Sleep and Addictions: Linking Sleep Regulation with the Genesis of Addictive Behavior

The main mystery about sleep is why we do not do more of it. This is even more enigmatic considering the overlap between sleep regulatory mechanisms and reward systems. Like the majority of psychiatric disorders, sleep disturbances are a central feature of addictions. Here, a model is presented that demonstrates that key mechanisms involved in the susceptibility to engage in drug-seeking behaviors and to develop an addiction are linked to sleep and sleep disruption. The model proposes that the same systems that reinforce drug-seeking behaviors are also activated during sleep. As replay patterns during sleep are linked to memory consolidation, sleep may have a role in the creation of addiction. With this in mind, the proposed model may also provide a tentative answer to the questions posed, suggesting that sleep deprivation, at least in a mild form, is reinforcing.