Stress, Sleep, and Autonomic Dysregulation in Alcohol Use Disorder

Wed, 22 Apr 2026 00:00:00 +0000

Project Overview

This project investigates the role of Autonomic Nervous System (ANS) regulation in shaping sleep quality across the spectrum of alcohol use, from moderate consumption to Alcohol Use Disorder (AUD). Specifically, it examines how dynamic interactions between sympathetic activation and parasympathetic recovery influence stress responsivity and downstream sleep disruption. By integrating psychophysiological indices with experimentally induced stress, the project aims to identify mechanistic pathways linking autonomic dysregulation to impaired sleep in AUD.

Background

AUD is characterized by a self-reinforcing cycle involving stress, alcohol use, and sleep disturbance. Heightened stress reactivity promotes alcohol consumption as a maladaptive regulatory strategy; alcohol, in turn, disrupts sleep architecture and circadian regulation; impaired sleep further sensitizes individuals to stress, perpetuating the cycle. The ANS is a central mediator of this process. Dysregulation within the balance of sympathetic (arousal-related) and parasympathetic (restorative) activity compromises adaptive stress recovery and has been consistently associated with both poor sleep quality and substance use pathology. In particular, reduced autonomic activity—indexed via Heart Rate Variability—is linked to impaired emotional regulation, exaggerated stress responses, and vulnerability to relapse. Despite this, the temporal and mechanistic relationships between ANS functioning, stress reactivity, and sleep disturbances in AUD remain insufficiently characterized. This project addresses this gap using controlled experimental stress induction and high-resolution physiological measurement.

Research Aims

Assess individual differences in autonomic responses to acute stress, focusing on both reactivity (sympathetic activation) and recovery (parasympathetic rebound).
Compare autonomic profiles between moderate drinkers and individuals with AUD to identify markers of dysregulation.
Test whether impaired autonomic recovery predicts subjective and/or objective sleep disturbances.
Evaluate whether ANS indices mediate the relationship between alcohol use severity and sleep impairment.

Methods

Acute stress will be elicited using the Trier Social Stress Test.
Continuous electrocardiographic activity will be recorded using the MindWare BioLab system.
Behavioral and self-report measures: Sleep quality, alcohol consumption patterns and severity, craving, and psychological stress.

Significance

This project advances a mechanistic account of AUD by positioning autonomic dysregulation as a core process linking stress vulnerability and sleep disturbance. By identifying physiological markers of impaired regulation—particularly deficits in parasympathetic recovery—it provides targets for intervention (e.g., biofeedback, neuromodulation, or behavioral treatments aimed at restoring autonomic balance). More broadly, the findings have the potential to refine theoretical models of addiction by integrating stress physiology and sleep disruption into a unified framework, with direct implications for relapse prevention and treatment optimization.

Autonomic Nervous System | Neuro Adx Lab

Stress, Sleep, and Autonomic Dysregulation in Alcohol Use Disorder

Project Overview

Background

Research Aims

Methods

Significance