings suggested that parasomnias were relatively uncommon compared with the high prevalence of poor sleep quality and insomnia observed in the study population.
Conclusion: Parasomnias were present in a minority of patients with alcohol dependence, with nightmare disorder being the only parasomnia identified in this sample. No cases of sleepwalking or night terrors were observed. The findings highlight the need for careful assessment of parasomnia symptoms in patients with alcohol dependence while recognizing that the relationship between alcohol use and specific parasomnias remains uncertain.
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